@ Colorado Springs, CO
December 2012
Posted proudly at the U.S. Air Force Academy grounds, this B-52D, “Diamond Lil”, has the distinction of being the final of two B-52’s to have shot down an enemy aircraft with her own guns. This would be the last confirmed kill by a bomber’s tail gunner in wartime using machine guns, downing a MiG-21 at a range of 2,000 yards with 800 .50 cal rounds in 3 bursts. “Diamond Lil” continued serving long after the end of the Vietnam War, logging more than 15,000 hours and more than 200 combat missions between its commissioning in 1957 and its decommissioning in 1983. It came to the Academy shortly after it was decommissioned. First flown in 1952, the B-52 has been in service since 1955 and is expected to serve into the 2040’s with 58 in active service and 18 in reserve. iPhone 5 photo.
