Ellsworth remembers lost Airmen on 10-year anniversary

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kimberly Moore Limrick
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  September 19 marks the 10-year anniversary of a tragic day in Ellsworth's history, the day a B-1 went down and four Airmen were lost. 

Killed were 28th Bomb Wing's Col. Anthony Beat, pilot and 28th BW vice commander; Maj. Kirk Cakerice, instructor pilot, Maj. Clay Culver, weapons system officer and Capt. Gary Everett, weapons system officer. 

The crash occurred at approximately 2:25 p.m. near the Powder River military training range at the Montana and Wyoming state lines. 

According to news reports following the accident, the investigation report concluded that at the time of impact, the crew was performing "an authorized and often-practiced defensive maneuver," in which the crew slows down the aircraft and turns sharply to evade a threat. 

Retired Lt. Col. Clete Knaub, who at that time was a 37th Bomb Squadron maintenance officer, remembers the day of the accident. 

"I was temporary duty to Nellis Air Force Base,[Nevada]" Mr. Knaub said. "My Airmen and I were at McCarron Airport. Just as we were getting ready to board the civilian airliner [to return to the base], one of my troops came up to me, literally pale; he said, 'Sir, I just talked to my mother and she said we just lost a B-1.' I must have looked at him in a very stern manner because he took a step back, raised his hands and said, 'Sir, I am not kidding.' 

"As soon as he said that, we boarded the aircraft. I sat there thinking, 'it must be a Dyess B-1, I don't lose bombers,'" Mr. Knaub's thoughts continued, "'or it could be a B-52 from Minot; the press sometimes gets the two mixed up.' Once we got to altitude, I used the air phone provided and, for some reason, I called my wife first. The phone rang and a friend answered. When I asked to speak to my wife our friend said, 'Sharon is not here; there has been an emergency.' At that point, I knew the unthinkable had happened." 

Mr. Knaub was joined in remembering that day by James Ramp, 28th Comptroller Squadron. 

"I was in the 37th Bomb Squadron specialist maintenance flight at the time," Mr. Ramp said, "and remember getting the phone call that we had lost a jet. I remember feeling sad because I knew that the Air Force had just lost some good aviators, and more importantly that Air Force families' lives had just been changed forever; that husbands, fathers, brothers and friends were lost and could not be replaced." 

Mr. Ramp wasn't alone in his sadness. As a whole, the tone of the base immediately following the accident was, "shock, disbelief, grief and a determination to stand next to the families who lost loved ones," Mr. Knaub said. 

The following day, the base flew two B-1 missions and then stood down for several days and held a memorial service in honor the crew. 

The crew was well-known and loved by many. 

This accident occurred during the time period when the bomb squadron commander commanded flightline maintenance, Mr. Knaub explained. Working so closely with these Airmen, he counted two of the men lost as his good friends; they were Maj. Culver and Maj. Cakerice. 

"These two gentlemen went out of their way to get to know maintenance personnel and procedures. They reached out to maintainers to make them feel a part of the squadron. They truly were officers and gentlemen. I honor their memory and was proud to call them my friends," Mr. Knaub said. 

"I miss my comrades and often replay the accident in my mind, wishing it hadn't happened. I miss my friends and pray that all is well with their families and loved ones," Mr. Knaub continued. "It is important to note that we learned from the crash and changes were made to aircrew training, which has paid dividends in that no B-1 has crashed since then while flying the same mission profile." 

In their memory, a monument was erected at the crash site so they will always be remembered. 

"It is important to remember our fallen comrades and their families, Mr. Knaub said. "May God bless them all."

Editor's note: If you would like to share your memories of that day or words to honor the crew's memory, please contact the Public Affairs office at 28BW.PA@ellsworth.af.mil or call 385-5056.