Our 327th Bombardment Squadron buildings, at Fairchild AFB, Washington, were 300 yards or more inside the perimeter fence, across a wide section of ramp. We were across the ramp from the aircraft maintenance hangars and the main taxiways. To get to and from the squadron buildings we had to drive across that ramp to the guarded flightline access gate.

I jumped onto my trusty (well, nearly trusty) motorscooter and awaited the message that I could go home. It was getting late in the day and I really didn't want to be on that little machine in traffic after dark. I lived on base and had but a mile or two to go.

Suddenly, from around the corner of the buildings, down the main taxiway toward the huge maintenance hangars came an airplane. It was escorted by two vehicles. Leading the way was a "follow-me truck", one typically used to guide visitor planes to their parking places. The other was a military police truck with four armed guards. It followed along behind the arriving airplane.

That craft was like none that I had ever seen. It was a bit like a jet fighter, a single-seater. But it was painted black and had strange landing gear, tandem wheels plus wingtip outriggers. The wingspan was totally out of proportion for a typical jet fighter. In the rapidly darkening late afternoon getting a good look wasn't easy, though the plane passed across in front of me just 200 yards away. This looked more like a powered sailplane or glider. What in the world was it?

That strange and then-secret airplane was a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance jet. It was indeed a jet-powered sailplane and the very first one I ever saw. I was amazed. The year was 1958, back in my more impressionable days I guess.

For several days after this event, the strange-looking visitor was the talk of the base. Even though they parked the U-2 in a closed hangar, away from prying eyes, there were few on the base who were unaware of the super secret plane's presence.