For Vern Humphrey

[RED]

Here is a bit of history you might find interesting.

There once was a US Navy pilot that was from Clinton, AR. He joined the Navy as a Airman Recruit and his name was J.W. Wiley. After a couple of years he applied for the NAVCAD program and after 18 months of arduous training he was awarded Wings of Gold and was commissioned as a Ensign.

In 1966 he was the wingman for his Skipper flying propeller driven A-1 Skyraider in a SAR mission.
over North Vietnam when they were jumped by four MIG-17s A huge melee followed and two of the supersonic MIGs were downed. You can see the details at skyraiders.org and there is a voice recording of his debriefing.

He was rewarded by receiving a transfer to FITRON-31, flying F4 Phantom fighters off the USS Saratoga.

On 20 November 1970 he flew F-4J BUNO 155828 under the bridge on Hwy. 65 over the White River and buzzed Clinton AR upside down at 500 ft.

Some said that was the reason that bridge collapsed sometime later and was replaced.

Jim Wiley, call sign Pud, died in 1993 and at his request, his ashes were scattered on the White River from the new bridge by his daughter, Suzan.

[Faulkner]

Hey RED, interesting story. I'm pretty sure Highway 65 doesn't cross over the White River . . . I live in the area and was wondering which bridge it was that collapsed.

[Vern Humphrey]

That had me wondering too. US Highway 65, a north-south highway crosses the Little Red River and the Buffalo River. US Highway 64, an east-west highway crosses the White River. Ark 9, running north from Mountain View crosses the White River.

[Faulkner]

Yeah, the only place Hwy 65 crosses the White is in Missouri at Branson, but that's actually the Lake Taneycomo section of the White.

I'm trying to think of any bridge collapses in Arkansas in the past 50 years, about the only one I can think of is the Weber Falls Bridge on 1-40 near the Oklahoma state line, but that was caused by a barge hitting it in 2002. The bridges on the lower White River are just high enough for barge traffic to go under. Before the railroad were established in the state in the early 1900's steamboats used to go all the way up into Missouri on the White River, but since the 1930's Newport is as far upstream as barge traffic goes. As a result, only a handful of bridges are high enough to fly under (with great skill) and I don't recall of any collapsing.

RED has my curiosity up on this one.

[lyman]

don't let things like actual location get in the way of a good story

[Vern Humphrey]

Yeah, the only place Hwy 65 crosses the White is in Missouri at Branson, but that's actually the Lake Taneycomo section of the White.

I'm trying to think of any bridge collapses in Arkansas in the past 50 years, about the only one I can think of is the Weber Falls Bridge on 1-40 near the Oklahoma state line, but that was caused by a barge hitting it in 2002. The bridges on the lower White River are just high enough for barge traffic to go under. Before the railroad were established in the state in the early 1900's steamboats used to go all the way up into Missouri on the White River, but since the 1930's Newport is as far upstream as barge traffic goes. As a result, only a handful of bridges are high enough to fly under (with great skill) and I don't recall of any collapsing.

RED has my curiosity up on this one.

I've heard about Missouri -- you can see it from Buffalo Lookout in the Ozarks.

[Faulkner]

don't let things like actual location get in the way of a good story

Actually, I was so enthralled by the story I wanted to check out the spot since I fish the White River and travel Hwy 65 often.

[Faulkner]

I suppose RED doesn't remember, it was a long time ago . . . .

[Vern Humphrey]

Actually, I was so enthralled by the story I wanted to check out the spot since I fish the White River and travel Hwy 65 often.

It's the finest trout fishing in the world, - - but don't tell out-of-staters about it.

[RED]

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.

[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.