Characters in Dale Brown novels
Military-thriller author Dale Brown's books are chock-full of interesting crew-members, aviators, and technicians.
Crew of the Old Dog[edit]
Old Dog is the nickname for the original EB-52 Megafortress which was flown against the Kavaznya laser site in Siberia. These are the crew members.
Brad Elliot[edit]
General Bradley James Elliot was the pilot of the Old Dog and also the oldest member of the crew. Not much is known about Elliot's life before being transferred to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to work on the EB-52 Megafortress project but he is acknowledged as a bomber expert. Elliot made most of the decisions on the Old Dog mission despite being shot in the leg on the bomber's harrowing escape from Nellis. Also his ability to speak Russian was decisive. After the mission Elliot had to have his leg amputated but remained flying with an advanced prosthetic.
Elliot continued to work at the new High Technology Aerospace Weapon Center (HAWC) with Patrick McLanahan and the rest of the Old Dog crew. Together they developed advanced aircraft based on the V-22 and B-2 Spirit. On a mission to stop a PRC attack on the Philippines Elliot developed a reputation for making his own orders.
Elliot participated in the mission to rescue Dave Luger from the Fisikous institute in Lithuania and despite his bad leg endured grueling United States Marine Corps training. Luck caught up to Elliot as HAWC was shut down due to a KGB spy incident. The government retired Elliot and retired him to Oregon.
However, Patrick McLanahan would not allow his friend to sit and rot. McLanahan contracted Elliot to work on the new EB-52 Megafortress. As fate would have it Elliot and the Megafortress crews were called to duty again against the PRC. Despite constant threat of a heart attack Elliot soldiered on, keeping the tradition of angering his superiors. However, during a final attack against PRC silos Elliot crashed a stricken EB-52 Megafortress into the last silo, dying in the explosion.
The McLanahans honored Elliot by named their newborn son Bradley in his memory. Additionally, when HAWC was reorganized the Groom Lake location was named Elliot Air Force Base.
John Ormack[edit]
John Ormack was the talented copilot of the Old Dog. Ormack worked closely with Elliot on the EB-52 Megafortress project and became a mechanical wizard with the Megafortress systems. On the flight Ormack worked with blinding efficiency but did not come out unscathed. During a dangerous taxi from a Siberian airbase Ormack took a bullet in the side, rendering him unable to fly the plane. However, he guided Patrick McLanahan on the take-off.
Ormack healed quickly and was able to return to HAWC to work with Brad Elliot and Patrick McLanahan. Ormack worked closely with McLanahan on the EB-2 Black Knight program which was flown against the PRC in the Philippines. Ormack also participated in the Dave Luger rescue mission in Lithuania. Ormack single handedly saved McLanahan and Luger from the tyrannical Russian overseer by shooting him in the back before he killed McLanahan and Luger.
Ormack's amazing string of surviving life and death circumstances ended when KGB agent Kenneth James blasted out of HAWC with the XF-34A Dreamstar. Ormack, who was completing a test flight in the original EB-52 Megafortress was killed as James brought his guns on the aircraft, destroying it. Ormack was honored with a street name on the new HAWC base when it was reorganized.
Wendy Tork[edit]
Wendy Tork was the DSO on the EB-52 Megafortress project. Although Tork was not a regular USAF officer, she was able to perform her tasks with blinding efficiency. During the Megafortress project, Tork was especially attracted to Patrick McLanahan, the radar bombardier on the project.
When the Megafortress took off from HAWC during a KGB assault, Tork instantly boarded the aircraft and aided Brad Elliot with his injured leg. During the mission Tork was cut and burnt trying to extinguish a fire in the bomb bay of the EB-52 Megafortress.
Tork returned with Elliot and McLanahan to HAWC; however, she did not participate in the Border Security Force project and had minimal involvement in the conflict with the PRC in the Philippines.
Tork was on board the original EB-52 Megafortress when it was attacked by Kenneth James and only barely survived the crash. Forced to retire, she and McLanahan married and returned to California to help run the Shamrock, McLanahan's family bar. She watched helplessly as McLanahan went to fight over Iran.
Wendy joined the HAWC crew over China and flew on the last mission over China and ejected with McLanahan and Nancy Cheshire. She was returned to the United States and had a baby named Bradley in honor of Brad Elliot.
Wendy participated in many actions against Pavel Kazakov but was captured off the Libyan coast after an assault on Libyan nuclear bases. Held in horrible conditions, Wendy hovered near death as Patrick McLanahan attempted to rescue her. Finally Patrick came, but too late. Kazakov's assistant slit her throat, and she died in Patrick's arms.
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