Any fliers?

Ed -

For what it's worth, the Black Eagles are now at Moody AFB, still drivin'
Smurfs (the new, glass-cockpit, can't-carry-a-SUU-20, kind) and teaching IFF
to new SUPT grads. The doofer book you mention is still in the squadron's
glass case. In fact, I scanned an entry out of it that I thought the group
would love to see someday! I doubt, though, that the members of r.a.m.
could fulfill the Mayor's ROE for reading the book, though!

Fight's On.

Randy Haskin


"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...

Speaking of memorabilia displays, I was in San Antonio three years ago
for a Rat reunion. I had the opportunity to run out to Randolph AFB
(where I had been stationed in '70-'71) and visited the Augur Inn in
the O'Club where they have a lot of neat stuff and then went to the
435th TFTS squadron operations building. I had been in the 435th at
Holloman doing Fighter Lead-In Training from '81-'85. I was with Steve
Miller who had been doing that job at the same time and then four
years later returned to be squadron commander of the 435th. They are
now doing fighter lead-in as part of SUPT at Randolph.

There in the entrance was a glass display case of squadron memorabilia
including a huge wooden covered photo album and more interestingly,
the squadron Doofer Book from '83-'84.

The Doofer Book was a green ledger book that sat on the ops counter
and was used as a sort of communal diary. Squadron guys could write
anything they wanted in the Doofer Book. Stories, anecdotes, humorous
events, embarrassments, criticism, commentary, etc were all fair game.

We spent about an hour paging through the book and rereading the
events of those thrilling days of yesteryear. Lots of laughs.

Raz -

How much beer would it take to move this one to the top of your list?? I had
a chance to dring with Robin Olds last year when he attended the 479th Gp
60th Anniversary Reunion here at Moody. It was a life-changing experience
for this fighter pilot, that's for sure. PLEASE make sure that his story and
his words make it to print before the US loses another real-life hero and
legend.

"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...

And, my personal favorite, is a co-authored bio of Robin Olds. I've
proposed the concept to Robin and live close enough to work the
interviews with him. He's been reluctant, but his story needs to be
told. I'll probably visit him in Steamboat this summer and
face-to-face the proposal again.

R Haskin wrote:

Raz -

How much beer would it take to move this one to the top of your list?? I had
a chance to dring with Robin Olds last year when he attended the 479th Gp
60th Anniversary Reunion here at Moody. It was a life-changing experience
for this fighter pilot, that's for sure. PLEASE make sure that his story and
his words make it to print before the US loses another real-life hero and
legend.

"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...

And, my personal favorite, is a co-authored bio of Robin Olds. I've
proposed the concept to Robin and live close enough to work the
interviews with him. He's been reluctant, but his story needs to be
told. I'll probably visit him in Steamboat this summer and
face-to-face the proposal again.

Concur.

Last time I checked, the world was not suffering from a shortage of military
novels.

Of course, and this is a general statement, not an Ed specific observation:

"Anybody who has written an autobiographical book is already experienced in
composing fiction!"

Bob McKellar

On Mon, 24 May 2004 11:56:15 -0400, "R Haskin"
wrote:

Raz -

How much beer would it take to move this one to the top of your list?? I had
a chance to dring with Robin Olds last year when he attended the 479th Gp
60th Anniversary Reunion here at Moody. It was a life-changing experience
for this fighter pilot, that's for sure. PLEASE make sure that his story and
his words make it to print before the US loses another real-life hero and
legend.

It wouldn't take anything to get it to the top of my list (or my
publisher's as well!) But, I'm not sure my own liver could stand a
half-dozen or more trips to Steamboat drinking through the interviews.

Robin has loads of great stories and the simple facts of his
incredible life would make a great read. Every time I get to talk to
him, I'm increasingly amazed at the events, and he recalls them all in
incredible detail.

I'd thought that his WW II kills came mostly in Mustangs, but he
started out in the P-38--his story of coming up on the tail of a
FW-190, only to have both engines quit just as he's about to pull the
trigger, then shooting the German down as he's piloting a glider is
incredible.

His front seat view of Bolo as well.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

On Mon, 24 May 2004 11:51:49 -0400, "R Haskin"
wrote:

Ed -

For what it's worth, the Black Eagles are now at Moody AFB, still drivin'
Smurfs (the new, glass-cockpit, can't-carry-a-SUU-20, kind) and teaching IFF
to new SUPT grads. The doofer book you mention is still in the squadron's
glass case. In fact, I scanned an entry out of it that I thought the group
would love to see someday! I doubt, though, that the members of r.a.m.
could fulfill the Mayor's ROE for reading the book, though!

Fight's On.

Randy Haskin

I'd love to see the Talon with the new layout. Video alone, instead of
16mm film in 50 foot cans, would be a great teaching aid.

If you page through the Doofer book (I don't recall if the call-sign
legend page was still intact), I'm "OFP"--which could mean "Old
Fighter Pilot" or "Old Fat Pilot".



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

And, my personal favorite, is a co-authored bio of Robin Olds. I've
proposed the concept to Robin and live close enough to work the
interviews with him. He's been reluctant, but his story needs to be
told. I'll probably visit him in Steamboat this summer and
face-to-face the proposal again.

That idea would probably even better if you take along an airtanker pilot with
you


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)
Silver City Tanker Base

Jeff Crowell wrote:
Whatcha working on now that _Phantom_Flights_ is being printed up?
The writing bug is hard to squash once you let it out.

Ed Rasimus wrote:
I've had a couple of ideas, but they have varying degrees of
potential. First, I've had a concept for a novel for a while--not sure
if I can pull off fiction, but it involves an F-4 squadron deployed to
Turkey during the Greek/Turk conflict over Cyprus. Nuke weapons are
stood down, but a "strike enable" plug falls into the hands of a rogue
Turk commander. Eventual showdown in the air as the brave USAF ops
officer tracks down and engages the Turk enroute to deliver the nuke
on either Athens or Tel Aviv. Sex involved too!

I must tell you sometime about my plans for the Great American Novel.
Terrorists blowing up Long Beach with an LNG tanker, lots of things
going "boom" in the night in the Middle East, etc.


Second, wife wants me to do a collection of growing up in Chicago
memoirs, sort of an urban boy version of "Ya-Ya Sisterhood."

Ya Ya Hubcaps?


And, my personal favorite, is a co-authored bio of Robin Olds. I've
proposed the concept to Robin and live close enough to work the
interviews with him. He's been reluctant, but his story needs to be
told. I'll probably visit him in Steamboat this summer and
face-to-face the proposal again.

Whoops, count me as a pre-sale. Where do I send the check?
Seriously, this would be an awesome story.



Jeff

Bob McKellar wrote:
Last time I checked, the world was not suffering from a shortage of
military
novels.

No, just a dearth of ***good*** military novels.


Jeff

Ed Rasimus wrote:
his story of coming up on the tail of a
FW-190, only to have both engines quit just as he's about to pull the
trigger, then shooting the German down as he's piloting a glider is
incredible.

Urk. Little fuel tank selector lever problem, one assumes?

Or perhaps a drop-tanks-dropped-with-corresponding-air-bubble-
in-fuel-lines type thing?



Jeff

Subject: Any fliers?
From: "Jeff Crowell"
Date: 5/24/04 12:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

Bob McKellar wrote:
Last time I checked, the world was not suffering from a shortage of
military
novels.

No, just a dearth of ***good*** military novels.


Jeff




There is no such thing as a good military novel.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer