1958 Mars Bluff Nuclear Bomb Incident
In 2003 Walter Gregg, then 82, said "Not too many people can say they've had a nuclear bomb dropped on them. Not too many would want to." The 1958 Mars Bluff nuclear weapon incident deserves to be remembered.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #nuclearaccident
I spent 20 years in the army. One thing I learned right from the get go "shit happens!" Occasionally very bad things...
Tell us more about the Tybee Island bombing. I've never heard of these nuclear bomb accidents before. Has the Air Force tried to "forget" these incidents?
Wow
It was really refreshing to hear a history story like that where no one got killed or seriously injured.
Excellent!
Love your research and dedication to your work. Keep it up!
Oh, Mars Bluff is simply the name of the place where this happened. When i saw the title, I thought someone was bluffing about nuking Mars.
So Woodruff played a key part in the incident...?
Yet we bomb foreign countries on purpose then pay millions if not billions to help rebuild!! Our government is incompetent!! Why wouldn’t the Government build them better houses as compensation for destroying their property and sending them to the hospital!! I despise the federal government and the people who abuse its power!!
Cheers. That made my morning.
The History Guy. I'm sure this is stated already... I went to the location in the google earth app. From the satellite view, all looks well. The house looks fine. However, in the google street view, the house is gone the property is wiped clean.! I wonder what happened at the property in recent years.?
9:30 Shout out to my local used to be good news paper that is is not thinner their free weekly entertainment rags. Which often have better reporting to boot. (pre-Covid-19 anyway....)
I'm disappointed that we didnt get to see the original bomb crater or what it looks like today.....
10 min from my house.
My Uncle was a Major in the USAF at this time, and 2 years prior had been a radar observer on a B-52 that crashed near Tracy, CA (he survived). His wife always swore that every time they were moved by the military to a new base she could expect stuff to be broken, lost, or stolen, or sometimes all three. Apparently they ran moves like that as cheaply and slowly as possible - just like paying for the damage to this man’s house, apparently.
The Greatest threat to American Life , Liberty , Home and Happiness is the Federal Government , concern of it's constituency is non existent, only a fool believes otherwise. We live in a two party system, Traitors and Patriots.
2 things you don't wanna hear in a sentence nuclear bomb and accident
Im sure the government took care of him and his family back then. Bet he got a family pack of airshow tickets and a chicken dinner. They were thrifty that era. And that would explain all the bombshells in Georgia :) (is that still a PC observation, militarily speaking of course )
There is a long history of not paying full damages
I was born and raised in the next county over. Always heard people talk about it but never knew the details. Thanks THG👍🏻🙌🏻
Have you considered doing a story of the Hammond Circus train wreck in 1918?
ok is this about the aircraft or the mars bluff bomb
First time ever hearing about this part of history lol
I'm sure the Air Force might differ with the phrase, *"You dropped a nuclear bomb on me, which deserves to be remembered!"*
An accident involving nukes in the Airforce is called a 'Broken Arrow'.
Awesome episode history guy!
....a typical "government job"...
Amazing that nobody got killed.
I was born may 58 and in Charlotte NC area, so if nuke had went off I may not be here or had illnesses.
Give that family,there due a new 🏠🏡 House and 🚗 car and 🤑💰 money, all of them.
Damn! Now I'm hearing the song from Dr. Strangelove in my head, "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when..." If you know the movie you'll understand.
Could have been worse if they dropped Michael Moore, Rosie O'Donnell, or even Chris Christie.
It’s a miracle nobody was killed. The risk vs reward of having these weapons just isn’t there. We have plenty of conventional ways of killing each other.
Mando spotted
Imagine the US government accidentally bombing your house and then refusing to pay for you to rebuild. I'd be pissed about that as well. But sounds like something the government would do.
Very good!
There once was a man named Gregg Who received quite the dreadful "egg"; Though it wasn't a nuke, still there was a rebuke But he still became friends with the crew...
It's still true today that governments never fully compensate people for damages no matter the cause. Why? Is there a law carved in stone somewhere that prohibits financial justice? Is there an unspoken agreement that government officials never admit responsibility for mistakes? What ever the reason I feel sorry for the people who suffered because of this accident!
We need to remember this!
The Gov could have at least paid for rebuilding their house. If that happened in 2021, they would have gotten $200 Million, lawyers getting half.
The USAF should have built new homes to replace those damaged by the blast.
Reminds me of when I went to a local military vehicle museum (mostly centered on WWII and 1950s, with a lot of jeeps), & there was a 1950s Jeep with what looked like a rocket on the back... it was actually a Jeep-mounted tactical nuke launcher. Intended for Europe, to launch if the Soviets invaded with lots of tanks. The guy in the Jeep had total control over firing it... it was like a key and a switch / button; that’s it. Terrifying to see. Glad no one ever did something stupid.
I don't know how I missed this video, but I'm glad I found it. Having graduated from Francis Marion University pretty much across the road from where this occurred this story means so much more. I am glad that you covered this little known unique story!
Very interesting , well done.
Eventually the government reimbursed the Greggs, but it wasn't enough to rebuild. How typical...and pathetic. The same government that paid $12, 000 for a toilet seat.
Lol! Destroyed his house and didn't even give him enough compensation to rebuild , nice.
I really love your videos! If you ever decide to make longer ones, I for one would not be disappointed. Thanks!
For those who'd like to see that period in USAF History (no shade to the History Guy who is AWESOME) I'd recommend watching the "Strategic Air Command" movie [1955] starring James "Jimmy" Stewart, who in real life served in the U.S. Army Air Corp and United States Air Force both during WWII and after, retiring as a Major General, USAF. It's a lovely tribute to those times and the men and women who serve our country.
This incident was one of quite a few that year, but it is not on the wiki list for this plane. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-47_Stratojet
"Not too many people can say they've had a nuclear bomb dropped on them." ASK THE 130K+ CIVILIANS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI
Remember Pearl Harbor! Payback is a MFer! Dont play with tiger if you dont want to get bit!
Shut up
I still find it amazing how fast the technology advances through out the 40s and 50s even to this day it just baffles me
THE US MILITARY HASN'T CHANGED A BIT,ITS STILL RAN BY INCOMPETANT MORONS WHO ARE STUPID AT BEST,BUT besides being a pack of thieves and murders,THEY LOVE TO KILL CHILDREN,and THIS will bring the WRATH OF GOD ON AMERICA,they have ONE last war then ,THEIR ALL BEING SENT TO HELL...and good riddence...
Thanks History Guy, god you know how to tell a story. God bless you, really. 🤝🙏✌❤
It's a disgrace that the military did not rebuild what was there before the bomb was dropped. Meanwhile they will spend $billions on the next weapon of mass destruction that they'll sell or supply to a foreign power. The US military was shocked when the only WMD's discovered in Irag had "Made In The USA" badges affixed. That's why officially none were found.
08:29 I don't know why, but the family description of the event made me laugh so hard. Kinda felt bad. 😆😂😭
You're too fast for me, fella.. I've had to slow this down to 0.75
Whoopsie!!!
Some USAF B-47 hangars/shelters were really weird looking structures. They protected the front fuselage and wings only.
The USAF accidentally drops a bomb on someone's property (US citizens), which explodes, and then doesn't fully compensate them for the damage to the family's home and property? WTF?!? Let alone it was a nuclear bomb!! Unbelievable! In this day and age if this accident were to happen there would be a major lawsuit and a judgment in the millions, along with much bad press. This was an accident after all, but accountability for obvious negligence applies to the US Military and the Government for the incident. Along with a profound and immediate apology, the US Government should have promptly repaired or rebuilt the family's home, garage, tree fort, garden and the chicken coop with new chickens to as new! A large contribution to the college fund of the two children injured and traumatized by the accident would also be in order. With the billions being spent on our "Nuclear Deterrent" at the time, this expense wouldn't even make it in the books as a line item. The US Government's response and accountability in this matter was as appalling as it was disgraceful. The US Military and the US Government all too often has a history of incompetence, secrecy and lack of accountability to the people to which it serves. Extrapolate this attitude to the present and it should come as no surprise that you get the events of the past weeks (which I condemn in the strongest terms). The majority of Americans, good law abiding mainstream Americans, feel that there is a lack of accountability by their Government. I'm not trying to stir the pot of the contentious times we are currently experiencing. However history carries it's lessons! Just sayin'.
Jerrie Mock and Mary Katherine Campbell.
Was not Slim Pickens onboard?
WoW!
And the bastards didn't even compensate him for the real loss? With all the wasteful spending they do? Shameful
So this is where the idea came from in Dr Strangelove
I remember my Grandfather and father talking about this.
I've been to the site of this... incident. It's easy to find the location on google earth. We literally drove to within a few hundred feet, and parked on Lucious Circle. I walked through the empty lot next door, and found a path that led me to the crater. The crater is still there, although it's full of water. There's a life size plywood silhouette of the bomb there. Hearing that the bomb was 10' long is one thing. Seeing this wood mockup is a bit different. That thing was huge. If you're at all near this area, stop and see it. If you can't park on the closest street any more, there's a parking lot about 400-500 feet directly south of the crater that might serve.
I have always enjoyed your stories, thank you!
This incident is but one of over 30 that are public record. Look up the terms Pinnacle, Bent Spear, Broken Arrow, Nucflash, Empty Quiver, Faded Giant, and Dull Sword, which are all code names for various classes of "incidents". There is a good Wiki article that will help look for more info.
Having worked in technology and with government programs for years, I'm amazed that there hasn't been a big noise type of accident with these things yet.
If the B-47 entered service in 1951, why was it not used in Korea? 1:15
1:40 in. Counted 4 howlers! Stopped watching.
What a great man-cave wall you have behind you. Very interesting (and somewhat eclectic) collection on display.
I'm glad the kitten lived
Hey History Guy, Great Job, thanks for all the details. If you get a chance please do a show on the nuke that was in a B-52 that was accidently shot down during a training exercise on Mt Taylor, West of Albuquerque and right next to Grants, NM.
:32- Omaha, Nebraska 9/11/1999 there was a halted mushroom cloud formation. No one noticed I see. I wanna ask Dick Cheney if there was evidence of this nuclear cloud over an American city other than mine?
thanks andy rooney
11:35. Of course their kitten survived, it was too young to have lost many of its nine lives.
Was it called a Broken Arrow at that point?
HG, can you do a story on the live poison gas trials which the US and Australian troops conducted in the rainforests of Cape York Peninsula during late WWll? Australian troops were regularly exposed to gas with little or protective equipment. Little known fact - there were considerable stocks of poison gas in Australia during WWll. As recently as 2008 the US government had to send troops and autoclaves to Columboola on the Darling Downs in southern Queensland to destroy a stock of mustard gas shells which had been buried when a munitions dump was closed at the end of WWll. I heard that the shells were to be used in US 155mm howitzers, and there were several hundred.
so fun !!! you should look at the recent cia ufo document release. very interesting discussions about intel gathering. and the 'lunatic fringe' is first used 1/1952
Man, I would've sued the gov't for everything from hearing loss to the chickens & then some.
.....hit the nuke with a hammer untill it works ..Yup thats the american way
I think the AIRFORCE needs to be sued for 3,000,000.00 and forced to pay the children of the family who had their home blown up one million each since the Airforce never paid them enough to rebuild their family home.
Glad everyone survived!
Didn't a nuke with an active core fall offshore in South Carolina as well?
Broken Arrow..
All the money spent by the military and on nuclear weapons but the government can't give the guy enough money to rebuild his house. Horrible.
Should have ride it down like De. Strangelove
That was a cool bit of history where it could have been so much worse. Luck was on that families side that day. Thanks for telling that interesting bit of history
Thank you for another very good class on our forgotten history.
The cars around the 3 world trade centres looked like the thumbnail
Nice Mae West on your wall, I've got one too. Mine is a Goodyear 1944 U.S. Navy issue, even came with full CO2 cartridges! It goes well with my WW2 Navy flight suit, helmet, goggles, throat mic, and parachute. Thanks for posting this story. I had heard about the bomb dropped on NC but hadn't heard that we bombed SC too. Isn't there one still in the mud off the coast GA that they dropped and never found?
According to news reports, the air force cannot locate the nuclear bomb dropped on Tybee Island in Georgia in 1958, in spite of having searched for the bomb multiple times. The air force says there is no danger, but locals are not so sure.
As usual, History Guy delivers with impeccable, detailed research and great delivery. You put so much into a 10-15 minute piece. Always interesting!
I am sure the govt thru billions of dollars at these poor "victims"..you know like they do today. They re-imbursed them?? OMG govt never changes
The Boeing B-47 is one of my favorite aircraft. Just finished building a model of it the Hasegawa 1/72 scale model first introduce in 1968. It is still being issued. The years 1957 and 1958 were deadly years for this bomber having lost 175 crew members to accidents. All toll about 462 crew were lost in accidents from 1951 to 1968. Take offs were so dangerous. If one engine faltered somewhat that side of the wing would dip striking the runway resulting in a fully fueled up aircraft exploding in a ball of flames.
Can't believe they didn't give the guy enough money to rebuild his house and farm..... assholes!!
No HALF-LIFE?
Yet another job where no one wants to hear someone say, "Oops!"
did the bomb have a nuclear core or not?