Honor and Remembrance

Crew Memorial

Four airmen of the United States Air Force gave their lives in the line of duty on April 10, 1958. This page exists so their service, and their sacrifice, are remembered by name.

In Memory Of

They flew for their country through two wars and the coldest years of the Cold War. On April 10, 1958, over the fields of Collins, New York, all four gave their lives in the service of the United States Air Force.

513th Bombardment Squadron · 376th Bombardment Wing · USAF

Killed in the Line of Duty, April 10, 1958

Lt Col John R. GlyerPilot

Maj Harold L. KellyAircraft Commander

1st Lt Richard TellierCo-Pilot

1st Lt Albert G. MonclaNavigator

Crew of Boeing B-47E Stratojet 52-0470

Their Service and Their Stories

All four crew members aboard 52-0470 were killed when the aircraft broke apart in mid-air during a refueling operation over the Town of Collins. Service details below are drawn from official military grave markers and burial records.

Pilot

Lt Col. John Robert Glyer

World War II & Korea Veteran

USAF, 513th Bombardment Squadron, 376th Bombardment Wing. From Wilmington, Delaware. Survived by his wife, Gwen, and one child.

Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Oak Leaf Cluster

Born11 Aug 1919
Died10 Apr 1958 (age 38)
BurialArlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
PlotSection 30, Site 146

Grave marker of Maj Harold Lyle Kelly at Arlington National Cemetery

Aircraft Commander

Maj. Harold L. Kelly

World War II Veteran

USAF, 513th Bombardment Squadron, 376th Bombardment Wing. From Eugene, Oregon. Survived by his wife, Dorothy, and three children.

Air Medal

Born19 Feb 1924
Died10 Apr 1958 (age 34)
BurialArlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
PlotSection 30, Site 212-RH

Family grave marker for Richard and Charlotte Tellier

Co-Pilot

1st Lt. Richard “Dick” Tellier

Korea Veteran

USAF, 513th Bombardment Squadron, 376th Bombardment Wing. From Pompano Beach, Florida. Survived by his wife, Charlotte Ann Lane Tellier, and their son, Steven. Steven Richard Tellier and his wife, Carla, later made their home in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Born27 Sep 1931
Died10 Apr 1958 (age 26)
BurialGrandview Cemetery, Kaw City, Kay County, Oklahoma
PlotSection C, Block 67, Space 08

Navigator

1st Lt. Albert Gene Moncla

USAF, 513th Bombardment Squadron, 376th Bombardment Wing. From Shreveport, Louisiana; born in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.

Born22 Dec 1933
Died10 Apr 1958 (age 24) — New Oregon, Erie County, New York
BurialForest Park Cemetery, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana
PlotGarden 16

Period newspaper portrait of Lt. Albert G. Moncla in uniform

Lt. Albert G. Moncla, as pictured in a period newspaper report.

Individual military grave marker of Richard Tellier

1st Lt. Richard Tellier’s military marker, Grandview Cemetery, Kaw City, Oklahoma.

The Site Marker

On April 10, 1958…

On April 10, 1958, a U.S. Air Force B-47E Stratojet (tail number 52-0470) exploded mid-air during a refueling operation, crashing near this site. All four crew members were killed: Maj. Harold L. Kelly, Aircraft Commander; Lt Col. John Robert Glyer, Pilot; 1st Lt. Richard “Dick” Tellier, Co-Pilot; and 1st Lt. Albert Gene Moncla, Navigator.

The tragedy occurred amid growing concerns over metal fatigue in the aircraft’s wing-mounting bolts — shaped like old milk bottles — critical to structural integrity. This led to “Project Milk Bottle,” a top-secret retrofit program that modified over 1,600 B-47s to prevent catastrophic wing failure. Though never officially confirmed, historians suspect this crash was among the incidents that prompted the fleet-wide grounding and repair effort. This marker honors the crew and highlights a turning point in Cold War aviation safety and engineering.

Their names are recorded here so that the cost of this quiet corner of the Cold War is not forgotten.