Aircraft

[Four-Eyed Buck]

My Dad's overseas deployment was North africa as well. 19th Army engineers. he was present at the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Nasty business that one. he wouldn't talk about it................Buck

[litl rooster]

Ya sure that weren't Roo?

never got down there

[Texas Lawdog]

The 7th SPS was at Carswell.

[Tensleep]

Take a look at this..

Unbelievable film of WWII carrier landings

Here's an interesting story of Naval Aviation (the link is at the bottom). I do not know if the story is true, but the movie is an interesting glimpse of history. "Point of interest.. about 3 minutes 20 seconds into the clip, you will see an F6F Hellcat, it's hydraulics shot away during a strafing run, pancake on the carrier deck and slew into the island. A deckhand was crushed between the aircraft and the superstructure and killed. The number on the plane is 30.

The lanky pilot sitting dazed in the cockpit is a gentleman named Andy Cowan. He is hale and hearty at 87 and lives just north of Salinas , Ca. To this day he cannot recall this accident without a tear coming to his eye.

Andy is a marvel. He has absolute total recall of those bygone days. He is regularly invited back to the Naval War College to give a power point demonstration to the young fighter jocks of today's Navy. They hang on his every word. A living link to the past... to the days when you got up close and personal to kill the enemy. No over-the-horizon missile kills...

Andy was the longest serving Navy fighter pilot in WWII. He was on his shakedown cruise off Gitmo on December 7th, 1941. The carrier Ranger made flank speed to Norfolk and the pilots were transhipped to San Francisco by train, then sped to Hawaii by ship. He saw Pearl not long after the sneak attack, and again is unable to speak of it... a horrible disaster. He immediately went aboard the Lexington and in the course of the war had 4 carriers shot out from under him as he fought in every major Pacific battle... Coral Sea , Midway, Battle of Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima ... you name it. Credited with 4.5 kills. Flew with Butch O'Hare, Cmdr Thatch (inventor of the 'Thatch Weave'), flew with high scoring ace David McCampbell... served under Admirals Nimitiz, Bull Halsey...

He has studied the Japanese side of the Pacific War and is a recognized expert on their side of it. He can reel off the names of all their capital ships and admirals and battles from memory.

Remarkable man... and still alive to tell the tale..."

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7166330178234459087







http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7166330178234459087

[Texas Lawdog]

I have been very fortunate to meet a lot of these WW2 aviators during my time in the CAF.    Tex Hill, Gabby Grabeski, Paul Tibbets, Bob Morgan, George Gay and others.  These old warriors are gems of History. One of the Moose's teacher friends father was one of the original "Black Sheep" ("Shifty Shiflett") who broke Pappy Boyington's leg one time when they were wrestiling in the O club.

[Arcey]

One of my biggest regrets..............

Grew up in a 'hood that was full of WWII veterans. Mustered out, were happy 'n stayed in Norfolk. Served in Europe, most in the Pacific. Pictures of 'em as young men in uniform in every home. Mr. De Forge 'n 'Uncle' Tommy were top drawer folks. I was closest them. All were fine people.

Never had the mind ta look 'em in the eye 'n thank 'em for what they went thru for my dumb ass. Just never thought of it. I'm mighty sorry I didn't. The opportunity is gone.

[Texas Lawdog]

You can read about History from a bunch of Books, but being able to talk to those guys that are a living History is better than any book.  Our WW2 veterans are leaving us and the Korean War vets are not far behind.

[Arcey]

Tommy was a Sea Bee. Mr. De Forge had a destroyer shot all ta hell.

J. Frank Owen was a Korean vet. The personification of a policeman. Werked hard at it but I couldn't carry 'is jock strap. He was born with sumthin' I never had.

He's still with us. The nice part 'bout it is he'd chew my ass sumthin' royal if he knew I said any of that. Wouldn't be the first time.

[Leo Tanner]

That was an intense video Sleep.  Thank you.

     A mentor of my Dad's in football coaching was a guy named Fred or Frank Stroemier <sp?>  He was a Corsair pilot.  We used ta visit an eat dinner at his house once a year or so.  I was too little ta have a clue about the man and all the things he had done.  I think he may still be kickin, I'll have ta ask.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

TLD, I envy you. I would've loved to talk with Gabby Gabreski, George Gay, or Tex Hill. Read about them since I was a kid. I believe Tex is still with us, History Channel program called "Dogfights" showed him about a year or so ago.......Buck

[Texas Lawdog]

Buck, I'm sorry to say that he passsed away before Thanksgiving.

[Texas Lawdog]

As far as I know, Gabby is the only one out of that group that is still alive.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Aww, man!
That makes a couple that were featured on Dogfights then. I believe Robin Olds died as well...........Buck

[Texas Lawdog]

Gen. Olds died in 2007, He had a combined total of 16 kills. He was a "triple ace".  He flew in WW2, Korea, and Nam.

[Frenchie]

Joe Foss used to joke that he was also a Japanese ace, since he crashed five Wildcats on Guadalcanal.

[Texas Lawdog]

Joe has also passed away some time ago.

[Texas Lawdog]

Joe is credited with 26 kills which was second only to "Pappy" Boyingon who is credited with 28.  Both of them received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their efforts.

[Russ T Chambers]

Many moons ago I used to work flight line safety at the EAA Conventions in Oshkosh.  It was a lot smaller tan it is now, and a lot of us camped by a little grove of trees on the airport.  Always had a big bonfire, and everyone would sit around and swap stories.  Met Pappy, Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager there, several years in a row.  Last saw Pappy, just before his death, when he was signing pictures at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, CA.

[Texas Lawdog]

Russ, I was out there in Chino back about 84 on a driving trip to LA. I enjoyed seeing that Japanese flying bomb that they have out there.

[Texas Lawdog]

If you get the Military channel on your cable or dish, they have a program called "Great Planes".  The Museum at Da Beach is featured on the two episodes that I have seen this weekend.