1 00:00:01,210 --> 00:00:02,210 Yeah , 2 00:00:05,289 --> 00:00:08,899 over 60 years since I've done as 82 3 00:00:08,909 --> 00:00:10,965 year old Richard Devine climbed into 4 00:00:10,965 --> 00:00:13,869 the cockpit of a US Air Force KC 135 . 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,880 The memories of his days in the Air 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,769 Force during the 1950 S and six S 7 00:00:17,769 --> 00:00:21,270 started flowing back . And then right 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,149 here you could put anywhere 9 00:00:25,159 --> 00:00:28,399 from 10 to 12 passenger seat . 10 00:00:29,260 --> 00:00:31,430 The retired Omaha Nebraska resident 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,384 said he found recent photos on the 12 00:00:33,384 --> 00:00:36,580 internet of tail number 580057 . The 13 00:00:36,590 --> 00:00:39,819 same K C 135 he helped maintain during 14 00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:42,819 the 19 fifties . It's still flying and 15 00:00:42,830 --> 00:00:44,941 it's just up the road in Sioux City , 16 00:00:44,941 --> 00:00:48,389 Iowa . And I said , hey , I used to 17 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,599 work on that airplane after accepting 18 00:00:50,610 --> 00:00:52,610 an invitation to visit the Iowa Air 19 00:00:52,610 --> 00:00:54,721 Guard unit . Devine was met by master 20 00:00:54,721 --> 00:00:56,720 sergeant Jamie Bethune . The pair 21 00:00:56,729 --> 00:00:59,369 toured the updated KC 135 and shared 22 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:01,540 related experiences and some of the 23 00:01:01,549 --> 00:01:03,970 history of the air refueling aircraft , 24 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,959 they taxi it hard enough a tight turn , 25 00:01:06,970 --> 00:01:10,250 it will knock on wood and no issues . 26 00:01:10,449 --> 00:01:12,699 And we used to fight when Devine 27 00:01:12,709 --> 00:01:14,720 entered the Air Force in 1958 and 28 00:01:14,730 --> 00:01:17,050 arrived at Lone Air Force Base in Maine 29 00:01:17,059 --> 00:01:19,170 the following spring , he became part 30 00:01:19,170 --> 00:01:21,337 of the first generation of crew chiefs 31 00:01:21,337 --> 00:01:23,503 to maintain the Air Force's newest jet 32 00:01:23,503 --> 00:01:25,790 powered tanker aircraft in the back of 33 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,856 the aircraft . The former airman was 34 00:01:27,856 --> 00:01:30,022 eager to crawl into the boom pod where 35 00:01:30,022 --> 00:01:32,078 air refueling work is performed when 36 00:01:32,078 --> 00:01:34,078 the aircraft is in flight . I'm not 37 00:01:34,078 --> 00:01:36,750 quite as agile as the mission at Lori 38 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,989 Air Force Base during Devine's time had 39 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,400 K C 135 and B 52 aircraft flying 40 00:01:42,410 --> 00:01:45,129 continuous airborne alert along large 41 00:01:45,139 --> 00:01:47,139 parts of the Arctic region near the 42 00:01:47,139 --> 00:01:49,250 border of the Soviet Union as part of 43 00:01:49,250 --> 00:01:51,361 operation chrome dome . When I was up 44 00:01:51,361 --> 00:01:53,760 there , it was sack and we worked every 45 00:01:53,769 --> 00:01:57,010 day as though we were at war . The 46 00:01:57,019 --> 00:01:59,800 bombers are airborne for 24 hours 47 00:02:00,599 --> 00:02:03,730 and the tankers supported the bombers . 48 00:02:04,209 --> 00:02:06,431 The bomber would have to be refueled at 49 00:02:06,431 --> 00:02:08,542 least once , usually twice while they 50 00:02:08,542 --> 00:02:10,960 were in orbit up on the , on the North 51 00:02:10,970 --> 00:02:13,210 circle . They call it Air Force KC . 52 00:02:13,220 --> 00:02:15,660 135 s have been re engine re skinned 53 00:02:15,669 --> 00:02:17,613 and mostly remade into a different 54 00:02:17,613 --> 00:02:19,725 aircraft . Compared to the original a 55 00:02:19,725 --> 00:02:21,558 model of Divine's time . Regular 56 00:02:21,558 --> 00:02:23,669 maintenance and constant care through 57 00:02:23,669 --> 00:02:25,558 the years have kept the KC 135 in 58 00:02:25,558 --> 00:02:28,000 continuous service ready for the same 59 00:02:28,009 --> 00:02:30,231 air refueling mission it was created to 60 00:02:30,231 --> 00:02:32,080 perform over 60 years ago . 61 00:02:34,529 --> 00:02:36,640 Well , that's a lot quieter than what 62 00:02:37,380 --> 00:02:39,589 reporting from Sioux City , Iowa , I'm 63 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,100 Vince Degroat . So you need earplugs . 64 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,351 Well , at least they feel it from the 65 00:02:47,351 --> 00:02:49,660 same spot . The box right here .