"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:bL%nf.29034$QW2.18759@dukeread08...


BTW, Pilots on the airlines were required to be armed before
the mid-late 60's, to protect the mail. Your postman
walking the street also often had a gun in his big leather
bag. But LBJs postmaster general took them away.


Do you have a cite for that? I grew up at the airport hanging around the
Trans Texas Airlines (Later Texas International) office and I think I'd
remember after 65 or 66 if the pilots were carrying guns. I know TTA was
carrying airmail because one of my Grandfathers side jobs was taking the
mail from the post office to the airport.