Two Bombs Dropped In Eastern North Carolina
On January 23, 1961, an event occurred that could have altered the course of history, but is largely unknown to the public. It was the day two U.S. thermonuclear bombs were accidentally dropped over eastern North Carolina, a terrifying incident that involved the potential for catastrophic destruction. At the time, the Cold War was in full swing, and the United States was on high alert, with nuclear weapons at the ready as a means of deterrence against the Soviet Union. The two bombs in question were part of a routine flight from the U.S. Air Force’s 308th Bombardment Wing. The mission, a flight from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was abruptly interrupted when a mechanical failure occurred during midair refueling. The resulting malfunction caused the plane, a B-52 Stratofortress, to break apart. While the crew ejected safely, the two nuclear bombs it was carrying fell into the countryside near the town of Goldsboro. Luckily, both bombs did not detonate, but...