For Vern Humphrey

[Faulkner]

Ok. No bridge was ever destroyed around Clinton AR not even in March 1984. Got it!

It looks like a resident of the area would remember such a unusual event. I thought Greers Ferry was on the North Fork of the White River, the same river Lake Norfork is on? so go ahead and tell me again about bridges collapsing near OK etc and laugh your ass off.

FISHER, Ark. March 16, 1984 -- A huge tornado cut a 50-mile-long path across north-central Arkansas, killing four people, injuring 20, wrecking a quarter-mile steel bridge and damaging houses and businesses, officials said today.

Ain't nobody laughing, was just curious. Now that you've provided a few additional details I know exactly what bridge your referencing, although it's not on Hwy 65 nor is it on the White River, so that was leading me in the wrong direction.

The bridge in question would be the Edgemont Bridge on Hwy 16 over a section of Greers Ferry Lake which is fed by the Little Red River. It didn't "collapse", but as your update noted it was demolished by a direct hit from a killer tornado.

I've been across the old steel bridge many times before it was destroyed, so an F4 or any high performance aircraft flying under that bridge would be impressive indeed.

10538405_619044498242654_3691441371533323159_n.jpg

[RED]

OK, it was a stupid thing to do but J.W. Wiley was without a doubt the most talented pilots I ever flew with. The action of scattering his ashes from the bridge pretty much proves it happened.

From Naval History?.

VA-176 Skyraiders (call sign ?Papoose?) launched from the USS intrepid, led by Lt. Cmdr. C. Leo Cook, with Lt j.g. James Wiley on his wing; Lt. Peter Russell and Lt j.g. W. Thomas Patton (made up the group).

Wiley saw them first??I?ve got three MiGs making turns on me!? to which Russell calmly replied. ?Right Pud?we?re on our way with two Spads and a helo,? as though he were confident that would turn the tide of overwhelming odds. It was do or die-the fight was on. In thick clouds over the mountainous region, the MiGs got between Cook and Wiley. One engaged Cook, while the other had Wiley trapped in a deadly wheel pattern. He stayed alive by hugging the ground. Wiley broke left to avoid a mountain peak and a pursuing MiG broke right, then sharply left, giving Wiley a shot. His cannon fire tore off the MiG?s wing tip and produced a vapor trail from the crippled jet. Although no one saw the MiG crash, Wiley was credited with a probable kill.

[Faulkner]

Here is a picture of the new Edgemont Bridge where they would have scattered his ashes from. It's not as pretty as the steel bridge that J.W. Wiley would have flown under, but it's a sturdier concrete affair. I appreciate the story, I go across that bridge several times a year and I'm glad to know a small bit of history about it.

[Vern Humphrey]

Fisher is in Northeast Arkansas, and not on the White River.