Vince: I flew crew on transports in 1958-1959 for the Navy and we all
wore "half-Wellingtons". They were bought at the Navy Exchange, were
made by Frye, and were called "Jet Boots."

For some reason, I can still remember mine were made by Jarman. Odd
show memory works; I can never remember important things.

Never saw an officer or enlisted going off base in a flight suit, just
wasn't allowed.

At Cherry Point, early 1950s, we weren't even allowed to wear any
flight gear except from the ready room to the airplane and back.

You had to wear the uniform of the day to get out. This
was at Pax River, MD. Flight suits, flight jackets and boots went in
your flight locker at the hangar.

You remind me of the time I flew an R5C to Pax to pick up the ground
crews of an F4U squadron after the fighters departed for Cherry Point.

As I was taxiing out, a wall of fog moved across the field. I'd
never seen anything like it. Or since.

The tower said "The field is closed. The field is closed."

I couldn't even see well enough to taxi back to the ramp. They had
to send out a jeep to lead me in.

I had nothing on but a summer flyng suit, dirty and smelly. But
somehow the rest of the crew and I managed to get out the gate to a
bar right there. (Was it still there when you were at Pax?)

When I got back to Cherry Point, next day, the skipper of the fighter
squadron chewed my ass out, saying I just wanted to spend the night in
D.C.

vince norris