Last tail gunner with wartime kill to be honored at USAFA

October 10

(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — A B-52 tail gunner from the Vietnam War will be honored on Friday, Oct. 11 at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), where the very plane he achieved the last confirmed wartime kill by a tail gunner resides.

According to USAFA, on Dec. 24, 1972, 18-year-old Airman 1st Class Albert Moore was manning the tail gun of “Diamond Lil,” a B-52D Stratofortress, during a mission to bomb the North Vietnamese railroad yards at Thai Nguyen when a MiG-21 enemy aircraft began maneuvering into attack position.

USAFA said Moore successfully defended his aircraft by shooting down the MiG-21, one of two confirmed MiG kills by a B-52 Stratofortress in the Vietnam War and the last confirmed kill by a tail gunner in wartime using machine guns.

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“Diamond Lil,” a B-52 Stratofortress, now sits near the north entrance of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, after being decommissioned in 1983. Courtesy: U.S. Air Force Academy/Staff Sgt. Don Branum

For his efforts, Moore was awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for heroism. He continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force until 1975. He died in 2009 at the age of 55.

From 1957-1983, Diamond Lil flew more than 15,000 hours and more than 200 combat missions. After being decommissioned, the B-52D was brought to the Academy for display, where it remains near the Academy’s north gate.

On Friday at 10 a.m., a plaque will be unveiled at the Academy as a gift from the Air Force Gunners Association. The plaque commemorates Moore’s heroic actions and honors all of the enlisted crew members who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their nation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.

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