Arc Light Young Tiger Association Reunion

April 29 - May 3

We attended the Arc Light - Young Tiger Association Reunion in Savannah, Georgia.

Although the association has been in existance for several years, I had first heard of it when visiting Tony Pimentel and Jill in Wichita on our way out West last winter.

The mission of the Arc Light - Young Tiger Association is to honor, perpetuate, and ensure the historically accurate depiction and recognition of the achievements of the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber and tanker operations in the Vietnam War.

The Association is comprised of former members of SAC units that participated in B-52 Arc Light and KC-135 Young Tiger combat and combat support missions in the Southeast Asia (SEA) area of operations between 1965 and 1973.

Operation Arc Light started with the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam.   

The first use of these heavy bombers in Southeast Asia occurred on 18 June 1965.
Arc Light missions continued until the cessation of hostilities by all U.S. forces on August 15, 1973. Between June 1965 and August 1973, 126,615 B-52 sorties were flown over Southeast Asia. During those operations, the U.S. Air Force lost 31 B-52s: 18 from hostile fire over North Vietnam and 13 from operational causes.

Operation Young Tiger is the operational name of the KC-135s used in support of B52's and other military aircraft during the Vietnam War.



Arc Light Crew
Major Ron Edwards, Aircraft Commander, Lieutenant Dave Inscoe, Co-Pilot, Electronics Warfare Officer (unk), Marion Cox (?), Radar Navigator, Billy Dearman, Navigator, Gunner (unk)

B-52 on takeoff at Utapoa Air Base, Thailand



B-52 prepared to fly Arc Light Mission

The B-52 carries 24 750 lb bombs externally and 84 500 lb bombs internally





B-52 cockpit (the office)

 I flew B-52's as a Co-pilot and Aircraft Commander from 1968 to 1972 and participated in 94 Arc Light combat missions during two deployments to Guam, Utapoa, Thialand and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

The week at the reunion provided an opportunity to meet old friends and make new friends who all have the commonality of having been involved in either Arc Light or Young Tiger Missions.

J T Plummer, Radar Navigator and Lou who were at Blytheville AFB, Ark at the same time we were

Hal Martin, Pilot and Suzie who were at Blytheville AFB, Ark at the same time we were

Tony and Jill Pimentel who were our neighbors (and our close friends today) at Blytheville. 
Tony was a Radar Navigator in those days.