A shout out to the Old Bold Pilots among us

G

Geezerette

Senior Member
Yesterday I had the great joy of being among the approx 40,000 who attended the Kirtland AFB Air & Space Fiesta. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe. From the AF Wings of Blue Parachuters jumping with the Flag to the tune of the National Anthem to the last pass of the Thunderbirds it was a fantastic 6-7 hours both in the skies & the static displays on the ground. Every kind of craft from old biplanes to supersonic jets, helicopters, an Osprey, aerobatics, skywriting, every kind of military maneuver, giant cargo planes, a "wingwalker" .

A group of new recruits took their oath just before the Thunderbirds went up. And there are a couple of female Thunderbirds now.

But one of the most moving things was the mood of love & respect emanating from the huge crowd, from babes in arms to very old Vets in wheelchairs, youth of all ages, families. I don't know when I've experienced such feelings of unity & community before. No politician speeches , no jerks "taking a knee". All colors, including Sikh turbans, a woman with a Mennonite head cover.

Of course trying to get 40,000 OFF the base at the end was a challenge & took a while but was orderly & mostly cheerful.

And a personal challenge & triumph because I did the whole day on my 4 wheel Walker with no companion.
Thanks for listening.
 

Oh my Geezerette, what a thrill! I would have loved to be there. You did the day in that crowd alone with your walker? Good for you. I can tell it was so worth it!

I never saw anything as grand as this, but I was lucky to have visited Bradley Air Museum here in CT back in the 80's -just before the tornado destroyed most of it. I was thrilled then with all the craft on display the. If I went to the event you saw, my mind would be blown!

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful event with us.
 
My wife and I went down to Arlington yesterday to pay our respects to all veterans in all wars, but we walked among those that died in Vietnam. I have two friends buried in that section.

My Dad had originally requested to be buried in Arlington and was approved, but two years before he died, he changed it to be buried alongside Mom in our family plot at a local cemetery. (Mom didn't want to be buried in Arlington.)

It was a beautiful day yesterday and the grounds also looked beautifully landscaped as usual.
 

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Beautiful thing to do old man! Long ago I was there for a Changing of the Guard in the rain & I don't know which was wetter, the rain or my eyes.
 
Geezerette said:
Beautiful thing to do old man! Long ago I was there for a Changing of the Guard in the rain & I don't know which was wetter, the rain or my eyes.
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Changing of the guard is a beautiful thing to watch. I wonder how many people know what these men and women that serve as honor guards go through? They take this act of volunteerism very serious.
 
Falcon said:
Thanks AZ Jim. That was then. Things have changed. Today I bought a BB gun to scare away pesky
varmints in my back yard.

Anybody here own/use/shoot a BB gun ??
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One thing hasn't changed, you were one of the men who helped save the world from an evil bastard named Hitler by risking yourself thousands of feet in the air and taking flack all the while. You weren't the only one but by God you were one of our saviors. As a small boy in Los Angeles I knew of you and your deeds.
 
There were a lot of heroes that fought in WWII. Every Airman, Soldier, Marine or Sailor should be considered a hero. They all did their part to fight off either Hitler or the Emperor of Japan, Hirohito.

We’re off topic here, but I just wanted to add my 2-cents that it wasn’t just one man that won the war. My Dad fought the Germans in France. I visited the American Cemetery in France at Normandy and to see all the headstones is very sobering.

The men that delivered the bomb, “Little Boy,” from the ship the U.S.S. Indianapolis and was sunk by the Japanese, which sent the survivors of the torpedo strike into the Ocean are all heroes. If you have never read this story, it’s very sad and yet, it makes you proud to be an American. (800 went into the water, 300 were rescued. The rest died by sharks, suicide or just giving up as they floated in the water for 4 days. No SOS was ever sent. The men in the water actually had to watch their friends being eaten by the sharks.)
 
oldman said:
There were a lot of heroes that fought in WWII. Every Airman, Soldier, Marine or Sailor should be considered a hero. They all did their part to fight off either Hitler or the Emperor of Japan, Hirohito.

We’re off topic here, but I just wanted to add my 2-cents that it wasn’t just one man that won the war. My Dad fought the Germans in France. I visited the American Cemetery in France at Normandy and to see all the headstones is very sobering.

The men that delivered the bomb, “Little Boy,” from the ship the U.S.S. Indianapolis and was sunk by the Japanese, which sent the survivors of the torpedo strike into the Ocean are all heroes. If you have never read this story, it’s very sad and yet, it makes you proud to be an American. (800 went into the water, 300 were rescued. The rest died by sharks, suicide or just giving up as they floated in the water for 4 days. No SOS was ever sent. The men in the water actually had to watch their friends being eaten by the sharks.)
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Oldman, I didn't mean to imply that any one man won the war. It was a worldwide effort. I merely mentioned that we had one such man who was flying bombers in a dangerous area. My Dads brother died in battle in Europe. RIP Uncle Bill
 


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