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Page 40 October 2016 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
1950 Jet Explodes Over
Emmitsburg
by James Rada, Jr.
On the evening of August 30, Courtesy Photo destroyed 60 percent of all ground
1950, a thunderstorm rolled into targets in the war. While early
the area, but above the rumbling F-84E of 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in Korea. versions of the jet had structural
of thunder, many people heard problems, by 1950, the Thunderbolt
something else. thought the explosion was closer to Department, and volunteers with the was a dependable aircraft.
my home than it was.” Emmitsburg VFW ambulance.
John Hilbert’s farm was 2.5 miles Alkire had recently completed
northeast of Emmitsburg, along He said that the plane was about They started a search for the pilot jet fighter training school and was
what is now MD 140. His wife tree height when he saw it going and passengers. Unfortunately, they flying on the wing of his element
heard the wind whipping up around down. He ran to his neighbor’s only found pieces. The largest piece leader, 1st Lt. William Hall. They
9:30 p.m. and went to the door of farm. Carrol Prock had a phone, of the pilot found, according to the had been on a training flight that
her home to close it; however, before and Leatherman used it to call the newspaper, was the pilot’s left hand had taken them up to Indiantown
she got there, she heard a loud roar. Pennsylvania State Police, because and wrist, which was still in a glove. Gap in Pennsylvania. They were on
he believed that the plane had gone their way back and trying to avoid
“I thought lightning had hit down in Adams County. Soon, airmen from Andrews Air the storm by climbing higher into a
the house, and went upstairs to Force Base in Washington joined cloud formation. The Hagerstown
get the children up,” she told the Prock had also seen the plane the search. It was learned that the Mail reported that when Hall “came
Gettysburg Times. “When we went explode. He told the Gettysburg plane had been an F-84 Republic out of the cloud, he could not find
outside, we found the house all Times that it looked like “a haystack Thunderbolt that had crashed, along Alkire’s plane.”
right, but three fires were burning in on fire in the air.” with its pilot, twenty-two-year-old
the corn field, and there were sparks Michael Alkire of Washington, It was not Alkire’s first crash that
all over the place.” Hilbert called the Maryland State D.C. He had been a 2nd lieutenant year. At the end of June, Alkire’s
Police to report the crash, and his with the Air National Guard and F-84 had crashed against a river
On another nearby farm, Lloyd farm was soon swarming with state a member of the 121st Fighter dyke at the end of the Olmsted
Leatherman heard a loud noise that troopers from both Maryland and Squadron, based at Andrews. Air Base runway. In that incident,
shook his house. Pennsylvania, as well as volunteers he either ran out of fuel or had a
from the Barlow Fire Department, F-84s were the primary attack “flame out,” according to the UPI
“I ran out and saw the plane Frederick County sheriff’s deputies, jets used during the Korean War. report. He walked away from that
explode,” Leatherman said. “I volunteers from the Gettysburg Fire They flew 86,408 missions and crash with only minor injuries.
Volunteers searched the Hilbert’s
10-acre cornfield, which was
illuminated with flood lights. Debris
was found scattered over a half mile.
301-271-2247 Bernard Miller from Gettysburg
was one of the searchers. He said
that when the search ended at 2:30
a.m., they had found “enough of
$3FO5rMcetnaoncbihce$uMrr1e2Sa&pnPeicecduiiarceulre the pilot to fill a bushel basket and
almost enough of the plane to fill a
131 3WWaatteerrSSttrreeeettiinnTThhuur mrmo notnt pick-up truck.”
The largest pieces of the plane
were only eight to ten inches in
length.
We Invite You to Share Your Good News!
[email protected] • Message Line 240-288-0108 • Publisher’s Line 301-271-1050 • Fax 301-447-2946
1950 Jet Explodes Over
Emmitsburg
by James Rada, Jr.
On the evening of August 30, Courtesy Photo destroyed 60 percent of all ground
1950, a thunderstorm rolled into targets in the war. While early
the area, but above the rumbling F-84E of 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in Korea. versions of the jet had structural
of thunder, many people heard problems, by 1950, the Thunderbolt
something else. thought the explosion was closer to Department, and volunteers with the was a dependable aircraft.
my home than it was.” Emmitsburg VFW ambulance.
John Hilbert’s farm was 2.5 miles Alkire had recently completed
northeast of Emmitsburg, along He said that the plane was about They started a search for the pilot jet fighter training school and was
what is now MD 140. His wife tree height when he saw it going and passengers. Unfortunately, they flying on the wing of his element
heard the wind whipping up around down. He ran to his neighbor’s only found pieces. The largest piece leader, 1st Lt. William Hall. They
9:30 p.m. and went to the door of farm. Carrol Prock had a phone, of the pilot found, according to the had been on a training flight that
her home to close it; however, before and Leatherman used it to call the newspaper, was the pilot’s left hand had taken them up to Indiantown
she got there, she heard a loud roar. Pennsylvania State Police, because and wrist, which was still in a glove. Gap in Pennsylvania. They were on
he believed that the plane had gone their way back and trying to avoid
“I thought lightning had hit down in Adams County. Soon, airmen from Andrews Air the storm by climbing higher into a
the house, and went upstairs to Force Base in Washington joined cloud formation. The Hagerstown
get the children up,” she told the Prock had also seen the plane the search. It was learned that the Mail reported that when Hall “came
Gettysburg Times. “When we went explode. He told the Gettysburg plane had been an F-84 Republic out of the cloud, he could not find
outside, we found the house all Times that it looked like “a haystack Thunderbolt that had crashed, along Alkire’s plane.”
right, but three fires were burning in on fire in the air.” with its pilot, twenty-two-year-old
the corn field, and there were sparks Michael Alkire of Washington, It was not Alkire’s first crash that
all over the place.” Hilbert called the Maryland State D.C. He had been a 2nd lieutenant year. At the end of June, Alkire’s
Police to report the crash, and his with the Air National Guard and F-84 had crashed against a river
On another nearby farm, Lloyd farm was soon swarming with state a member of the 121st Fighter dyke at the end of the Olmsted
Leatherman heard a loud noise that troopers from both Maryland and Squadron, based at Andrews. Air Base runway. In that incident,
shook his house. Pennsylvania, as well as volunteers he either ran out of fuel or had a
from the Barlow Fire Department, F-84s were the primary attack “flame out,” according to the UPI
“I ran out and saw the plane Frederick County sheriff’s deputies, jets used during the Korean War. report. He walked away from that
explode,” Leatherman said. “I volunteers from the Gettysburg Fire They flew 86,408 missions and crash with only minor injuries.
Volunteers searched the Hilbert’s
10-acre cornfield, which was
illuminated with flood lights. Debris
was found scattered over a half mile.
301-271-2247 Bernard Miller from Gettysburg
was one of the searchers. He said
that when the search ended at 2:30
a.m., they had found “enough of
$3FO5rMcetnaoncbihce$uMrr1e2Sa&pnPeicecduiiarceulre the pilot to fill a bushel basket and
almost enough of the plane to fill a
131 3WWaatteerrSSttrreeeettiinnTThhuur mrmo notnt pick-up truck.”
The largest pieces of the plane
were only eight to ten inches in
length.
We Invite You to Share Your Good News!
[email protected] • Message Line 240-288-0108 • Publisher’s Line 301-271-1050 • Fax 301-447-2946
