B-58 Navigator Recalls Being on Nuclear Alert During Cuban Missile Crisis, Doing More Bomb Runs than Anyone in the Hustler on One Mission

Summary

Former B-58 Hustler navigator Richard “Butch” Sheffield recounts his service during the early 1960s, highlighting a record‑breaking mission in which his crew performed the most bomb runs in a single flight by refueling from multiple KC‑135 tankers and extending flight time. He and pilot Major Dick Reynolds were later assigned to the Combat Crew Training School, where they taught navigation and bombing systems while still achieving top crew scores. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Sheffield’s wing was rushed onto nuclear alert, loading 40 B‑58s with weapons despite lacking targets and tanker support, and the crew remained on standby for about thirty days. His memoir, “Ohio to Supersonic,” will be published soon, offering a first‑hand account of the Hustler’s operational challenges and the tense nuclear readiness of the era.