Welcome Andy!
You, my friend, are one lucky fellow for having grown up where you did. I get to hear similar stories from my dad who grew up on Hamilton AFB in Novato, CA during the 1950s & '60s. He always saw F-89s, B-36s, Flying Wings, -104s and -101s outside his windows. Talk about exciting times in the history of aircraft!!!
I do love that big ol' B-36 by Monogram. I've built three of them so far: One when I was a kid but it didn't survive the numerous moves we made. The second one I made just a few years ago and I gave it to my dad as a gift. The third one was just for me. I'm glad I did my best work on the one I gave my dad.
The thing I love about the Monogram B-36 (and Monogram planes in general) is that no matter how massive it is, it is a joy to build! It isn't overly engineered like so many kits out there today. It's a fuselage, wings and a cockpit. There's no duct work that I have to build that'll never be seen. Each landing gear is one or two pieces at the most, not eight or more. It goes together quickly with basic modeling skills and I find that very relaxing.
Again, welcome to the forum!!! 
Eric