Remember when you became a pilot?

[Catmando]

BzB - We were fortunate in the F-4 to not have to get involved in all that WW-III, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stuff.

I certainly didn't envy you attack guys who had to occasionally take time out from the hot war at hand, to spend massive time and effort on your SIOP one-way-mission planning... that we fighter guys weren't supposed to even know about.

 

[BusyBee604]

BzB I certainly didn't envy you attack guys who had to occasionally take time out from the hot war at hand, to spend massive time and effort on your SIOP one-way-mission planning/& loading drills... that we fighter guys weren't supposed to even know about.

Hah, that was really so humorous! An amateur 'show', like every non-involved Sailor was supposed to think that all those mean looking, crusty, heavily armed Marines, ringing certain VA A/C on the hanger deck, were there guarding brig inmates? Wink,. wink.

Sometimes, we were required to keep the weapons cloaked with a canvas cover while loading, downloading & transporting the weapon. As though any casual crew onlooker might turn into a pillar of salt if they actually laid eyes on one! Kinda funny.
BzB

 

[blackbart22]

SIOP launches were realatively easy for the cat crews the interval being set on the clock, but V-1 guys had a tough time trying to keep those Marine guards alive. Each aircraft arrived on deck with a young Marine attached. Each had an M-1, mouse ears, zero flight deck experience, and orders to stick with the bird, no matter what. The Blue Shirts had a tough time chaseing them away when "their" bird was being spotted on the cat.

 

[BusyBee604]

Each aircraft arrived on deck with a young Marine attached. Each had an M-1, mouse ears, zero flight deck experience, and orders to stick with the bird, no matter what.

Can you imagine how that poor Marine guard felt when the A-4 with 'his [real] weapon' aboard, slid off the #2 elevator on TICO, during a SIOP drill in '65! Lost plane, pilot & weapon in ~12,000' deep water off Okinawa. Bad day, weapon never recovered.
*MarDet CO to Cpl Jones "You lost your WHAT!"
BzB

 

[Pags]

Can you imagine how that poor Marine guard felt when the A-4 with 'his [real] weapon' aboard, slid off the #2 elevator on TICO, during a SIOP drill in '65! Lost plane, pilot & weapon in ~12,000' deep water off Okinawa. Bad day, weapon never recovered.
*MarDet CO to Cpl Jones "You lost your WHAT!"
BzB

-weren't you supposed to watch the weapon?!?!
-sure sarge. I watched them put it on the jet. I watched the jet go to the roof and then I watched the jet fall of the roof with the bomb attached. And then I watched it sink. Watching complete!