Maine B-52 Crash: Survivor, Rescuer Reunite on Memorial Day Weekend 50 Years After Deadly Crash on Elephant Mountain

50 years after surviving a deadly B-52 bomber crash in northern Maine, retired Air Force captain Gerald Adler met up with the man that saved his life. On January 24, 1963 a B-52 bomber suffered turbulence that snapped off the plane's vertical stabilizer, causing it to crash on Elephant Mountain. Seven people on that plane died, but Adler along with the pilot, Lot. Col. Dan Bulli were able to survive. Bullie and Adler had to endure more than 20 hours in five feet of snow in below freezing temperatures. They were both saved by medic Eugene Slabinski, who dropped down from a helicopter to pull the men to safety.

This is just one of the heroic and touching stories that will be told this Memorial Day, as members of the Armed Forces come together. In an Associated Press report, Adler said about his rescue and plane crash, "Deaths don't always occur in combat. This is a noncombat situation, a combat simulation. That's why we were down so low. And seven men died. And people die all the time, and it's not just Vietnam, or Korea or World War II. Just give thanks that people are willing to give a portion of their lives over to help serve their country." The plane that crashed that tragic day was supposed to be doing a routine training flight. Unfortunately, it turned into a tragic crash.

However, Adler and Bulli survived, and still live to tell about their story to this day. 75 people came together this Memorial Day weekend to remember the tragedy that occurred 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the 90-year-old Bulli was unable to attend the event. However, according to the Associated Press, Bulli had specially engraved lighters sent to the five helicopter crew members with the note, "Thanks for the lift."