MAJOR KING KONG (Slim Pickens), in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, commanded a B-52 Stratofortress, an element of the 843rd Bombardment Wing, Strategic Air Command. He it was who got through to a target of opportunity and dropped a 30-megaton bomb on it, triggering Detonation Day or Dooms Day. Ironically, he literally rode the bomb down to the target.This came about because the Russians detonated a nuclear missile a mile away from his aircraft. The explosion knocked out three engines, took out his radio, sprung several fuel leaks, and forced them to fly very low. It also, he learned later, damaged the bomb bay doors.Major Kong personally perched atop the 30-megaton bomb (labeled Hi There!, the other, 20-megaton bomb being labeled Dear John ) so he could repair the circuits to the bomb bay doors. He got the doors open, but did not get off the bomb before his bombardier, Lothar Zogg, released the bomb. Totally oblivious to the situation in which he found himself, he happily waved his Stetson hat all the way down until the bomb struck its target and detonated.