Key Figures Linked to the 49-244 Disaster
Curtis LeMay
Commander of the Strategic Air Command
Mastermind behind KB-29 tanks
Advocate of forceful response to Soviet expansionism
Decision-maker behind last flight of 49-244
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Paul T. Cullen
Married Ruth Gravett in 1938
Piloted multiple planes to survivable crash landings
Noted for expertise in aerial reconnaissance photography
First American military pilot to land and take off from Soviet territory
Struck up extramarital affair with Reva Joy Hurwitz during Operation Crossroads
Married Reva in Mexico in 1947 without having divorced Ruth Cullen
Hid existence of his adultery from the Air Force command, a serious security breach and a prosecutable offense
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Joseph Stalin
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Soviet leader who allied with the United States and Britain to defeat Hitler's Germany Infiltrated Manhattan Project while U.S. and U.K. were focusing intelligence efforts on Germany and Japan Became distrustful of alliance when his spies revealed U.S./U.K. atomic bomb development After drawdown of U.S. forces in Europe, kept Soviet forces amassed on eastern front Spy network probably had access to SAC atomic basing plans in U.K.
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Lauris Norstad
Commander of the 8th Air Force Division in Europe Clashed with LeMay over who controlled nuclear forces in U.K. Protege of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower Possibly influenced Gen. Cullen's U.K. appointment
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Reva Joy Hurwitz
Red Cross worker in Marshall Islands during Operation Crossroads Coordinated press coverage for U.S. military ahead of tests Struck up love affair with then-Col. Paul T. Cullen Traveled with Cullen to Mexico to marry an already-married man
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Ruth Cullen
Married then-Lt. Paul T. Cullen in 1938 Daughter of a Denver pastor Nursed Cullen back to health after multiple crash landings Filed suit in Florida after Reva Cullen claimed survivor benefits when Paul Cullen was declared dead
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James Hopkins
Operations officer for atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Piloted photographic plane on Hiroshima atomic bombing mission SAC staff officer who accompanied LeMay on Washington trip as Truman declared national emergency Second-most senior officer and only certified atomic-bomb pilot aboard last flight of 49-244
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Clement Attlee
Succeeded Churchill as British prime minister Headed UK government when SAC basing was approved in U.K. Balanced U.S. defense demands with reconstruction needs Embarrassed by exposure of multiple British pro-Communist spy scandals in U.S.
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Winston Churchill
Delivered 'Iron Curtain' speech defining Soviet threat Challenged Attlee's approval of U.S. atomic basing Encouraged Truman and Roosevelt to hide atomic project from Stalin Atmosphere of distrust boosted Cold War tensions
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William "Butch" Blanchard
Succeeded Col. Paul Tibbetts as 509th commander Commander at Walker AFB during Roswell Incident Headed Eighth Air Force Directed training of B-36 and B-50 atomic bombing crews
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Lawrence Rafferty
Air Force captain present aboard 49-244 Member of SAC staff Owner of valise recovered from 49-244 wreackage Valise contents provided crucial physical confirmation of 49-244 ditching site
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Hunter Harris
Walker Air Force Base commander Brig. General who inspected KB-29 tie-downs Previously headed nuclear research at Sandia
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