tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post2739571777823831333..comments2024-03-27T19:30:21.547-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: If at first you don't succeed......*OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11784234037325311572017-02-09T09:16:50.315-08:002017-02-09T09:16:50.315-08:00There are probably tons of heroes waiting in the w...There are probably tons of heroes waiting in the wings per se- plenty of guys who would have done the same thing in the same situation, they just weren't unlucky enough to find themselves in them.Tunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930237104692982421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-68541977740582071602017-02-08T18:55:12.947-08:002017-02-08T18:55:12.947-08:00Good gravy! iPad spell check stinks! Ana's the...Good gravy! iPad spell check stinks! Ana's thesis vs anathesia? 220-221!juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-74823405048105450842017-02-08T18:52:19.814-08:002017-02-08T18:52:19.814-08:00Those are some sobering stats which I suspected bu...Those are some sobering stats which I suspected but did not know. Thanks.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20514823755869134522017-02-08T06:16:37.296-08:002017-02-08T06:16:37.296-08:00No problem. Weather around here for the past whil...No problem. Weather around here for the past while for flying has been delta sierra as you might say. We'll see if <br />I get up again anytime soon.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146728790019377401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-83077298577465376252017-02-07T20:09:06.964-08:002017-02-07T20:09:06.964-08:00FWIW, Juvat, almost 12,000 helicopters were assign...FWIW, Juvat, almost 12,000 helicopters were assigned to Viet Nam during the duration of the war and a little over 5,000 were destroyed there, the lion's share being Army for obvious reasons. DoD estimates about 40,000 helicopter pilots served in RVN and a little over 8% of the names on "The Wall" were helicopter crewmembers. Although signed off as "combat losses" a large percentage of the rotary wing losses were from accidents. regards, AlemasterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-28748912880790992542017-02-07T18:12:48.596-08:002017-02-07T18:12:48.596-08:00Stability, like beauty, is in the eye of the behol...Stability, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-16457592173954368342017-02-07T14:21:00.149-08:002017-02-07T14:21:00.149-08:00LOL, for 'versions' of stable, right?LOL, for 'versions' of stable, right?Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-90375293273380598932017-02-07T13:31:35.571-08:002017-02-07T13:31:35.571-08:00Well, Lord knows there are a lot of Hueys planted ...Well, Lord knows there are a lot of Hueys planted in fields rice paddies of SEA. Don't know how many actually took root and grew though.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-43008314061812620852017-02-07T07:47:11.896-08:002017-02-07T07:47:11.896-08:00The Marines had three Foxtrots for SAR at Yuma lat...The Marines had three Foxtrots for SAR at Yuma late 70's-early 80's. They got shiny new 1967-built Novembers in about '83 iirc. They were very roomy and had two motors but they leaked like sieves and had an in-cabin hoist rather than the structure-mounted hoist of the F model. They also lacked the foxtrot's high end torque in hot weather (Yuma, go figure). But they smelled newish. Some of the info on the interwebs leads me to believe the Air Force bought F models with the T-58 because they had a ready supply of that engine from their fleet of HH-3's and they intended them for patrol duties in the missile fields across the fruited plain. I think most of them ended up in SE Asia though.PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-28090418283887444592017-02-06T19:36:25.187-08:002017-02-06T19:36:25.187-08:00Sorry, saw your posting a little later today.Sorry, saw your posting a little later today.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-2366748394776713202017-02-06T19:35:30.596-08:002017-02-06T19:35:30.596-08:00I think I've mentioned that my Dad, a big man,...I think I've mentioned that my Dad, a big man, got into a wrestling match with Gen James at a dining in at Webb in the mid to late 60s. I don't think he was a flag at the time or maybe just a one star. Anyhow, he got Dad in a bear hug and cracked some ribs. Ana's thesis was not required as it had already been administered..juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-33645753786316819452017-02-06T19:29:27.744-08:002017-02-06T19:29:27.744-08:00Well, unlike fixed wings that OVERCOME gravity, he...Well, unlike fixed wings that OVERCOME gravity, helicopters defy gravity. That requires a different mindset. BTW, the last aircraft I had my hands on the controls of was an OH-1. Actually got the thing into a somewhat stable (if you squinted real hard) hover. It was fun.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-24263650478853409882017-02-06T19:24:34.693-08:002017-02-06T19:24:34.693-08:00Once again, you amaze me as a font of knowledge.Once again, you amaze me as a font of knowledge.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-42677858720309440112017-02-06T19:23:32.300-08:002017-02-06T19:23:32.300-08:00The very lucky few. I think the second portion of ...The very lucky few. I think the second portion of the video does a good job of describing that. The Colonel said he didn't feel like he was that much different than other hello drivers. Someone saw what he did and he lived. Maybe... but what he did was heroic by any measure I can think of.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-80694594214003136432017-02-06T19:18:54.058-08:002017-02-06T19:18:54.058-08:00I'll bet that's a great story. You should ...I'll bet that's a great story. You should share it.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-73133273097436826912017-02-06T17:59:56.088-08:002017-02-06T17:59:56.088-08:00Yep, helo drivers are CRAZY... Very similar to Cly...Yep, helo drivers are CRAZY... Very similar to Clyde Lassen's MOH, they never give up, they go back until the get the guys or die trying...Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-75405835426001676152017-02-06T17:48:49.750-08:002017-02-06T17:48:49.750-08:00OBTW, those F models with the short B cabin and th...OBTW, those F models with the short B cabin and the T-58 were said to be real hot rods.PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-60458620973137778882017-02-06T17:33:08.026-08:002017-02-06T17:33:08.026-08:00I celebrated Thanksgiving in 68. I was probably in...I celebrated Thanksgiving in 68. I was probably in a highchair and I don't remember it of course. As for the usual ending to these posts, it's the lucky few that live to corroborate the tale, with those MOH awardees putting themselves in harm's way and all that.Tunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930237104692982421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-60830956589672364692017-02-06T17:08:28.140-08:002017-02-06T17:08:28.140-08:00"The Green Hornets" adopted me for one N..."The Green Hornets" adopted me for one New Year's Eve at Cam Rahn Bay AB. One of them recognized my gun platoon patch, came over and invited the only Army pilot in the joint to join them at their table next to the stage. A New Year's Eve to be remembered with just one of the high points being a very drunk Donald Sutherland doppleganger "Hornet" pilot scurrying up the water tower outside the club and bombarding some senior officers with empty wine bottles strategically placed up the tower. Great hosts and true warriors, The Hornets. regards, AlemasterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-85691791552881754452017-02-06T15:39:51.063-08:002017-02-06T15:39:51.063-08:00PS: FWIW I was temp quartered in the same BOQ WW I...PS: FWIW I was temp quartered in the same BOQ WW II Quonset hut that Chappie had previously occupied, before I was sent over to the other base at Woodpeidge to join the 78th TFS.virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14577165785872035948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-19428769191986750552017-02-06T15:34:19.546-08:002017-02-06T15:34:19.546-08:00Yeah, a perfect example of this may be seen at the...Yeah, a perfect example of this may be seen at the blog header, above. Note that Chappie James (who was Wing CO Olds' Vice Co at the 81st TFW at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge) made four stars while his boss, Robin Olds made only O-7. Not to say that James wasn't a capable officer, but he wasn't the charismatic combat leader Olds was. Olds simply wasn't a good PC garrison soldier, plain and simple and his career suffered accordingly. Don't think younger officers didn't take note and shape their actions accordingly..virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14577165785872035948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-12289614547243162292017-02-06T14:08:01.715-08:002017-02-06T14:08:01.715-08:00Yeah, unfortunately, the "rules are for compl...Yeah, unfortunately, the "rules are for compliance" crowd seem to have taken over the hen house and have for quite a few years. The ones that recognize that that doesn't work in our profession some, if not most, of the time, are forced out. Yes, they made great leaders and IMHO many of the problems with the current state of our profession are caused by that. It's too easy to say that the rules don't allow that to avoid making the hard decisions needed in combat as well as deciding the future path of the military.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-485521797279710452017-02-06T13:46:37.545-08:002017-02-06T13:46:37.545-08:00It's good to be reminded that humans have the ...It's good to be reminded that humans have the capacity to behave with such valor. Great post!<br /><br />My first squadron Skipper, who had seen the elephant many times in that part of the world, often said that "rules are for guidance, not compliance." He would have made a superb admiral, but as with most potentially great flag officers he retired with 26 as an O-6.PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-77858706592976746972017-02-06T11:25:47.925-08:002017-02-06T11:25:47.925-08:00Thanks, Aaron. Bout time for another flying updat...Thanks, Aaron. Bout time for another flying update on your part, doncha' think. Inquiring minds.....Live vicariously.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-21370628820128606512017-02-06T10:41:40.755-08:002017-02-06T10:41:40.755-08:00Amazing he could fit in the pilot's seat of a ...Amazing he could fit in the pilot's seat of a Huey with brass ones that big. Quite the man indeed. Thanks for telling us the stories of these heroes.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146728790019377401noreply@blogger.com