Neat encounters that stick in your memory...

[SPANNERmkV]

I still remember reading some Flying Tigers Story written for grade school level kids during the mid sixties at my elementary school library.
I was maybe in third grade.

At the 2004 Wings Over Houston my buddy Harp was talking at the pilot's social and looked up and said, "There's Tex, let's go say hi to him."
I went totally big eyed 10 year old.
He was as gracious as could be.
What was even better was the next day at the show, Gen. Hill was set up at the autograph tent.
I was in my green Civil Air Patrol bags and flying panties and got in line to buy a book.
I don't think he recognized me from the night before and as I handed him the book for autographing he asked me if I was a pilot? Then he put the nicest pilot to pilot kinda note in it before signing it.

So if'n he ever needs his shoes shined, I know I'm not worthy, but I promise to give it my best shot!!!
out

[spookyboss]

I met Robin Olds at an airshow and invited him to take a look inside our goon. we sat down at the controls and he told me a story. He was at Tinker AFB and they were told some Huge thuderstorms with hail and Tornados were bearing down on the base and to get the planes out of there like NOW ! so he and his crew ran to one of the C-47's and took off all was good execpt it would not turn like like it should... the co-pilot looked out and realized he had forgotten the control lock for the alieron. So they make to a base and after they shut down Robin gets out goes around to the control lock and throws it as far as he can ! You really have to hear from him to laugh so hard at something that could have killed him.
He is very down to earth and had more funny tales to tell.

[Randy Haskin]

I met Robin Olds at an airshow and invited him to take a look inside our goon.

I'm not usually one prone to 'hero worship', but Olds is legitimately one of my personal heroes and role models as a fighter pilot, USAF officer, and warrior leader. For all of the fantastic stories about him -- most of which I'm certain are true -- Olds is a phenomenally down to earth individual.

Back in 2003, he visited Moody AFB for the 479 FG 60th reunion. At the end of one of the evening events, as the crowd began to thin out, there was a small group of T-38 students and instructor pilots left starting to sing fighter pilot songs.

Some of you may not be familiar with the practice, but it's a tradition going back as long as military men have flown airplanes of singing raunchy and funny songs, all of which generally dealing with a fighter pilot's three favorite things -- flying, sex, and drinking. The songs are some of the same songs that rugby teams and groups like the hash house harriers sing while they're in the bar, but with an aviation theme.

So, anyway, General Olds hears the "choir practice" and migrates over to the group, joining into one of the songs. The song that was being sung was a version of "Korean Waterfall", which goes something like this:

Along the Northeast Railroad one bright and sunny day
By the wreckage of this Thunderchief the young pursuiter lay
His parachute hung from a nearby tree, he was not yet quite dead
Oh listen now to the very last words the young pursuiter said

'I'm going to a better land where everything's all right
Where whiskey flows from telegraph poles, play poker every night
There's not a f*cking thing to do, but sit around and sing
And all of our crews are women; oh death, where is thy sting?

Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
The bells of Hell will ring-a-ling-a-ling
For you but not for me!

So-o-o, ring-a-ling-a-ling-ling; blow it out your ass!
Ring-a-ling-a-ling ling; blow it out your ass!
Ring-a-ling-a-ling-ling; blow it out your ass!
Better days are coming, bye-and-bye!'

So, as we are in the middle of belting this one out, Olds starts waving his arms and saying, "Stop, stop, stop!"

"Do you guys have any idea where this song came from?," Olds asked the group. After a moment's pause, he continued, "My dad taught ME this song after he came home from flying in WWI. It's a version of an old hobo song that his squadron changed the words to. When I was the Wing Commander of the Wolfpack, I changed the words to the song he had taught me and introduced it to the Wolfpack pilots. Notice how the wrecked airplane in the song isn't an F-4!! Brings a tear to my eye to hear you guys sing it today."

I've never seen a group of fighter pilots more speechless for such a long period of time. Fortunately, one of my fellow instructors broke the silence by singing a Dick Jonas song called "The Ballad of Robin Olds." It was a very memorable moment.



To make a long story even longer, on a different evening that same week after a full day of events at the reunion I happened upon him alone in the hallway of my ex-squadron, drink in hand, quietly gazing at the photos of a "Herritage Wall" that I'd recently put up.

I siezed the opportunity to talk with him, naturally.

What ensued was 30 or 40 minutes of great discussion about all kinds of topics, from how he concieved and "sold" the idea of Operation Bolo to why he named his airplanes Scat. All of it was free of the usual hyperbole that accompanies the storytelling most fighter pilots do in public...it was just two pilots from a squadron -- one from the 40s and one from the 00s -- talking in the squadron after hours.

What surprised me far more than his storytelling was when he stopped the conversation and asked me about my background and experiences, and had me tell him a couple war stories about the Iraq war and how things had "really" happened during Shock and Awe from a Captain's level.

[JDK]

Grat story Hacker.

What surprised me far more than his storytelling was when he stopped the conversation and asked me about my background and experiences, and had me tell him a couple war stories about the Iraq war and how things had "really" happened during Shock and Awe from a Captain's level.

Real heroes are good listeners...

[spookyboss]

We had decided to put on a flyin/pancake feed to raise money for our goon. I had heard the story of Pardos push and contacted Bob to see if he could be our VIP (Very Interesting Pilot) he agreed and brought along his Beautiful wife!!! So... after the event was over we were sitting around drinking some cold ones and he told us of Pardos Push (google it) and about being in a 12 minute dogfight. But the best tale was when he was flying for a certain corp. in Denver that the corporate jet was called the silver bullet... well he had to take The Man to Japan. when they got there he told him he was going to visit his son for his birthday. Bob's son was an F-16 pilot in Korea, So... the boss says fill the jet up with some cold ones and have a great time. I understand they are still cleaning up from the Birthday Party !!! Bob is a class act and so is his wife. Man we had a great time just listening to him.

[Second Air Force]

My wife and I are members of the McCook Army Air Base Historical Society in soutwestern Nebraska, and each September a reunion is held for veterans and civilian workers who worked, trained or served at the Base during WWII. We have met some wonderful people from B-29 airplane commanders to switchboard operators.

Two encounters have given me memories that will last forever--a quiet, reserved gentleman was sitting in one of the hangars a few years ago, and a member of our group mentioned that he was in the 445th Bomb Group. When we started to visit, he said that he didn't fly combat but was an Ordnance Officer. In passing he told me about the problems he had with the Sperry bombsight that his unit used. When he found out that I am an aircraft powerplant and systems mechanic he really opened up. We talked for hours about technical stuff--adjusting voltage regulators, etc. and I couldn't have had more fun. The second gentleman and I were walking in a parade in McCook handing out American flags to kids along the route. When we ran out of flags, we struck up a conversation that led to airplane maintenance again. Turns out he was a propeller man in the 9th Bomb Group, and we talked for hours about our similar experiences. I asked him why he was usually so quiet during the get-togethers and he told me that the Officers usually did the talking for the enlisted men and it never occurred to him to lead the conversation!

Don't be afraid to visit with any veteran of any age, they are all heroes of a sort, and I can't think of one that I've met that thinks they did anything but the job before him or her.

Scott

[blacksheep]

A few years back we were at Randolph AFB show with the B-17. I noticed that a man in line for tours through Thunderbird had a 8th AF cap on...and he was about the right age to be a WWII Vet. What I couldnt see through the crowd was that he was missing an arm. One of the other crew members went over to him and asked him if he was a B-17 Vet, turned out he was a bombadier. So we stopped the tours and I escorted him up to the nose of the 17. (Normally for regular tours we keep the nose blocked off) I helped him into his old "office chair" as he stated and then he really didnt say much,..I knew that he had all sort of memories, good and bad running through his mind. I was curious about what had happened to his arm. Did it happen during the war??? I surely wasnt going to ask or pry!!

As he sat there he started to cry,...I did everything I could to keep from crying myself! These types of Veteran contacts really hit home with me because of my Grandfather who flew in 17's.
The Ol' Vet collected himself a bit and said, " Ya know...I was in this very spot when flak exploded through the nose from below and took my arm off.".... What do you do? What do you say!?
I asked the Vet if he wanted to continue on through the rest of the airplane and he did. Once out of the airplane I brought him around to meet the rest of the crew. The guys could tell his situation, and see that he had been crying. Everyone came up to him and gave him hugs and pats on the back thanking him for his service!! We gave him a few small things like a Thunderbird hat and t-shirt to take with him...it was really all we had. We all said our good byes and as he walked away he kept glancing back at the B-17 as if he didnt want to leave.
The following year I didnt crew the Randolph show...But wished I would have! The same Vet returned to Thunderbird!! This time he had some pictures and mission rosters with him for all of our crew members!! Im told he was so excited to see some of the faces (crew) and to see Thunderbird again!

....I wonder how he's doing now?


It's experiences like that ,I wouldnt trade for the World! It has to be the most rewarding thing for me!!!

WINNER! ^

A couple of years ago, my wife came home from work screaming about "a warbird" flying around the Jefferson County Airport. We rushed to the airport, but I did not know what lay in store as the aircraft she was hysterically trying to describe as "definitely one of the old ones" did not give me much to go by.

When we pulled into a parking space next to the perimeter fence by the terminal, I already had it spotted, the Collings Foundation B-24. What a wife!

As we leaned against the fence, taking it all in, other folks began to pull up as well, no doubt responding to the same call. Out of one car emerged a married couple, helping an elderly gentleman out of the back seat. As soon as he stood up and saw the B-24 he let out a "Oh boy!" just like a kid would at a candy store. They ending up at the fence next to us. My wife and I of course easedropped on all of his comments, which included his saying he had not seen a B-24 since his tour in one during the war.

At one point I became so entranced with his stories that I didn't realize my wife had disappeared. Soon, however, she appeared with a law enforcement type, who had been called for crowd control purposes, telling him, "This is the one". The cop led the old guy thru the gate, and up to the B-24, where the crew took him on a tour of the plane.

Anyway, when he returned, he had a smile and those wet eyes that trip everyone up, including the man's family (who thanked my wife extensively), my wife, and yes, me too. What a wife, eh?

[ffuries]

A few years back during one of our "Dog and Pony" shows, I was giving a briefing about the parachute, and other survival equipment to a group of Civic Leaders. An older gentleman in the back of the training room, made a remark that our Crew-Dogs flew with much better Life Support equipment then they did in WWII. After the briefing we chatted for a few minutes, and I found out he flew B-17's (pilot), I was awe struck just to talk to him about his experiences. When the escort came back in and told him they were ready to go to the next shop, I shook his hand then without thinking snapped to attention and saluted him and told him thanks for all he did, he returned my salute with a grin on his face, a gleam in his eyes, and walked out a little taller then he had walked in.

The escort later told me that I had made the gentleman's day. I was like "Made his day, hell he made my day". Just wished I had gotten his name, all I know was that he retired as a Lt Col years later, and was a part of the Greatest Generation.


Mike
Aircrew Life Support
"Your Life is Our Business"

[b29flteng]

Randy, I met Robin at an airshow a few years back and had the same experience as you had (drinking, singing, drinking, lying, etc.). The war stories of his, then a compliment to all the enlisted folks, he told us all about how important he found it to meet everyone of the people behind the "heros". He claims he knew the first name of every enlisted person in the various units he had been in. I believe him, after awhile he asked everyone of us there what we did, with genuine interest. The best was when he told us his view of the Pentagon and all who recide there, and he thoughts on air fighting. I'll never forget him....

[hang the expense]

Back in the early 90s I was working for M.A.R.C. Tallichets place at chino. We were working on everything and it was pretty grueling but alot of fun. Anyway we had a rope across the hangar door entrance to keep people from just wondering in and this rather fit looking white haired guy showed up at the hangar door wanting to talk to someone about looking at the planes we had inside. I spotted him from across the hangar and knew right away who he was. It was General Robert L Scott. He was wearing an American flag golf shirt and I was just really surprised he showed up all by himself. I ran up to him and before he could ask a question I blurted out "I know who you are cause I read your book when I was a kid" Needless to say the General got to look at everything and anything he wanted to .What an honor it was. Met alot of famous people working there and that was one of the best. What a super nice guy.

[retroaviation]

I've been debating on whether I should repeat myself on this thread about a recent memorable moment that I put on the B-24 thread several months ago, but thought I'd go ahead and do it anyway just in case some of you hadn't seen it. Plus, it certainly fits in the topic of this thread as well.

I had apparently not given a recent update on the B-24 project when I wrote this, so here's what I had to say....


"Today, I don't really have an update to speak of, even though some forward progress is slowly being made. I do, however, have a story about an encounter I just had in the hangar moments ago. So please, just bear with me for this one post.

I have been under the weather the last day or so with the inevitable funk that everyone gets from time to time. You know, headache, nausea, and what feels like a slight fever, just to top things off. That and being just plain tired seems to make how I feel today worse than yesterday. Someone just asked me why I'm even here and why do I insist on trying to get this airplane flying, even when I feel so bad. Well, I'll tell you why...

I was just standing at my workbench, staring at the entry door handle mechanism, which must've looked like I was trying to do my best Luke Skywalker impersonation by using "the force" to put some pieces together, but it just wasn't working. That's when I heard a quiet voice call out my name. It was a nice elderly lady and her husband from who had seen that latest newspaper article about the work we're doing on the Liberator. She said her husband made her drive 10 hours just to see this airplane.

You see, he used to work on B-24's in WWII. More specifically the hydraulic systems, along with being a sheet metal specialist earlier in his military career. And he was as sharp as a tack! He had a handshake as firm as a vise, and after telling me his name was George, he started quizzing me about what hydraulic pumps we had and how much pressure did our system work with, and so on. Man, I had to be on my toes with this guy.

Then, George started quizzing me about my sheet metal work and what I was doing with his airplane! He was simply too feeble to climb inside the airplane, but didn't want me to know it. He said he'd just inspect my work from the ground. Then, he took out some glasses that were so thick, they were probably microwave and dishwasher safe, and attempted to put them on. His hands were shaking so badly from Parkinson's disease (his wife whispered to me later), that he could hardly get them up to his face. Saddened by this sight and the fact that I could see that this was embarrassing him, I turned around as to check on the hangar cat or something. When I turned back around, he had managed to work those big ol' glasses on his face and was inspecting the tunnel gun position much like a drill sergeant might inspect a new recruit's polished shoes.

I stood there nervously and awaited his "inspection report." He reached over to me, shook my hand, and started crying. He said that he loved what I was doing to his airplane and is going to come out here and help me shoot rivets on this airplane so that I can get it flying before he dies. His wife kindly pulled him to the side and tried to explain to him that he couldn't even get his glasses on, so there was no way he'd be able to help me with those rivets. He said, "Bullsh*t!!! I don't have a problem with rivets, what I have a problem with is those d*mn glasses!" We all shared a much needed laugh after that.

Eventually, with his wife leading him by the arm, he shuffled out of the hangar. And although I know he was happy to see a B-24 again, he seemed sad to be leaving. I must say that I was sad to see him leave as well.

Sometimes people ask me why I do the work I do...

That is why I do this."

Gary

[Former Member]

Thanks for reposting that story again Gary...I get teary-eyed just reading it.

I do have one memorable moment that sticks out in my mind but it's not warbird related. When I got back from the 1st Gulf War a lot of us G.I.'s were assigned to participate in different homecoming parades to represent the 1st Cavalry Division out of Ft. Hood, TX. Instead of being selected to participate in the New York City parade or Washington D.C. parade I was instead tasked to supervise 8 guys to participate in a homecoming parade in Duncanville, TX just outside of Dallas. The kind people of Duncanville were wonderfull and treated us like royalty (something a G.I. is definately not used to ). While waiting for the parade to start I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman and confided to him that I felt a bit uncomfortable participating in a parade like this and being compared with other vets from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam . When I asked him if he served in WWII he said yes. Before I could get the next question out of my mouth he asked me..."have you ever heard of the Bataan Death March?" I was a bit taken aback by this but said "of course" since I had always been a big WWII history buff. He must've been trying to test me because after I quized him about his service and his POW experience he finally realized I wasn't just blowing smoke up his rear to be polite. I was only able to talk with this guy for about 15 minutes but the stories he told were absolutely amazing.

John

[planeoldsteve]

I was Flying home in the company Jet (Non Rev on the Airline I work for) and the flightatendant made an announcement as we were taxiing in to the gate. She said that there were V.I.P. on board the back of the aircraft and would every one remain seated until they could get off the aircraft, do to a tight connection. At first every one didn't seem to happy but they where all straining there necks to see who it was. A short while later and you herd applause coming from the back of the plane working its way forward, Then two Marines obviously embarrass making there way quickly up to the front of the plane. The bad part of the hole thing is when we did get off the plane, in the jetway one of the poor Marines forgot a bag and had to make his way back in the jet to get it.

Steve

[Tinker51]

This story starts back when I was first learning to fly.
In my Pvt ground school I met a gentleman named Curt. Curt was in his late 50's, had his own successful business and was learning to fly because he always wanted to. He and I would sit in the back of the classroom and when the intstructor would ask a question either Curt or I would answer until it got to the point the instructor would say something like "Does anybody other than those two know the answer?" He got his Pvt ASEL and decided he wanted a twin. He went and found a 310 and got his multi add on. After the training was over he decided it was time to fix up his new toy. He put all new radios in, had a new panel cut so the flight instruments were in a standard T configuration, did the interior in leather and had a wild paint job put on it. All white with a pearl clearcoat and then a bunch of burgundy and silver pin stripping. A little much for my taste but it stood out on the ramp. After I got my CFI Curt would drop by the school and see if I was free for lunch and we would fly out for the $100 hamburger. After I got my Multi and CFIME he would let me fly when we went so I could get more multi time. One day he came by the school and said "I am really busy at work and not able to fly as much as I would like. You can fly the plane anytime you want as long as you put the fuel back in it" Well, for a flight instructor trying to get more multi time this was heaven on earth. I didn't abuse my privilage but I flew it about twice a month for an hour or so since this was all the fuel I could afford as a starving CFI. A couple years later after I had a job with a commuter airline I heard that Curt had suffered a stroke, lost his medical and sold the airplane. Fast forward some 15 years. I had a trip to a small airport this week. Driving back to the airport on the day of departure I rounded the corner of the FBO and there was a 310 painted like Curt's. Nobody elese could have the same paint scheme so I walked over and looked at the N number. It was Curt's. The owner of the FBO told me that the current owner lives down in Forida but had not been around in a while and had just come in about an hour ago. I looked at the 310 and thought about how this 40 year old friend had given me the experience to start moving up the aviation ladder. As I taxied away in my G4 I said a little thank you to both Curt and the 310 for everything they did for me.

[Warbird Kid]

Just today, i was working with an 80 year old gentleman, who was a metal worker for Chance Vought and Republic. He has been involved the production of the Vought flying boats, Corsair's, P-47's and a ton of other aircraft.

He was telling me in how he was working on the wing of a Vindicator, and was blowing it out. I'm not exactly sure what he was doing, as i didn't get a chance to go into detail. (Somebody experienced maybe able to help me out) But it seems like he was checking for leaks, but anyways lunch time came and he left the wing but forgot to shut off the air. Apparently a panel in the wing blew off due to the pressure!

I ll try to finalize the story from him. Remember he's 80 years old!