Presidewnt reagan's Missing Man Formation

tony wrote:

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
by William Butler Yeats

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.


Although I appreciated reading this, the mental attitude it suggests is
inconsistant with most pilots I've been privilged to know.

But then how many Irish airmen fighting for the British in World War I have you
been privileged to know? ;

I'd say it reflects very powerfully the feelings of a number of combat pilots,
especially those who fought to defend another nation against its enemies. I feel
that I know exactly what Yeats is saying, though this poem, and several others
which Yeats wrote in memory of his friend Major Robert Gregory, carries more
meaning than any one of us is likely impart to it out of his own experience --
like all good writing.

See: http://ireland.wlu.edu/landscape/Group1/index.htm

http://ireland.wlu.edu/landscape/Gro...rt_gregory.htm

"Robert Gregory, the son of W.B.Yeats's friend Lady Gregory,
was a well-rounded man. He studied at Harrow, New College,
and the Slade, and he excelled at bowling, boxing, and
horseback riding. He worked in Jacques Blanche's design studio
and had his own exhibition of paintings in Chelsea in 1914.
In 1915, he joined the war effort and became a member of the
4th Connaught Rangers. He then transferred to the Royal Flying
Corps in 1916, and he became Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur
in 1917. Gregory earned a Military Cross 'for conspicuous
gallantry and devotion to duty.' He died tragically at the age
of thirty-seven when an Italian pilot mistakenly shot him down.

"Robert Gregory's death had an lasting effect on Yeats, who wrote
four poems about him:

'In Memory of Major Robert Gregory,'
http://www.bartleby.com/148/2.html

'An Irish Airman foresees his Death,'
http://www.bartleby.com/148/3.html

'Shepherd and Goatherd,'
http://www.poetryconnection.net/poet...ler_Yeats/1530

'Reprisals'
[If you find a copy on line, _please_ share the URL]

-----------------


Jack

"All things can tempt me from this craft of verse
One time it was a woman’s face, or worse
The seeming needs of my fool-driven land."
-- All Things Can Tempt Me, William Butler Yeats

"tony" wrote in message
...

Another thought -- even better. Didn't President Reagan fund the B1B?


Yes.

emoove (tony) writes:

Although I appreciated reading this, the mental attitude it suggests is
inconsistant with most pilots I've been privilged to know.

My thoughts flow more to how amasingly lucky I have been to live my life in
these times.

I don't think the attitude expressed in your last sentence is
inconsistent with the attitude of the poem. It is our willingness to
understand and accept the ambiguity and apparent meaninglessness of
life which leads us to finally truly appreciate what we have.

As youths many of us believe the cliches about how to succeed and be
happy, but at some point we cannot ignore the lessons of reality
itself:

"I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift
and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the
wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for
time and chance overtake them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

There are those who refuse to acknowledge this, and continue to
believe in a Disneyland version of life. Others do see reality but
become bitter and cynical at its seeming unfairness. And finally some
accept life as it is, and are grateful for what they have, knowing
that "time and chance overtake them all."

tony wrote:

Former President Reagan's sunset burial had a dissonant note for me. The Navy
flew a missing man formation over the site, and as is traditional the second
element lead position (the airplane that would have been represented by your
ring finger tip as they flew in finger tip formation) left its position,
representing the missing man.

For this man, this president, tradition should have been broken. The missing
man was a Leader. The lead position should have been the vacant one.

Wasn't that how they did it over Washington (or maybe it was Pt.
Mugu)? On TV I thought I saw *lead* break away during one of the
missing man flyovers for Reagan. It was such an unusual sight I
wondered if my eyes had fooled me. I'm still not sure. Did anyone else
notice that?

The only other time I can remember lead departing a missing man
formation was a Memorial Day flyover at Edwards AFB with T-38s. A few
minutes later a sonic boom rocked the base. It may have been lead
flying solo, or perhaps the formation got back together.

--

Paul Hirose
To reply by email delete INVALID from address.

Evidently you're not the only one. In the daily Rasmussen tracking
poll, Bush & Kerry had been stuck at 45/45 for days. Two days ago that
changed to 47/44 in favor of Bush, and it was the same yesterday.

47/45 on Saturday night. (The Raz polls interview 500 people a night,
and each poll gives the breakdown of the previous three nights, or a
total of 1500 people.) Kerry's slight move up came from the Not Sure
vote.

53 percent of those polled believe Bush will be re-elected.

54 percent prefer Bush on national defense.

49 percent prefer Bush on the economy. Both these last two are
increases over previous days.

43 percent give Bush good marks on Iraq.

41 percent say Bush is doing a good or excellent job on the economy.

And 67 percent have a favorable view of Ronald Reagan!

I have become addicted to the Rasmussen Tracking Poll. I check it
every day at this page
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Pres...cking_Poll.htm






all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org

If you know about "Missing Man Formations" you'd probably understand. If one
doesn't, perhaps it would have to be explained.

http://www.warbirdforum.com/missing.htm

Enjoy!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org

In article ,
Cub Driver wrote:

For political reasons, it would have been appropriate for the RIGHT WINGman
to
be the one that departed.

Isn't it always? I think of a finger-four as the fingers of my right
hand, with the lead being the middle finger. The Missing Man is the
leader of the second element, flying to the right and behind the
leader of the flight--the ring finger of the right hand.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org

It depends on whether the formation is "Hard Right" or "Hard Left". In
the latter, #3 is on the left and pulls, as it is always #3 in a 4-ship
that pulls and "flies West."

There are those who refuse to acknowledge this, and continue to
believe in a Disneyland version of life. Others do see reality but
become bitter and cynical at its seeming unfairness. And finally some
accept life as it is, and are grateful for what they have, knowing
that "time and chance overtake them all."

Very well put, Bob.

It brings to mind the Stephen Crane quote (to paraphrase) "He grew bitter
with life, and in frustration longed to throw stones at the cathedral, and
was all the more discouraged to discover that there were no stones, and no
cathedral..."
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

But if I'm going to Reno, you can bet your sweet hiney that's the way I'm going
to lay my money down.

{;-)


Jim



Bob Fry
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-"I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift
-and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the
-wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for
-time and chance overtake them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

+ or - 3 points. Not statistically significant.

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 05:11:38 -0400, Cub Driver
wrote:


On a side note: I can't claim to be one of Regan's political fans, but
watching his draped casket come down the stairs with his widow waiting was
indeed a somber moment,, looking at Nancy standing in the rain under the
umbrella.

Evidently you're not the only one. In the daily Rasmussen tracking
poll, Bush & Kerry had been stuck at 45/45 for days. Two days ago that
changed to 47/44 in favor of Bush, and it was the same yesterday. I
can't think of anything else to explain the bounce save Reagan's death
and the consequent TV coverage.

Por mi parte, I haven't watched the TV since Baghdad was secured in
April 2003.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org