If One Lives Long Enough....

[Catmando]

1st: Long ago two guys in our squadron were shot down, captured, and spent some time in the Hanoi Hilton as POWs. But this very week 40 years later they both are returning to the North Vietnam village near where they were shot down. They are having dinner with the individuals who shot at them (and fortunately missed) with AKs and captured them. (One of them, a nurse, gave a needed shot of morphine… the only medical attention the severely injured RIO got, and desperately needed during his captivity.) Today all seem happy and excited to be reunited, both the villiage and the flight crew. They also will search for their aircraft wreckage. Their tour then continues further from that village to Hanoi, but this time not in extreme pain, and with friendly hosts rather than the enemy.

2nd: Forty years ago, who among us that lived aboard and flew off the deck of the USS Midway during wartime, could have ever imagined that someday, a major college basketball game being played on our flight deck? Incredible!
#9 Syracuse vs. #20 SDSU Sunday on ESPN. Go SDSU!
http://www.battleonthemidway.com/gameinfo.html

3rd: I will never forget soon after the Cold War watching in stark astonishment a delegation of the Chinese Communist People’s Army, in full woolen Commie uniforms complete with the hated Red Star going up the forward brow of the USS Constellation.

4th: I’ll leave my Cold War, elementary school, “duck and cover” drill comments for another thread.


Bottom line, it is incredible how things change over time… but they certainly do... if you live long enough to witness it.

 

[Fog]

My dentist is a wonderful lady named Nguyen. Her father was a doctor in the RVN Army. We swapped some great stories about Saigon & DaNang. She got out of South Vietnam after the war as a boat person, but her father never made it. She came here with the rest of her family, penniless, 30 years ago. The Vietnamese are tough, relient & intelligent people. Those who've come here have made exemplary citizens.

 

[Flugelman]

Tough and resilient indeed. My Mom and step dad hosted several Vietnamese families over a period of time after the fall of the South. I had forgotten about them, (I wasn't around, courtesy of the Navy) and was moved when my after my step dad passed a couple of years ago, several of them showed up at the funeral home. They were so appreciative and the stories of their successes were heartwarming. Although my family had not heard much from them, they had kept up with what was happening with us. While I was preparing Mom's house for sale, a couple more stopped by when they saw the For Sale sign in the yard.

 

[Renegade One]

Bottom line, it is incredible how things change over time… but they certainly do... if you live long enough to witness it.

Indeed it is. First examples I can call to mind were all of the old Civil War Vets shaking hands over fence lines or whatever...was that the "Grand Army of the Republic" days? I dunno. My family wasn't even immigrated to the US at the time.

Next big group I recall were the WWII "fighter Aces" of both sides...some of whom became best friends in their "golf years".

I've known and heard of several VN-era shoot downs who visited VN and have apparently met the North VN pilots who shot them down.

Interesting, nice, and okay with me.

 

[jmcquate]

Indeed it is. First examples I can call to mind were all of the old Civil War Vets shaking hands over fence lines or whatever...was that the "Grand Army of the Republic" days? I dunno. My family wasn't even immigrated to the US at the time.

Next big group I recall were the WWII "fighter Aces" of both sides...some of whom became best friends in their "golf years".

I've known and heard of several VN-era shoot downs who visited VN and have apparently met the North VN pilots who shot them down.

Interesting, nice, and okay with me.

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Above--Beyond-My-Enemy-My-Friend.html

 

[707guy]

Great thread - great info - thanks! There was no way that I would have believed the "Iron Curtain" would ever come down when I was growing up. Now I find myself explaining West and Wast Germany to my kids.

 

[Gatordev]

Cool info... makes one think.

I enjoy flying the Huey into various functions, and meeting lots of veterans from Vietnam that always have a story to tell. All are very nice and share good things with the crew... I feel blessed to hear their stories, and thank them for their service. They always seem to thank me profusely for mine.

How did you end up coming by that gig? Is it just knowing the right people at the right time and them getting you checked out?

 

[HAL Pilot]

When I did my UN mission in the Western Sahara, one of the Russians at my team site was a former submariner. During one of our patrols in the desert, we were sitting around the camp fire, drinking and bullshitting when we figured out I had tracked his sub on at least two occasions. He said they knew they were being tracked on one occassion (because we went active) but not the other.

 

[BusyBee604]

I've known and heard of several VN-era shoot downs who visited VN and have apparently met the North VN pilots who shot them down.

When I completed my last combat mission on 11/11/67 (coincidently Vets Day), as we left the line for the final time, I remember swearing that I never want to see that eff'n place again. After many years, started reading accounts of Viet Vets going back for tours, finding places where they fought/flew many moons earlier, and how friendly the new generation was toward their former enemies. I started changing my mind, wishing that I had gone back to experience some of the places/cities that I had flown around and over back then.

At one point, I fantasized that I would visit Vinh, find & shake the hand, congratulate, and tip one with the gunner who bagged me (strangely, I always had an secret admiration for that unknown gunner/marksman). Then I thought that would be near impossible to determine, considering how many U.S. aircraft were lost over Vinh during 'Rolling Thunder"! Obviously, I never followed through...I now wish I had tried.
BzB

 

[707guy]

Sorry for the thread-jack.

Cool story and it looks like a great gig!

 

[jmcquate]

My friend Che (killed in the CG 1705 C-130 crash) introduced me to them at the Vertical Challenge helo show at San Carlos in 2006 or 7. They liked what I had to say, invited me for a flight and a few drinks back at the hanger, and the rest has been history. Really fun/grumpy/smart bunch of folks that work to maintain the helo in tip top condition.

Sorry for the thread-jack.

That is one clean Slick.

 

[jmcquate]

I was at my 1st wife's parent's house Christmas day 1991. Having a glass of very good red wine with my then Father-in-law, watching the Soviet flag being lowered over the Kremlin on CNN. I turned to him and said, "It's over". He was a Marine (Vietman vet) and IC Cold Warrior. No one else in the house seemed to care. I remember that it was a weird feeling.

 

[707guy]

watching the Soviet flag being lowered over the Kremlin on CNN.

I think that one is flying over CNN HQ in Atlanta now isn't it?

 

[Shpion1]

(strangely, I always had an secret admiration for that unknown gunner/marksman).
BzB

BzB, apropos to your "admiration", it's not as strange as you may think..as I was reading your post, I remembered reading this a couple days ago

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...th-fighter-pilot-man-shot-13-years-baker.html

 

[BusyBee604]

When I completed my last combat mission on 11/11/67 (coincidently Vets Day), as we left the line for the final time, I remember swearing that I never want to see that eff'n place again. After many years, started reading accounts of Viet Vets going back for tours, finding places where they fought/flew many moons earlier, and how friendly the new generation was toward their former enemies. I started changing my mind, wishing that I had gone back to experience some of the places/cities that I had flown around and over back then.

At one point, I fantasized that I would visit Vinh, find & shake the hand, congratulate, and tip one with the gunner who bagged me (strangely, I always had an secret admiration for that unknown gunner/marksman). Then I thought that would be near impossible to determine, considering how many U.S. aircraft were lost over Vinh during 'Rolling Thunder"! Obviously, I never followed through...I now wish I had tried.
BzB

For NavAirfan: I have no doubt made a few "dumb posts" out of my 1,452 total on AW, but I don't think this was one of them.

I hope you will have the grace to post publicly... or PM me what was 'dumb' about my post, so I can take action to not 'tromp on my weenie' in the future. Thanks.
BzB