HISTORY of the 58th STRATEGIC RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, MEDIUM, WEATHER
By C.R. Layton
I keep changing this history because I'm still learning more about the 58th WRS. I have tried to find everything I can on the internet and have talked to and have been acquainted with over 250 guys that served in the 58th. I’m more inclined to believe what I'm told by the guys than what I have read.
The Air Force first began probing weather in Alaska in 1946 when the 59th Reconnaissance Squadron initiated the "Stork Baker" route from Merced, California to Anchorage, Alaska. In 1948 when that mission was given to the 374th Recon Squadron over 600 missions ad been completed. On the 7th of May 1947, a detachment of men from the 59th Recon Squadron arrived at Ladd AFB to set up weather reconnaissance operations. On March 17th, the first official "Ptarmigan" flight was made to the North Pole. In October 1947, the 59th was deactivated and the 375th Reconnaissance Squadron took over the vital task of collecting weather data in the northland.
All routes flown by Air Weather Service "flying laboratories" are named after birds common to their area. Flights over the Bering Sea have been dubbed "Loon": the trip over the Arctic waste to the top of the world is named after the hardy "Ptarmigan" which inhabits snow country.
In September 1948, the "Loon Baker" track was opened. It covered a path from Fairbanks to Skull Cliff, then to Nome, and on to Shemya at the end of the Aleutian Chain. It was on one of these Loon Baker missions that the first fatal accident occurred in the Alaskan operations. On September 28th, a WB-29 crashed upon landing at Shemya killing three officers and one airman.
On August 14, 1946, an enormous mass of floating ice, vastly thicker that the ice pack and more than 200 miles in area, was discovered less that 300 miles north of Point Barrow by the 46th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Photo). This island was designated Target X or T-1. Its existence was classified a military secret and speculation began as to its possible origin and probable future. During the next three years, T-1 was spotted many times by crews of the 46th and the 375th Squadrons.
Beginning late in May 1950, crews of the 58th Recon Squadron under the direction of Lt Colonel Joseph O. Fletcher began a concerted effort to locate other ice islands along the Ptarmigan tract using radar as the primary tool for search. During this time many likely prospects were sighted but there was no opportunity for visual observation. Then on July 20th this effort was rewarded by the discovery of a second island, designated T-2, similar to shape and size as T-1. On July 29th a third island, designated T-3 was discovered by radar and verified by sight August 34th.
The 58th is one of six weather reconnaissance squadrons in Air Weather Service. The combined routes of these squadrons cover most of the northern hemisphere. Prior to the use of weather recon aircraft forecasting efforts were hampered by lack of information from uninhabited regions. The advent of the red-tailed flying laboratories filled that void.
This is what Wikipedia on the internet says about the 58th:
*Constituted 400th Fighter Squadron on May 26, 1943
*Activated on August 1, 1943
* Redesignated: 400th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on April 5, 1944
* Redesignated: 400th Fighter Squadron on June 5, 1944
* Redesignated: 58th Reconnaissance Squadron (Weather) on July 7, 1945
I think this is somewhat correct but somewhere between 1945 and 1947 it became the 375th WRS. I noticed that Wikipedia totally left out the 375th WRS. My friend Lt Col Bernie Barris says it was the 59th rather that the 58th. I am inclined to agree with Bernie.
This is what I know to be fact from talking to guys that served and seeing factual orders and articles about this squadron. Before the 58th it was the 375th Weather Reconnaissance (*VLR). I don’t have a lot of knowledge about them but have conversed with a few guys that served in it and I have read in a few articles that refer to the 375th. I don’t have dates as to the beginning of the 375th but in 1947 the 375th was a divided squadron stationed at Ladd AFB, Fairbanks, AK flying the Ptarmigan mission and flying the Loon Charlie mission from Shemya to Osaka, Japan and later to Yokota, Japan. Shemya is an island located at the far west end of the Aleutians. I’ve been told that they won the 47-48 Basketball Championship at Ladd AFB. It was called the Midnight Sun League. My friend Wally Ahborn played on that team.
March 6, 1949--the 375th Reconnaissance Squadron was the first operational squadron assigned to Eielson AFB. It was one of these Loon missions that made the first discovery of the Soviet Union’s nuclear explosion experiments in August of 1949. Bob Mann has written a very complete article that can be found on the AWRA web page. http:// www.awra.us.
February 21, 1951--the 58th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Weather) replaced the 375th. The 58th flew two routine missions daily, the Ptarmigan and Loon Echo with “Special Missions” when necessary.When I first arrived at the 58th in 1953 it was called the 58th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Weather. In June of 1954, the name was changed to 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.
WB-29 aircraft were used until late 1955 when the Squadron changed over to WB-50s. I was a Crew Chief/Scanner on Major George Cambridge's crew . Our crew was picked to go to Riverside AFB in California to train on the B-50s to be the training crew for all the squadron. A month or so later our crew went to McClellan AFB to pick up the TB-50 that we would use to train all other crews. I rotated in November of 1955 and never got to fly a mission on the 50s. The 58th continued to operate until June 1958 at which time the squadron was de-activated and personnel was sent to the 55th WRS at McClellan AFB in Sacramento, CA and part to McCord AFB in Tacoma, WA. I'm told that a few went to Guam.
On April 15, 1963, the 58th was reactivated and organized at Kirtland AFB in New Mexico and assigned to the 9th Weather Group under MATS. I'm not sure just what aircraft they were flying, probably WB-47's. In 1964, they switched over to the WB-57 Canberras. They were flying a high altitude program. They were deployed throughout the world testing the atmosphere for nuclear debris. In 1974, the program was transferred over to NASA where it was called NASA 926 program operating out of Ellington Field, Houston, TX. It practically shut down in 1982 and there are only a couple of WB-57s still flying today.
I have a list of all the 58th Commanding Officers from 5 Aug 43 to 4 Apr 69, also an article showing that there were 3 different emblems for the 58th. As follows:
5 Aug 43 Capt Robert C. Rogers,
Mar 44 Capt William Paule,
19 Oct 44 Capt Everette Maarcum,
16 Nov 44 Maj Robert C. Fletcher,
12 Feb 45 Maj Max R. Wiecks,
11 Jul 45 Maj Joseph D. Hornsby,
18 Jul 45 Capt Harold Olsen,
23 Jul 45 Maj Robert W. Vanderveld,
6 Sep 45 Capt Ray J. Bindar,
21 Feb 51 Lt Col Joseph O. Fletcher,
22 Dec 51 Maj Clarence N Chamberlin Jr.,
1 Feb 52 Aubrey D. Taylor,
5 Dec 53 Lt Col Fort W. Lipe,
6 Jul 55 Lt Col Carl H. Morales,
26 Aug 57 Lt Col John N. Highley,
Jan 58 Lt Col Harvey P. Hall,
8 Jun 63 Lt Col Robert Mueller,
Jul 66 Col Donald Wolfe,
Jul 66 Lt Col Douglas Campbell,
Jul 71 Lt Col Jack Reedy,
30 Jul 71 Col Click Smith,
18 Sep 73 Col Thomas Strohl.
The FIRST EMBLEM approved was for the 400th Fighter Squadron (SE). SIGNIFICANCE: This is not weather oriented but was used by the 58th Reconnaissance Squadron until and its successors from 7 July 1945 until a new approved in 1952. I have no illustration of this emblem.
The SECOND EMBLEM was approved January 1952 for the 58th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Weather). SIGNIFICANCE: The polar bear, symbol of endurance, strength, and accomplishment; symbolizes the significant historical accomplishment of the unit in the North Pole "Ptarmigan" flight. The aurora borealis symbolizes the unit's mission and accomplishment in exploring areas of the heretofore unknown places of the earth. The aircraft represents successfully accomplishing the air mission of the organization over the North Pole and other frozen areas. This emblem is shown and was used while I served in the 58th, you see it when you click onto my web page along with "Willy Weatherbee the 55th emblem.
THIRD EMBLEM: Approved on 26 July 1965 for 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. SIGNIFICANCE: Against the background of blue depicting the sky, the primary theater of the Air Force operations. The zia symbol refers to the four points of the compass and the globe in its center represents the unit's worldwide capabilities. The wings conjoined allude to the squadron's World War II training mission and the star commemorates their service in the American Theater. The Aircraft flying over the aurora borealis symbolizes the unit's accomplishments in exploring unknown areas and their historical achievement in the North Pole "Ptarmigan" flight. The rain cloud, and lightning bolt refer to the unit's quick reaction and response in all weather reconnaissance. The nuclear cloud with atomic nucleus and its escaping particles of gauges represent the squadron's primary mission of air testing "bot" sampling after nuclear explosions and providing the invaluable data required. The emblem bears the Air Force colors of golden yellow and ultramarine blue and the national colors of red, white and blue to indicate the patriotism of the personal and identify the squadron as a member of the U.S. Air Force.
AWARDS: Service Streamer, American Theater World War II 7 Dec 1941-- 6 Nov 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for 1 Jul 1967--30 Jun 1968. 1 Jan 19071--Dec 1971. If you read this and can add to or correct something, please contact me.
* (VLR) = Very Long Range
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