I thought this was cute...
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| Air Frame: A young visitor, flanked by two airmen, gives the
thumbs-up sign after donning a pilot's helmet at the B-52 heritage
exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum pier in Manhattan
during Air Force Week in New York City, Aug. 20, 2012. (AFA staff photo by Lois O'Connor) (Click on image above to reach |
From the Usual USAF source, of course. I was curious about the major's patch, so I googled it. Here's a larger version:
What struck my eye was above the little tykes head. Gen. LeMay was in no small part responsible for the adaptation of the AR15 rifle (later the M16).
ReplyDeleteAre ya sayin' that's a good or bad thing, Small-Tee?
DeleteGood.
DeleteSpeaking as a small arms repairman from back in the day, and a current owner of an AR-15.
Also, the AR-15 is the most reproduced rifle in that caliber in the world. Great weapon, contrary to all the bellyachers and naysayers.
It’s not hyperbole to say the many folks around the world owe their very freedom to the M16 and therefore Gen. LeMay.
Good. I'm glad ya feel that way. Apropos o' nuthin'... I never fired an M-16 during my career. We qualified using the M-1 carbine back in my day, until the AF discontinued annual quals.
DeleteLove the patch. Nukes have such a bad rap and could be so useful! My dearly departed Father was in a unit in the AF back in the 50's and I was able to get the patch from that squadron and it was a Eagle eating a B-66 superimposed on a mushroom cloud. What an image. They don't do that anymore!!
ReplyDeleteBT: Jimmy T sends (from the CZ).
Yeah... I was kinda-sorta surprised at the "Got Nukes?" thang. We're SO damned PeeSee, now.
DeleteHey JimmyT! Good to see you again.
DeleteGood stuff, love the photo. But ya know Buck, as I get older, all the troops look young. I was over at the Sub Base in Groton a couple of years back, thought they were having some kind of Sea Scout day. Nah, just a new bunch of sailors graduating from Sub School. In some ways it sucks to get old. But I guess it beats the alternative.
ReplyDelete...as I get older, all the troops look young.
DeleteTHAT phenomenon was one of the prime movers in my decision to retire... all those second lieutenants I was saluting looked an AWFUL lot like my kids. And then it came to pass that I wound up saluting my kids, on occasion (that occasion bein' all of us in uniform in the same place, at the same time) (Which: wasn't bad.).
I like the patch as well; but to put a very fine point on it, I kinda think the man wearing the patch is pretty damn fine too. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAh, would that be a typical female POV? ;-)
DeleteI noticed that too, Kris.
DeleteHaving never served in the military, I get lost in a lot of the details.
ReplyDeleteBut, I grew up a mile from the flight line at BAFB, and live now just a little bit further (but not much). I grew up looking at B-52s every day, and they amaze the hell out of me. Still.
Last Friday, Pam and I were out and about (at Shreve City Shopping Center...which is just over the Red River from the West Gate of BAFB). A B-52 was coming in for a landing, and was right overhead.
When coming in for a landing, the damn thing looks like a high rise apartment building, moving at about 2 miles per hour. IN THE AIR!
She said, "It always freaks me out. I always hold my breath, just knowing that the thing is going to drop straight down to the Earth."
But, they don't.
Helluva machine...
The B-52 IS a helluva machine. I used to love watching them at Minot when I was down that way in the wayback. "Down" bein' relative to where I was stationed, which was up on the Saskatchewan/NoDak/Montana border.
DeleteThe B-52 is the DC-3 of jet airplanes. Looks like the damn thing'll fly forever. (And the c-130 isn't far behind..) The grandchildren of the original pilots are flying the damn thing, for crissakes..
ReplyDeletePS: A comment on the psychology of the times: When we had 24,000 nukes and SAC was in the SERIOUS business of deterrence, such patches would have not been allowed; being seen as "unserious" and too casually flippant. Now that our nuke deterrent is approaching the size of Andora's, and we are being led by some distinctly UNSERIOUS PC people (both on the civilian AND military side)whose willingness to maintain or use the forces (a prime requisite for "deterrence") is seriously in doubt, such humerous patches are now allowed--I wonder why? Could it be that nukes are seen as ok to joke around with because no one takes the subject seriously anymore anyway? Just a thought--just one man's observation..
ReplyDeleteCould it be that nukes are seen as ok to joke around with because no one takes the subject seriously anymore anyway?
DeleteI think the AF takes 'em seriously. Hell, The next-to-last CoS and the Secretary of the AF got fired for not taking the nukes seriously, and I KNOW the combat crews are serious about 'em... mainly coz it's their asses that are on the line. Same thang for the Navy and their Boomer force -- that's a tough bid'niz.
TWO Thumbs UP!!
ReplyDeletePhil USAF Ret
Thank ya, Sir!
Delete