[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 59 (Friday, April 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. JACK ReVELLE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 26, 2013

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on January 24, 1961, 
a B52 Stratofortress was flying a patrol path when it crashed into a 
field outside of Goldsboro, North Carolina. As it crashed into the 
field, the aircraft's bomb bay doors opened releasing two nuclear bombs 
from the bay.
  In the midst of a possible nuclear disaster, Mr. Jack ReVelle 
received a phone call from a squadron commander notifying him that 
there was a crash. Mr. ReVelle, a munitions expert, immediately flew 
into Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, where he was transported to the 
crash site. When Mr. ReVelle reached the crash site, he found one bomb 
hanging on a tree but the second bomb had been buried under a deep 
puddle of mud.
  Fortunately, Mr. ReVelle identified that the first bomb was on safe 
switch mode, imposing no imminent threat. However, the second bomb was 
missing and became a part of history as a ``Broken Arrow''. There was 
great fear that this missing bomb would detonate and it took several 
days for Mr. ReVelle and his team to find the second bomb. Once found, 
Mr. ReVelle risked his life in order to defuse the nuclear bomb by 
taking out the core of the bomb while still buried in the mud. After 
the core was successfully taken out, the ARM/SAFE switch was located 
and it was confirmed that the switch was on the ARM position. If Mr. 
ReVelle had not shown such bravery, this nation would have endured an 
Mk-39 nuclear bomb explosion, yielding a 3.80 megaton effect 
obliterating everything and everyone that was in its radius.
  I am proud to recognize and honor Mr. ReVelle as a true American 
hero. This nation is grateful for Mr. ReVelle's courageous efforts to 
protect the American people from a devastating nuclear bomb.

                          ____________________