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Friday
May072010

The Last Days Of The Dragon Lady

Fifty years ago today, the Soviet Union announced that it had shot down an American U-2 spy plane and that its pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was alive.

It seems like a long-ago event from the cold war. That may be why, in this era of satellites and drones, most people are surprised to learn that the U-2 is not only still in use, but that it is as much a part of our national security structure as it was a half-century ago.

Read more in today's New York Times.

Reader Comments (1)

Hi this is for Cholene,

Cholene, my grandfather Bill McFadden was the engineer behind the camera machine in the U-2 when it discovered missiles in Cuba. His camera now sits in the Air and Space Museum in DC, and we as a family cherish our connection to this history, and this machine. I just read your op-ed in the NYT and wanted to tell you that, even for us separated by generations, the U-2 has an emotional, even mythical connotation. Bill died three years ago at the age of 93. I felt my skin crawling while reading your piece (though not from the bends!) and I am so glad to have come across it. Part of your and the U-2's history is still alive in our hearts.

Kirk McFadden Henderson

ps. it would be lovely to hear of any others who have a connection to this plane and are sharing stories.

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