Rivers, Bernard Francis, TSgt

On the morning of March 5, 1961, SSgt Rivers' KB-50J aircraft (#49-328) departed McClellan AFB in California and performed a refueling mission enroute to Briggs AFB. The aircraft and crew had been on TDY in the Pacific since Feb 13th. They stopped at Hawaii before landing at McClellan AFB. At 7:58 p.m. on final approach to runway 21 at Biggs AFB, the aircraft crashed 6 miles from the airfield. All 9 crewmembers were killed. The plane "slammed into the desert as if for a belly landing. It skidded along through grease-wood and mesquite for more than 300 yards. then it hit a sand dune and exploded in a terrific burst of red and orange flame."  TX 

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TSgt Rivers was born in 1929. Source: American Legion, Cherry Valley Post 443, St. Cherry Valley, MA,

TSGT Bernard Rivers enlisted in the U.S. Army air Forces on September 21, 1946 in West Hartford, CT.  After his training he was a crewmember in a Boeing RB-29A with the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Sqadron based a Yakota Air Base, Japan. On his fourteenth mission his aircraft (#44-61727) was intercepted and shot down by a MiG-15 fighter.  Some accounts indicated the aircraft was shot down on the Chinese/North Korean border, others (most notabley the Soviet Union) indicate the aircraft was in the Far East Soviet Union over the Sea of Japan. Based on statements of repatriated crew members the following describes the events of that evening: The aircraft departed Yokota Air Base, Japan, at 1858 hours on July 3, 1952 for a night reconnaisance mission. The RB-29 reached the Sinanju area at approximately 2330 hours and encountered sporadic ground fire directed from the bridge complex area. Shortly thereafter it was attacked by MiG-15 aircraft and severely damaged. At approximately 2343 hours, while at an altitude of 19,000 feet, the crew abandoned the aircraft which crashed some 20 miles southwest of Sinanju. Crew members aboard were 1Lt. Joseph B. Moreland; 2Lt Francis A Strieby; 1Lt Kenneth S. Brazil; A1C Edwin D. Combs; A1C Kenneth H. Bass; A2C Donald L. Hand; SSgt Bernard F. Rivers; A1C Eugene B. Evers; Captain Theodore R. Harris; SSgt Richard L. Albright; SSgt Clifford H. Mast. The Soviets indicated the "elements of the 351st 1AP encountered a USAF B-29 while on a combat sortie. At 2246 hours, Major Anatoly Karelin (Russian Ace) observed one B-29 in the searchlight beams near Khakusen at an altitude of 7200 meters and attacked it. Orienting on the flaming aircraft, the pilot conducted three more attacks and shot down the B-29. The bomber started to break up midair and fell two kilometers west of Khakusen..." SSgt Rivers became a Prisoner of War on July 4, 1952. He was released from prison on August 31, 1953.