Just curious.....
Nov 11, 2014 16:19:24 #
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
Nov 11, 2014 16:42:22 #
As a Basic Airman I took a 4 hour ride in A DC 6 . It was double blind test of A new Air Sickness drug, I got the Placebo, and after 4 hours of roller coaster flying I never Volunteered for any thing again .
Colgregory wrote:
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
Nov 11, 2014 16:50:38 #
I went through basic survival and POW training at Fairchild AFB, WA and water survival at Homestead AFB in FL, then off to B-52 combat crew training at Castle AFB, CA then onto jungle survival at Clark AB,Philippines and finally TDY to U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand. Rode twice in the back seat of F-4s which was very cool compared to the B-52. Came back to Thailand 2 other times 6 months at a time. All total 133 combat missions -- and that was enough excitement for a lifetime.
Nov 11, 2014 17:03:24 #
Rode a Navy ship that got caught in a waterspout (the seaborne version of a tornado) in the Straits of Gibralter and got twisted off course by 90 degrees in less than 30 seconds, all without losing anyone overboard or sustaining any major injuries. Of course, it took us about two hours to pick everything up off the deck and restore it to its rightful storage area.
Nov 11, 2014 17:19:39 #
The scariest -
Intercepted by Russian Migs while flying off the coast of Lybia
Experiencing ACM (air combat maneuvers)
Ready to bail out of a plane (problem resolved and we did not have to jump)
The neatest -
Took a tour of a Russian Sverdlov Class Light Cruiser
Spent 2 weeks on a fast attack submarine
Scuba with EOD in Montego Bay to check the hull of an aircraft carrier for unauthorized attachments
Carrier launch in an EA6B - you see what the pilot sees - (side by side seats vs front and back seats)
Break the sound barrier and inverted flight in a F14 (piloted by a former Blue Angel)
Intercepted by Russian Migs while flying off the coast of Lybia
Experiencing ACM (air combat maneuvers)
Ready to bail out of a plane (problem resolved and we did not have to jump)
The neatest -
Took a tour of a Russian Sverdlov Class Light Cruiser
Spent 2 weeks on a fast attack submarine
Scuba with EOD in Montego Bay to check the hull of an aircraft carrier for unauthorized attachments
Carrier launch in an EA6B - you see what the pilot sees - (side by side seats vs front and back seats)
Break the sound barrier and inverted flight in a F14 (piloted by a former Blue Angel)
Nov 11, 2014 17:28:07 #
I had a low draft number in the later part of the Vietnam war, so I signed up for Officer Candidate School and came out a 2nd Lt. at Ft. Sill OK, the main Artillery Post for the Army. I was a forward observer for an 8 inch gun battalion, and it turned out I had a real talent for it. Back then there were no computers or laser rangefinders, it was all seat of the pants. We shot at junk car bodies, which were fun to blow up. Each unit had a qualification exercise once a year, where we had to get 66% of our rounds in a "box" measured by radar. Our unit got 98%. That meant I had to do my job almost perfectly, and all the guys on all the guns had to do their jobs almost perfectly. It was kind of like being on a winning sports team. Luckily, there were enough career officers at that time volunteering for Vietnam, so I didn't have to go.
Nov 11, 2014 17:33:12 #
This was after I returned from Vietnam and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. It was a weekend and a buddy and I went to special services hoping to check out some recreational equipment ( we were thinking a basketball or a football to throw around). Everything was checked out, but refusing to give up we asked what else they might have to offer. Turns out they had several openings for any Marine that was interested in taking "free yachting lessons" on Saturdays at the yacht club located on Coronado Island near San Diego. It was a 2 hour drive for us but we signed up and for the next 6 Saturdays would drive down to the yacht club and take lessons. We were treated like kings and got to hob-knob with the rich and famous for those 6 weeks ... learned a bit about navigating a "yawl" but for the most part we just enjoyed the "open bars" that they would bring out to the beach where we would have our classes.
Nov 11, 2014 18:13:24 #
Colgregory wrote:
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
While teaching at Redstone Arsenal I got to help make a training movie
of the Vulcan 20mm Gatling Gun mounted on an M60 Tank. I got to drive
the tank. mdh
Nov 12, 2014 06:23:11 #
Colgregory wrote:
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
Transferred at sea in a small life boat in open ocean from a destroyer to a WW2 sub and spent 8 hours doing evasive drills from 2 navy destroyers.
Nov 12, 2014 06:44:59 #
Colgregory wrote:
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
Discharged 2 Oct 1963
Nov 12, 2014 07:35:15 #
Enlisted in the Navy in 66' at age 17. Called a'kiddie cruse' which meant discharge the day before 21. Was discharged in 69'. Had #1 Seagoing Rate 'Boatswains Mate" and never saw or boarded a ship throughout entire tour. Sent to Fla., Bahamas (13 months), and Sub Base in Ct.(Joined the Navy to 'See the world', but don't think that was the world) Learned SCUBA while in Bahamas and still do it today (Just returned from completing 52 dives in Indonesia a week ago). Have spent more time on cruise ships than Navy ships. I think they be may slightly different experiences :-) Best experience, SCUBA. Worst - working for people dumber than I am (reason I decided not to stay in Navy) because they had one more stripe than I had.
Nov 12, 2014 07:50:25 #
My father flew out of Geiger AFB in Spokane. Flying a T-36 in 54'. Lost afterburner on take off and spread plane over 5 acres of ground. Walked away from crash (I still have B&W 8 X 10 Photos of crash). Made the radio news (not many TV's back then) about crash. When he called my mother after visit to hospital, he asked if she had heard about crash, she said "Yes, was it anyone we knew?" Dads response, "Yes, but I'm all right" Thats how he told her. Dad did have a slightly twisted sense of humor, and he expressed many times that throughout his life. He was at Pearl Harbor, Dec 7, 1941 at Hickam Field, flying B-24's. Got shot down later over Germany and spent 3 years as a POW. Flew Jets during Korea. Passed 16 years ago. I still miss him every day.
Nov 12, 2014 07:59:05 #
Rr
I think there's a book somewhere in this story. What a great life and a true hero!
akfishguide wrote:
My father flew out of Geiger AFB in Spokane. Flyi... (show quote)
I think there's a book somewhere in this story. What a great life and a true hero!
Nov 12, 2014 08:04:28 #
akfishguide wrote:
Enlisted in the Navy in 66' at age 17. Called a'k... (show quote)
Lol I was drafted into the Army and to my surprise I put on a troop carrier in '66 and sent over seas to Korea. spent 4 weeks on that ship. Probably more time then some navy guys at sea.
Nov 12, 2014 08:08:25 #
Colgregory wrote:
Being that it's Veterans Day....what are some of the neatest things you've done in the military ? Mine were land survival in Washington State, and hitching a ride on a two seater F-15 in N.Dakota
Landing back onboard USS Nimitz via COD (carrier onboard delivery) in the Indian Ocean, I still don't like airplanes to this day.
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