Juliet Mike One Four Black

[Forty Rod]

Anybody here ever been in the Ground Observer Corps?

[Silver Creek Slim]

No me.

Slim

[Four-Eyed Buck]

That goes back aways don't it, Forty??........Buck

[litl rooster]

I've been known to stare at the ground, okay maybe passed out looking down

[Forty Rod]

Yeah, Buck, it does.  Pre 1960 in my case. 

Don't know how long it lasted after that, but we were out there saving the United States from Godless communism.

I have no idea why that cropped up in my head today.

[litl rooster]

So is the title Subject  your old call sign? 1960 I was still playing cowboys

[The Arapaho Kid]

This is Whiskey Tango Sierra Two Four Niner.....read you loud and clear....over!

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

I'm on the ground and do a lot of observing, does that count?



Lately I've been observing Tai Shan, the baby panda at the National Zoo:

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/

http://animal.discovery.com/cams/pandavidr.html



AnnieLee

[Lucky Irish Tom]

I know Alex, the answer is, "What is a dirt watcher!" 

[Four-Eyed Buck]

I think that goes back to WW II and the Air Raid Wardens and the Civil Defense Organization from then. CD was set up to watch the skies for enemy intrusion/bombers before there was a radar net set up in the country. Probably phased out once the DEW Line was set up in the sixties..........Buck

[Curley Cole]

4Trod
Man I just had to reply to this one, when I was a kid (about 1954-6) My mom and I were part to the GOC up in Tulare CA. We would go stand on the roof of the hotel (only about 4-5 stories) and listen for planes We were then supposed to call in any planes we heard and identify type, number of engines etc. I lost my pin, but still have my mom's GOC pin...all in the effort to save us in the cold war...

So did you hear what happened to me at GFBJL? I bought me ONE ticket for the Happy Trails drawing, and then was standing there minding my own dang business, and they called out my name as the winner. I won a matched pair of antique finished 1875 Remmingtions, and a holster rig made by Wil Ghormley that was worn by Brad Pitt in new Jessie James movie...first thing I ever won. (Old Top is real anxious to see them remmies...even if they are in 45lc...)

Curley, (who did his part in the '50's to keep central California safe from them commies...ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!)

[Forty Rod]

Juliet Mike One Four Black was our land line ID at the Logan, Utah airport.  Don't think we ever had a radio except the one we listened to KOMA on (KOMA Oklahoma City, 10,000 watt clear channel radio).

We'd go out there and watch the skies for unidentified aircraft and call them in to the central switchboard at a secret location (Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City.

Dang phones only worked once in seven or eight trries and we never discovered a secret communist invasion or much of anything else.

Had some neat paper products to play with, though.  Wish I still had my plane ID book.

[Curley Cole]

Ya some of them paper goods are pretty valuable. During that period, my mom was dating an Air Force guy, and we got to walk thru a B-36......not many folks today probably even have heard of that one....
cc

[Ozark Tracker]

You guys must have done a good job,  I mean I don't remember any enemy planes anywhere close

[Curley Cole]

Imagine me and 4Trod keeping America safe?   Thank God my Mom waz along to watch out fer them baddies...

cc

[Forty Rod]

B-36 is the biggest dang airplane I was ever on.  Went through one at an air museum and you couldn't believe the size. You could actually stand up inside the wings.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

If I remember correctly, those were made by Convair. Last propeller driven bomber made for the U.S., they were replaced by the B-47's.......Buck

[Forty Rod]

LOTS of propellers.

The B-47 was the most beautiful bomber ever built.

[Derby Younger]

LOTS of propellers.

The B-47 was the most beautiful bomber ever built.

My vote goes to the B1B.

Most kewl vote - B2.

Most brown factor - B52 practicing low level run in Kansas - from my six right over the car.

[litl rooster]

I vote for the B 29....Do any of you know if there is a B36 still operating yet, maybe the Confedrate Air Force?  That was one big Plane


litl' rooster had put many hours around the B52, also under them, in them, and against them, have been known to sit with my back against the wing wheel and take a snooze...Guarding them form them "Godless Commie's" No one ever stole one on my shift