Well 44 years ago today he walked across a bridge and into West Berlin in exchange for Rudolph Abel!

I would disagree Andrew, his service dishonoured him and shunned him. The only finally honoured him 13 years after his death by awarding him the medals he rightly earned in the service of his country.

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I would imagine that taking his cynaide capsule would have been just as much of a career ruining event as not taking it was (if not more).  

Plus, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery which is reserved for only a select few.  So, he must have done something right.

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What I have read is that the biggest critism of Powers was that he failed to destory certain things before he ejected.  He did not arm the charge on the aircraft that destroys the camaras, film, and certain classified items.  Thats what the problem was.

Ok ok maybe my comment was a little harsh. I'm sorry, but one question, why did the US Gvt shun him after? I mean, wouldnt they milk him for what (although somewhat limited) intelligence he would have gathered while in captivity? What did he do after his repatriation to the US?



A.

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Craigs probably right.  Plus, I can't believe that he wasn't debriefed after his return.  I'm sure he was.

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I don't blame Powers for anything.  I'm just describing what I believe to have happened.  Anyway, Powers was working for the CIA, and operatives are given cyanide tablets as standard issue.  Obviously, the wreckage could be inspected but there are two things.  There are mechanisms that are designed to destroy secret equipment should such an unfortunate event occur, and the Soviets would just LOVE to get inside Powers head to learn what he knew, hence the cyanide tablets.

During WWII, a US sub captain chose to go down with his boat when the rest of the crew was able to escape.  He made that decision because he knew secrets about a large upcoming operation and he didn't want the Japanese totorture the info out of him.

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I think that Eisenhower embarrased himself, autorising the U-2 flights over Soviet Union. The incident ruined an international conference or reunion between USA / URRS. Sorry I dont remember exactly.

Back to USA, Powers worked as helicopter pilot for a local TV, and died in a helicopter crash.

Regards from Spain.

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Kim Philby & the Cambridge spy ring. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/09/99/britain_betrayed/444058.stm
Philby was the embarrassingly successful double-agent who was once considered for the job of head of MI6. He was guilty of many things including giving away nuclear secrets to the Soviets. I don't know what connection, if any, they had with the Berlin Blockade.

Fascinating article on the Cambridge spies here. http://www.crimelibrary.com/spies/cambridge/cambridgemain.htm

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On the edge of the effective altitude range of the SA-2...

Anyway the missile didn't reach the U2 at all but the shockwave kicked the plane out of balance forcing the pilot to bail out.

They hit a 'ride-of-your-life' MiG-19PU (MiG-19P with rocket boosters) with that shot too, killing the pilot

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They revealed that the US didn't have any more a-bombs at that time, so that emboldened the Soviets.

I would have to second the previous post. The US had no such thing as a space agency until 1958. The only thing there was, was NACA, or the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. If my memory serves me right, NASA was created after the overflight of Sputnik. But even when the US finally had a space organization, the Soviets kept outfoxing the US until Kennedy made us get ourselves on the moon before the Soviets got that technologically advanced.

Webb,

That doesn't cooberate your statement that Eisenhower intentionally allowed the Soviets to launch Sputnik ahead of American satelites.  According to your posted statement, it reads to me like the Eisenhower Administration saw Sputnik launched then assessed it's launching in a manner that they deemed favorable to them.

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LOL!!!!  Gotcha!   

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I believe the SR-71 was retired some years ago, early 1990s if I remember right.  But, the U-2 is still in use I think and they are probably surveying Korea with something (U-2, satelites, drones???).

IIRC the last admitted use of a Blackbird was damage assessment after the 1986 bombing of Libya.

Many years ago when I worked for NASA, I used to go through the hanger with NASA's SR71 every day to get to my hangar.  That thing leaked like a sieve.  It had pans all under it.  Reason why is when it's at altitude and speed, the metal expands and seals right up.  Even though I saw it every day, I never saw it fly.  Although, my wife did, qhite often as she went about her activities back at home.