James F. Nelson

Jimmy 

 

Air Force Service: February 6, 1956 to February 5, 1960
Stations:

• Carswell AFB, Texas 1956-1959 (B-36H&J & B-52D&F)
• Columbus AFB, Miss. 1959-1960 (B-52D&F)

 

B-36 Tail Gunner: 1956-1958
B-52 Tail Gunner: 1958-1960

• Wing: 7th Bombardment (Heavy)
• Squadron: 492nd
• Crew Aircraft Commander: Major Jessie Walker

 

STORY: In 1958, as the B-36 was being phased out, we were flying from Carswell to the North Atlantic to drop old weapons, filled with concrete, into the drink. The mission called for us to land at Westover AFB in Massachusetts, after dropping the weapons, and spend the night before flying back to Carswell the next day. Before leaving Westover, we loaded the tail compartment with wooden crates filled with lobsters to take back to the troops in Texas. About half way back to Carswell, we went through a thunderstorm and the crates were thrown all over the cabin. The crates broke up and the lobsters were crawling all over the cabin. About that time, the flight engineer asked for an engine check and I responded on the intercom that I couldn't give an engine check right then because "I was up to my ass in lobsters". We finally policed up the damn lobsters and then gave the flight engineer an engine check. You can imagine the ribbing I got when we landed!

 

TIDBIT: Ask Huebert and Kennedy which one is really "Herman P. Schwartz"!

 

Air Force Organizations:

• 7th Bomb Wing B-36 Association
• Society of the Strategic Air Command

 

Date of Birth: September 16, 1937
Education: B.S. Aeronautical Engineering from St. Louis University, 1964
Occupation: Aerospace & Restaurant Consultant

 

• 1966-1970: Worked for Grumman at the Johnson Space Center as Lunar Module Environmental Control System Consol Operator.
• 1970-1987: Worked for Martin Marietta in Houston and Denver responsible for the military payload on Shuttle missions.
• After leaving the Space industry, went into the restaurant business for 11 years in Durango, CO. as owner of the Aroma Restaurant.

 

Married: January 24, 1959
Wife: Barbara
Children: Jimmy (married to Suzanne), Carolyn (married to Donato), Linda, Elizabeth (married to Tom).
Grandchildren: Katie & Michelle (both belong to Jimmy & Suzanne), Audrey & David James (both belong to Elizabeth & Tom), Isabella & Olivia (belongs to Carolyn & Donato)

The B-36 backround is from site of Brian Lockett