Retired Lt. Col. Chase J. Nielsen died Friday at his home in Brigham City, Utah. Nielsen was one of the famed Doolittle Raiders, who flew a surprise air strike against the Japanese home islands in April 1942. Nielson was born Jan. 14, 1917, in Hyrum, Utah, graduated from Utah State University in 1939, enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet, and received a commission as a second lieutenant in June 1941. He served as navigator on B-25 Crew #6, launching from the USS Hornet with 15 other B-25s in the raid led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. After the war, Nielsen served in Strategic Air Command for 10 years, retiring in 1961, and worked for another 20 years as an industrial engineer at Hill AFB, Utah.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
