Retired Air Force Col. Ralph “Hoot” Gibson, who shot down five enemy fighters during the Korean War, died Jan. 2 as the result of an accidental fall in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived. According to a bio sketch at the Chanute Air Museum, Gibson joined the Army Air Forces in 1943 and graduated from flying school the following year. He later trained in jet aircraft, flying the F-86 with the 4th Fighter Group during the Korean War. During the Vietnam War, Gibson commanded the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying 105 combat missions in the F-4. Here also is an obituary in the Tucson Citizen.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
