U.S. Army Air Force
- Thread starter Retired W4
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Ivan the Butcher
Member
While I have never seen that very cool design before, I always thought those were "Sweetheart Pins". My thought was he kept it because it was your mom's.
My Dad's older brother had been in some form of air crew training (maybe pilot) but was injured in a non-military car crash and ended up totally state side corporal in the "Blue" MP's.
Ivan
My Dad's older brother had been in some form of air crew training (maybe pilot) but was injured in a non-military car crash and ended up totally state side corporal in the "Blue" MP's.
Ivan
Telecaster
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2015
- Messages
- 2,792
- Reaction score
- 5,056
Air Force Association, IIRC is a social group for members.
My dad was a B-29 pilot. When the war ended he remained in the reserve for several years. Retired as a Major. I have his Colt 1903 which he wore in a leather chest holster when he was in the air.
He got out when they wanted him to fly jets. I asked him if he was afraid to fly jets and he said not at all. He just wanted to let it all go and not have to go through more training.
He got out when they wanted him to fly jets. I asked him if he was afraid to fly jets and he said not at all. He just wanted to let it all go and not have to go through more training.
Attachments
I know you are proud of his service. So many of Army Air Corps B-17 crews did not survive to complete 25 missions. The pin you found is actually a pin provided by Air Force Association. I have one like it somewhere around here as I am a lifetime AFA member. I would be interested in what other aircraft he flew until retirement if you don't mind sharing. I'm an aviation history fanatic. Thanks for posting.
OP
After the 52/20 program he rejoined, attended AF Institute of Tech, and Cal Tech. and was an aeronautical engineer the rest of his career. As a rated pilot he flew mostly Gooney birds (C-47) to get his flight pay. The AF kept a fleet of them around for guys like my Dad. In the early 60s they had five at the Tullahoma airport (AEDC) so the scientists could get their flight time. When he was at the Flight Dynamics Lab. at WPAFB (3 tours) they had plenty of aircraft for the boys. When he could no longer pass a flight physical, he said the AF wasn't fun any more so he got out, got his PhD at OSU and started contracting for the AF, doing what he had been doing on AD, for a lot more money.
The FDL pics are from slides I stole from Dad's home office after he died and before the guys in black suits came and got everything. 40 year old, old tech stuff.
The last picture of him, in training, right after high school. Possibly Brady TX. Second from the right.
The FDL pics are from slides I stole from Dad's home office after he died and before the guys in black suits came and got everything. 40 year old, old tech stuff.
The last picture of him, in training, right after high school. Possibly Brady TX. Second from the right.
Attachments
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 9,249
- Reaction score
- 11,465
Maybe hard to imagine, but at one time the required number of missions was fifty.
Dad served as a combat mechanic in the ETO with the Army. Word came down that the newly formed Air Force needed personnel especially mechanics. Dad was allowed to transfer over in '47 with rank and TIG and was shipped to England.
Dad retired in '66. He had 4 rows of fruit salad that he was proud of but he told me that if he was most proud of his Berlin Airlift ribbon. He was an in-flight mechanic/candy bomber for the duration of the campaign.
He often told me that he would never forget the kids' faces.
Dad retired in '66. He had 4 rows of fruit salad that he was proud of but he told me that if he was most proud of his Berlin Airlift ribbon. He was an in-flight mechanic/candy bomber for the duration of the campaign.
He often told me that he would never forget the kids' faces.
Rpg
Member
My Dad was a navigator on a B 17 flying out of North Africa and hitting Ploiesti as well as other Eastern European targets.
He told some wonderful stories:
On one occasion, he was on leave in Rome and took a tour through the catacombs. The monk leading the tour didn't speak English but had memorized his presentation in English. The members of the tour and guide were given about 4" of candle to illuminate their way: there were no electric lights in the catacombs: they were as dark as a deep cave.
About two hours into the tour, one of the tourists asked the Monk a lengthy question which he didn't understand. He went back and forth with the tourist trying to get the Monk to understand by adding an Italian accent, adding'O' to the end of words to make them Italian, by speaking loudly and speaking slowly (all in English). None of that helped.
When the Monk finally got back to his memorized speech, he'd forgotten where he left off. His solution was to try turning around, going back to the beginning and starting over. The problem was that the candles had about an inch left to burn.
The tourists had to turn the Monk around and head him toward the end of the tour rather than the beginning. They got out about the time the candles burned out. They never heard the end of the tour.
He told some wonderful stories:
On one occasion, he was on leave in Rome and took a tour through the catacombs. The monk leading the tour didn't speak English but had memorized his presentation in English. The members of the tour and guide were given about 4" of candle to illuminate their way: there were no electric lights in the catacombs: they were as dark as a deep cave.
About two hours into the tour, one of the tourists asked the Monk a lengthy question which he didn't understand. He went back and forth with the tourist trying to get the Monk to understand by adding an Italian accent, adding'O' to the end of words to make them Italian, by speaking loudly and speaking slowly (all in English). None of that helped.
When the Monk finally got back to his memorized speech, he'd forgotten where he left off. His solution was to try turning around, going back to the beginning and starting over. The problem was that the candles had about an inch left to burn.
The tourists had to turn the Monk around and head him toward the end of the tour rather than the beginning. They got out about the time the candles burned out. They never heard the end of the tour.
Similar threads
- Locked
