MARCH IN REVIEW: 55 years after the crash

  • Published
  • By Megan Just
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  David James Clare II stopped by the 452nd Public Affairs Office Oct. 13 to share the story of the Oct. 13, 1955 B-47 Stratojet crash that killed his uncle, Capt. David James Clare, and three other March Air Force Base officers.

Clare's father, Paul William Clare, and Captain Clare were twin brothers, who joined the Army Air Corps together in September 1942. Paul Clare was called away to be part of the Army's 8th Armored Division in Europe in World War II while Captain Clare went on to become a pilot. At March, Captain Clare was assigned to the 441st Bombardment Squadron, 320th Bombardment Wing. He was the co-pilot on the day of the crash.

David Clare fulfilled a lifelong dream when he made the trip to March last week from his home in Glen Head, N.Y. During the visit, David Clare wore an 8th Armored Division ball cap with an aviator badge pinned to the side. It was the badge Captain Clare was wearing the when the aircraft went down during takeoff.

Before the trip, David Clare had connected with G. Pat Macha, an aviation archeologist based in Mission Viejo, Calif., through Macha's website. On Wednesday, Macha took Clare to the crash site in the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park northwest of the base.

Accompanying David Clare and Macha was Albert Meyer of Westchester, Calif. Meyer was the crew chief of the B-47 aircraft that crashed. He said he had not flown with them that day because he had already exceeded his flight hours.

After paying their respects at the crash site, the men met with Chaplain (Maj.) Craig Benson, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, who prayed with the men at the March Chapel. In the accident report, Col. Frederic Huish, investigation board president, concluded the primary cause of the accident was unknown, due to lack of positive evidence. Chaplain (Capt.) Joseph M. Graeber, Maj. Thomas Francis Mulligan and Capt. Edward Anthony O'Brien also died in the crash.