A Christmas Card - 2013

May the joy and beauty of Christmas be with you and your families now and throughout the year.

From Chant du Départ and the Old AF Sarge...

Merry Christmas!

Dialects And Such...

Being an amateur linguist, I found this interesting.

And by amateur linguist I mean that I don't get paid to speak, read or translate other languages. That's a good thing. While I have a smattering of German, a touch of French, a little bit of Korean and the odd phrase (or three) in Russian, Italian, Japanese and Zulu, if I had to make a living on my language skills, I would quickly starve.

Oh, I can give you one very useful language tip. The first phrase to learn in any language is, "I'm sorry, I don't speak much whatever, I'm still learning". But do not learn how to pronounce this perfectly. As they won't believe you. I learned this the hard way.

So all that being said, I enjoy language. I try to pick up the rhythm and cadence of a language early on, it helps when learning to pronounce things correctly later on. It's also fun. (To me at any rate, YMMV.)

Though be warned, you can get in trouble with that. I was once told that I speak French with a German accent. Not a good thing in the Francophone parts of Europe. For some reason, the French-speaking Belgians and the French of a certain age don't particularly care for Germans.

Oh wait. I do know the reason for that. I have visited a number of villages in those regions where there are many memorials and head stones in graveyards which bear the words -

Fusillé par les Allemands*

And those will bear a date within one of two sets of dates -

1914 - 1918

or

1940 - 1945

Old memories die hard in some places.

But (as always) I digress...

I took the quiz at the link given above as I wanted to see where in the American-English dialect spectrum I fell.

As expected, my results were heavily weighted towards New England. Which is, after all, where I learned to speak English. Though I have to tell you a few of my observations regarding my home region, as it were.

I would say that folks from Connecticut have either no accent or they sound slightly like New Yorkers. But my experience with folks from The Constitution State is very limited.

OTOH, I have extensive experience with Vermonters, New Hampshiremen, Bay Staters (Massachusetts), Rhode Islanders and Mainers. Vermonters tend to sound kind of like New Hampshiremen, at least the ones in the Western part of New Hampshire. And vice versa of course. (Eastern New Hampshire folk either have no discernible accent or they sound like Bostonians or Mainers. It all depends on the part of the state you grew up in. My parents both hail from the western regions of The Granite State. So they sound like Vermonters or, Vermonters sound like them, or, uh, never mind...)  The Vermonters up north tend to send like Canadians, especially French Canadians.

Folks in Western Massachusetts sound (to me) like southern Vermonters. Which to me means "no accent" or a barely discernible "twang" on some words. The eastern part of that state? Think Boston. Think "pahk my cah in Ha-vahd yahd". What the Wahlberg brothers, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck sound like when they're not acting. (Yeah, I know. When is that?)

And Rhode Islanders have a very unique and distinctive accent. Most, to me, sound like eastern Massachusetts but not so heavily Bostonian. Others, to my discerning ear, don't speak English at all! At least not any English I recognize. Which may be absolutely true, they may even be speaking Portuguese. Which is not English. Which a Portuguese friend of mine describes as "poorly pronounced Spanish". (I'm sure the Portuguese community in Little Rhody had nothing to do with him having to move to Florida. Rather abruptly...) There are a lot of folks from the Azores (Açores if you will) around these parts.

You'll note that I haven't mentioned Maine at all. My only experience with Mainers is those from the southern coastal regions. It is my opinion that folks from that part of Maine don't speak at all. Except perhaps to utter that Maine classic "Ayuh". Which is short and abrupt or long and drawn out. Depending on what part of the state the Mainer is from. So a conversation with a Mainer (or Mainiac, if you want to get beaten-up while in Maine) would go something like this:

"Is this the road to Bangor?"

"Ayuh."

"Is it far from here?"

"Ayuh."

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Ayuh."

Smile and nod, slowly get back in your car and drive away. It's not that Mainers don't like outsiders, they apparently just don't like talking to outsiders.

Apparently though (no doubt due to my exposure from people from around the country, and the world) there are a few phrases I tend to use which are apparently typical of three cities in California. Oakland, Stockton and Modesto.

I have never spent any amount of time in either Oakland or Stockton. Though I have driven through both of those cities. My son, The Naviguesser, and his branch of the tribe live near Modesto. So I have spent a little time in that fair city. In fact, I do believe I went to the movies there. Once. But didn't interact with the denizens of that region all that much.

Oh well, go take the quiz (if you haven't already) and tell me how you did. How accurate do you feel it is?

We military guys think we lose our accents over time, but when I was in Germany I was talking with a fellow who had no discernible accent. He asked me "What part of New England are you from?"

I was flabbergasted. Not so much that he recognized the very faint traces of my Vermont accent, but due to the fact the chap was German. Spoke English like a Midwesterner he did. Also spoke about six languages. I'm guessing he was actually a professional linguist. They do have them you know.

H/T to Parrothead Jeff from whom I stole borrowed this via Facebook.

* Shot by the Germans.

A Christmas Story

A long, long time ago, I was a young airman assigned to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. As Christmas of 1976 approached, I had no idea what to expect.

This would be the first Christmas that I had ever been away from my family. For the preceding 23 Christmases I had been in the bosom of my family. Mom, Dad, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Oh yes, mustn't forget the two cats I grew up with. Tommy from when I was 5 until I was 17 and Uly, the new guy.

Now there I was, 7450 miles from home. A home where I could almost smell the pies being made, the turkey in the oven and most especially, my Dad's home-made meatballs simmering on the stove.

There would be snow on the ground, a bright beautiful tree in the living room and the sound of Christmas carols playing in the background. Home and all the marvelous memories that word conveys.

Now I was living in a barracks. On a semi-tropical island with a few thousand other young Americans, all very far from home.

Christmas dawned bright and sunny, temperatures in the sixties as I recall. I looked out my window and decided to sleep in.

I saw absolutely no point in getting out of bed. What was Christmas to me? I was alone and so far from home.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Go away!" I bellowed.

"It's me, Ed. Open the freaking door! Don't you know it's Christmas?"

Groaning, I threw on a pair of jeans and opened the door. Sure enough, there was Ed. Big you-know-what eating grin on his face.

"Get dressed. Mikey and Dana are having a Christmas party. They sent me to collect you, get dressed. You're going."

While I had planned to stay in my room and feel sorry for myself, Ed convinced me that that would be a pretty stupid thing to do. So I got up, got dressed and we headed over to Mikey and Dana's barracks.

Now this being the Air Force (and not some barbaric service where all the junior enlisted sleep in one big room) we all had private rooms. Most of these rooms had a connecting door so that if two buddies wanted to, they could have a larger living space. Mikey and Dana did that. One room was the bedroom, in which they had installed bunk beds to yield even more space and t'other room was "the living room".

And in that room they had set up their Christmas tree. Well, it wasn't much of a tree. It was, in reality a pine bough which they'd nailed to a board, strung some lights on, couple of colorful balls and some tinsel.

In some ways it was just like that Charlie Brown Christmas tree at the top of the post.

Check that.

It was exactly like that tree from "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

That's what it might have looked like to an outsider anyway.

Here's what it looked like to me after spending a very wonderful Christmas with some of the best guys I ever served with...

This Christmas season, please spare a thought for all of those fine men and women who will be away from their families.

Viking History Redux

Sarge asked me to regale you with some stories of my time in the Mighty War Hoover.  I don't have any stories of us shooting down Libyan MiGs, or sinking any Russian Akulas, but there are some interesting anecdotes in the history of the Lockheed Martin S-3 Viking.

Hijacker Hauler-

The Italian Cruise Ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists on October 7th 1985.  After two days of negotiations, the terrorists departed the ship and escaped aboard an Egyptian airliner.  The jet was intercepted by F-14 Tomcats from CVW-17 and forced to land at NAS Sigonella Sicily.

One of those hijackers was brought to the U.S. after being handcuffed and stuffed into the tunnel of aVS-30 Diamondcutters S-3A.  He was escorted by two FBI agents who evicted the TACCO and SENSO from their seats for the TRANSLANT flight.

Hussein Hunter-

From 1999 to 2003 various systems were installed in an S-3B to give it an entirely new mission set- Medium Duration Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). By  the time the upgrade was completed, the aircraft was fitted with Ultra High Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (UHR/SAR) imagery, Joint Tactical Information distribution System (JTIDS) Link-16, Real Time Sensor Data Link (RTSDL) and the AN/AYK-23 Digital Computer.  Finally, a long range Electro Optical/Infra Red (EO/IR) sensor capable of real time data link to ground and airborne stations was installed just prior to aircraft delivery in the Arabian Gulf in March 2003.  The SSU Viking (Surveillance System Upgrade) brought tremendous ISR capability to the USS NIMITZ Strike Group and the Dragonfires of Sea Control Squadron Two-Nine, AKA Torpedo Bomber Squadron 29.

The WESCAM EO/IR Sensor is visible under the
aircraft just forward of the left mainmount

The SSU spent its time in the gulf running two missions each day.  The morning flights kept an eye on the Iranians, and after a quick turn and crew swap, the afternoon flights were overland in Iraq, conducting surveillance on a long target set.  During one of those flights in July, the SSU was diverted from its regular tasking to observe a house in northern Iraq.  As the aircraft circled overhead, the crew observed everyone showing up for a party.  It was not so much a party as it was a beat-down.  The house was the location of Uday and Qusay Hussein.  From the wiki page about Uday: " He was killed along with his brother by a secretive combined Special Operations Task Force during a three-hour gunfight in Mosul." And the SSU crew had a front row seat.

I was back onboard by then, but had spent the remainder of the spring until just a few weeks before that flight as the Airwing LNO (Liaison Officer) in the CAOC at both Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and then at Al Udeid, Qatar.  Getting the SSU on the ISR slide for the morning brief was a big accomplishment for my squadron while I was there, but our missions were so short (about 6 hrs max), and the orbits for the MQ-1 Predator dwarfed ours.  

CAOC in either PSAB or Al Udeid.  Notice the Viking on the right screen.

Once we were back in San Diego, we were told that despite the success of the SSU program, the Navy wouldn't pursue it as a more expanded program of record for other squadrons.  I remember someone at the CAOC stating that in 10 years, we'd be replaced by UAVs.  In reality, it was only about 5, with the number and capability of UAV just exploding.  The only saving grace was that the aircraft wasn't going to the boneyard.  Our paint shop spent some time painting the jet like the CAG bird, with squadron colors and symbols on the vertical stabilizer.  We then transferred the jet to the VS-41 Shamrocks for them to move the bird over to the Midway Museum for us, as VS-29 was disestablished in April of 2004.

The SSU Viking, now on permanent display onboard the USS MIDWAY Museum

Unfortunately, the paint job which included the name of yours truly at the COTAC station under the canopy on the right side of the aircraft, as well as names of the CO and 2 other officers, was painted over by VS-41.  A paint job that remains to this day.

Anti-Surface Warfare-

During that same deployment for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, the Red Griffins of VS-38 onboard the USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) made Viking history by firing an AGM-65E Maverick missile into Saddam Hussein's 6000 ton presidential yacht which was in port in Basra Harbor.  The unarmed yacht was considered a priority target due to the possibility that Saddam could use it to escape Iraq, or as a command node due to its extensive communications suite.  The mission was planned by LCDR Carlos "Santana" Sardiello who flew the mission with LCDR Richard "Dick" McGrath.  The mission was flown in conjunction with an F-18 from VFA-151 which lazed the target for VS-38. The yacht was later used for CVW-14 target practice with as many as 16 LGBs pumped into it over the next few days.

12 years earlier, An S-3B crew from the Maulers of VS-32 destroyed an Iraqi gunboat using three 500lb MK-82 bombs.  It was well known within the community that after VS-32 pickled off its last weapon, they used a drop tank to finish off a second gunboat.   Also during Desert Storm, the Scouts of VS-24 took out an anti-aircraft site with Mk-82s.

Desert Vikings-

Just a year from disestablishment, the Checkmates from VS-22 deployed to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.  Following in the footsteps of VS-32 earlier that year, the squadron was outfitted with  four LANTIRN pods which gave the crews the mission of non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NTISR).

Read more about the Desert Vikings here.  

My two Fleet squadrons, VS-21 and VS-29 had already gone by the wayside by then, with VS-29 being the first of two squadrons to be disestablished (along with VS-38).  The San Diego Union Tribune had a nice write up at the time, putting us on the front page above the fold.  Unfortunately the linked version doesn't have the same pictures that were in the print article.

Some less interesting stories about my time in the community include the worst a$$-chewing I ever received in my life.  After an F-14 from the VF-154 Black Knights had experienced trapped fuel and a loss of one hydraulic system, the jet was diverted to Kadena Japan.  

LT Chris "CB" Burton and I were doing a double-cycle recovery tanker mission overhead.  Due to the trapped fuel, the Tomcat couldn't make it all the way to Okinawa so we were tasked to refuel them along the way, refilling their internal tanks several times as they burned down.  The flight to Kadena was uneventful, and once we landed, we called back to the ship and were given a overhead time for the next day and a position for the ship.  

During the night however, the Viking tanker fleet on the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62) went to hell in a handbasket.  Unbeknownst to us, every tanker package, save one, was sour and  we were needed back for the first launch, vice the end of the second cycle as previously discussed with our OPSO.  Also, the ship had transited much further south, and wasn't going to be where we expected her to be.  That would add an extra 55 minutes of flight time to our trip back.  And to add insult to injury, our O2 level was below NATOPS limits for launch, and the helpful USAF transient line personnel were unable to refill it after spending much longer than expected to work on it.  We knew we had to get back however, and we made the command decision to launch without the required minimum, still having 4 of 10 liters available.  After waving to some Taiwanese F-5s on the trip south, and a frantic search for the boat using our ESM and Radar, we landed on fumes, further exacerbating the tanker shortage.  The CO was NOT HAPPY and we later became a teaching point for all divert crew. "Don't do what Tuna and CB did" became the semi-mantra during crew training and Mission Commander boards.  What we did, was not look for an overhead message telling us exactly when and where to arrive, thinking the phone call was sufficient.  

I know there's more history out there which I may share in the future, but for now I'll leave you with a couple more pictures.

VS-35 Class A mishap one Christmas eve.

Friday, Ahhhh...

Yup, it's time to head on down the highway. Over at c w's place. Of course...

Enjoy!

The Friday Flyby - 20 December

(Alex Kew Photo)

Wikipedia - 

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–53).

Juvat mentioned this bird in the comments last week (which was all Spitfires!) and mentioned how the P-51, Spitfire and Corsair together would be pretty sweet. Well, throw in a P-40 and you have this -

And while there is no Corsair, the Cap'n (aka King of the North) desired a side of B-17 Flying Fortress to go with his Spitfire and Mustang...

I do "AIM" to please...

Oops! F-4G - Not F4U,
My Bad!

Right then, back to the Corsair! (In this next video, if you listen closely, you'll understand why the Corsair was nicknamed "The Whistling Death"!)

Wikipedia - 

The F4U incorporated the largest engine available at the time: the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial. To extract as much power as possible a relatively large Hamilton Standard Hydromatic three-blade propeller of 13 feet 4 inches (4.06 m) was used. To accommodate a folding wing the designers considered retracting the main landing gear rearward but, for the chord of wing that was chosen, it was difficult to make the landing gear struts long enough to provide clearance for the large propeller. Their solution was an inverted gull wing, which considerably shortened the required length of the main gear legs. The anhedral of the wing's center-section also permitted the wing and fuselage to meet at the optimum angle for minimizing drag, without using wing root fairings. The bent wing, however, was heavier and more difficult to construct thus offsetting these benefits. 

Scramble

It's time for the rocket's red glare!

For the cutaway fans...

Speaking of cutaway views, I found this on the webs of world-wideness. Mr Park was an amazing modeler. Here's a sample of his work. RIP Mr Park.

The detail astonishes me!

Avec la Marine Française

Tailhook Legacy Flight, NAS Oceana
(Gladiators and Corsairs!)

Hook Down and Homeward Bound
USS ESSEX
(H/T to RL, USS ESSEX 1962 - 65)

Somewhere in the Pacific

First Kill for the Jolly Rogers
(Marc Stewart)

Corsairs Forever!