Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
EA-3B Skywarrior
... to the memory of all the U.S. Naval aircrews that gave their lives ...
The EA-3B Skywarrior was in service for more than three decades in the U.S. Navy’s secret reconnaissance war against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. Conceived at the dawn of th Cold War as an aircraft carrier-based nuclear bomber, the A-3 Skywarrior was the largest aircraft ever designed to operate from an aircraft carrier - hence its nickname, “the Whale.” The aircraft was also an ideal platform for electronic reconnaissance, a mission it filled around the globe beginning in 1956. Designated the EA-3B in 1961, the aircraft and its crew of seven offered the fleet unique electronic reconnaissance capabilities that served the Navy well in numerous Cold War-era conflicts and crises, including the Vietnam War. The U.S. Navy retired its last EA-3B from service in October 1991.
[Panel 2:]
The EA-3B Bu No 144850, Ranger-12 assigned to Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ-2), crashed during an operational mission in the Mediterranean on 25 January 1985 while landing on the USS Nimitz, killing all seven crew members:
LT Stephen H. Batchelder
LCDR Ronald L. Callender
AT2 Richard A. Hertzling
LT Allen A. Levine
CTI3 Patrick T. Price
LT James D. Richards
CTI3 Craig H. Rudolph
This EA-3B, dedicated at the National Vigilance Park in July 2004, bears the markings of the lost aircraft, to commemorate their sacrifice.
[Seal of the] Department of the Navy, United States of America
[Panel 3:]
This display is dedicated to the memory of all the U.S. Naval aircrews that gave their lives in secret electronics surveillance missions around the world in defense of freedom.
[Rendering of an EA-3B Skywarrior]
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola Florida.
Erected 2004 by Department of the Navy.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, Cold • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is January 25, 1985.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 39° 6.709′ N, 76° 46.481′ W. Marker was in Fort Meade, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker could be reached from Colony Seven Road, 0.1 miles west of Canine Road. From the Patuxent Freeway (MD 32) or The Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD 295), follow signage to the National Cryptographic Museum via Canine Road (toward the entrance to the National Security Agency), and turn left on to Colony Seven Road. Enter the parking area adjacent to National Vigilance Park, southeast of the Museum. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Fort George G Meade MD 20755, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. U.S.S. Liberty (approx. 0.2 miles away); Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad (approx. 1.4 miles away); "Cav. Area" (approx. 1½ miles away); Chapultepec Avenue (approx. 1½ miles away); Cavalry Area (approx. 1½ miles away); Tipton Army Airfield (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Battle of the Bulge (approx. 1.9 miles away); Dedicated to all American Ex-Prisoners of War (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Meade.
Additional commentary.
1. No Longer There!
This has been removed to make way for the parking lot. Hopefully it will be repositioned at some point in the future...
— Submitted October 22, 2022, by Eric Cat of Jessup, Maryland.
Additional keywords. SIGINT, National Security Agency, NSA, cryptology, espionage
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,694 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 14, 2009, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.