tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post7657658086594918181..comments2023-12-27T13:35:09.431-07:00Comments on Exile in Portales: This Warms the Cockles...Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-53063895916362648912012-03-24T13:15:52.528-06:002012-03-24T13:15:52.528-06:00Maybe its appearance was linked to the festivities...<i>Maybe its appearance was linked to the festivities in some way.</i><br /><br />Possible but doubtful. The Bloody Hundredth had no association with California, but B-17s are BIG draws at air shows all over the country. I saw four of 'em at a tiny lil airshow in Brownsville, TX back in 2000. You gotta admire the guys that keep those thangs flyin'.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-19106918181878561962012-03-24T12:50:46.303-06:002012-03-24T12:50:46.303-06:00Hmmmm...I think I spotted one Thursday. I wish I k...Hmmmm...I think I spotted one Thursday. I wish I knew the models well enough to be sure, but I could see at the time it was special and vintage, I'll guess it was 3500 feet off the ground maybe? Dead ahead of me while I was on my way to some pressing lunchtime errand, four hungry prop engines growling away. It definitely had my attention; fortunate not to have run a red light or crashed in a ditch or anything. Maybe its appearance was linked to the festivities in some way.mkfreeberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13265933747192068934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-23702541692125917172012-03-23T09:24:47.831-06:002012-03-23T09:24:47.831-06:00Your points are all well-taken, Virg. That said, ...Your points are all well-taken, Virg. That said, I'm encouraged that someone... ANYone... stepped up to start the process. "The journey of a thousand miles," yadda, yadda.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-4761807443833084492012-03-23T09:21:37.676-06:002012-03-23T09:21:37.676-06:00PS: To buttress my point about the "timidity&...PS: To buttress my point about the "timidity" bit note that it is planned to affix the emblems on all the other ac "in the near future" (so what's stopping them?) "though plans for exactly how it will be done are still in the works." What does that EVEN MEAN?? Lack of paint? Have to train more brush artists? Get real sportsfans, this is naught but bureaucratic-speak for: "we had a helluva time getting permission for just this one token plane, we don't know if we'll <i>ever</i> be able to get permission to do 'em all in this lifetime.."virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11491836830352263438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-50018646277535015252012-03-23T09:09:23.231-06:002012-03-23T09:09:23.231-06:00All nice, but I look at this story a little differ...All nice, but I look at this story a little differently. Why just <i>NOW</i>? From my perspective I see this as a desperate attempt by management to restore sagging morale--a morale and esprit d'corps that has been steadily sagging under constant PC pressure over the last 35 years. Better than nothing, I guess, but the "tell" as to the strength of the PC head-winds that try to remove ANY "martial" aspect from the armed services (e.g., "American Forces" radio viz "Armed Forces" radio) is that only the"lead" ac will be so marked. Would it be too much to ask that ALL of them would be? "What we have here" is timid tokenism at best..virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11491836830352263438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-10340362053939110182012-03-23T08:04:24.472-06:002012-03-23T08:04:24.472-06:00Moogie & Lou: You're welcome.
Sarge: Me,...Moogie & Lou: You're welcome.<br /><br />Sarge: Me, too. Now if they'd only get rid of about half of the PC crap, we'd be OK.<br /><br />Gray: My Ol' Man was a lot like your Great-uncle Al. He NEVER talked about his WWII experiences until he was literally on his death bed (he flew in B-17s over Europe as an intelligence observer and gunner... no one rode free). I spent about four hours listening to him tell his stories one evening shortly before he died while we sat in his garage smoking and drinking bourbon, all of it against my step-mother's wishes. I wish I would have had a tape recorder...Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-68171541278734925532012-03-23T00:02:30.373-06:002012-03-23T00:02:30.373-06:00Aw, now you've got me thinking of my Old Cajun...Aw, now you've got me thinking of my Old Cajun Friend DJ Vice. Ball turret gunner in a B-17. The A/C was damaged an could not extend grear, nor retract the ball. They wet down the field and it landed on the grass. He ended up wallowing in a big heap of mud piled into the shattered ball on landing and said: "What 'chall lookin' at?" when they fished him out. I miss those guys. <br /><br />--GrayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-15484970247242435332012-03-22T23:56:49.109-06:002012-03-22T23:56:49.109-06:00Very nice. My Great-uncle Al God-rest-'im was...Very nice. My Great-uncle Al God-rest-'im was a pilot in the 8th Air Force. He was the stereotype 25 yo Captain that flew mission after mission bombing Gerry and trying to bring his crews home. Dinstinguished man; never talked about it until my ol' man got a few beers it him then it was all hand-enacting fighter on bomber laughing with realistic sounds and pushing imaginary throttles and foot-controls. I miss him and those like him. I'm glad I stayed up past my bedtime to hear those stories.<br /><br />--GrayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-26772089192267514822012-03-22T19:38:16.478-06:002012-03-22T19:38:16.478-06:00Nice, I love it when my old service actually looks...Nice, I love it when my old service actually looks back at its history!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-45242566282088378572012-03-22T13:03:39.298-06:002012-03-22T13:03:39.298-06:00Four headed eagle - interesting. I'm with Moo...Four headed eagle - interesting. I'm with Moogie - thanks for the lesson.Bag Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01885412195900280096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-91388990500154273662012-03-22T12:29:59.939-06:002012-03-22T12:29:59.939-06:00Thanks for today's history lesson!Thanks for today's history lesson!Moogie Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05665429537064900337noreply@blogger.com