KHS to Dedicate Historical Marker at Crash Site in Lincoln County

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 11, 2012) — The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will dedicate a historical marker to commemorate a 1966 military aircraft crash, at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at 489 Short Pike in Stanford.

The night of Dec. 12, 1966, at the height of the Cold War, an Air Force B-58 “Hustler” returning from a training mission to Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Indiana crashed into a hillside in Lincoln County. Residents of nearby McKinney awoke to the sound of the explosion and converged on the hill to find the wreckage in a large, fiery crater. All three crew members perished: the pilot, Maj. Richard F. Blakeslee; the navigator, Maj. Floyd E. Acker; and the defense systems operator, Capt. C. Dale Lunt.

This marker is sponsored by the citizens of Lincoln County.

The Kentucky Historical Marker Program, administered by KHS in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, commemorates historical sites, events and personalities throughout the state. Through the program, the wealth of Kentucky history is made accessible to the public on markers along the state’s roadways. The markers are on-the-spot history lessons that add drama and interest to the countryside for Kentuckians as well as tourists. They are also available in an online database at www.history.ky.gov/markers.

For more information, contact Becky Riddle, Kentucky Historical Marker program coordinator, at 502-564-1792, ext. 4474 or becky.riddle@ky.gov.

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