gizzard

Giz, tell Elissa that she doesn't need anymore diet. You still have the crane and duce-n-a-half don't you? (Good thing I'm in Miami).

Oh just wait 'til Pigeon Forge, we are both in deep trouble, especially if she starts throwin' her weight around!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, sure hope you soon get a good resolution to Micheal's issues like you did with Wesley. They are both very, very fortunate to have you and your wife in their life. We are proud to know you and call you "friend."

Congrats on the finalization of the adoption. My wife is so happy about it, she says she may go back on her diet!!!!!!!!!!

LOL!!!

giz

Hey guys

You will recall awhile back that one of our own (Sparks) is struggling with a very ill son. I've never met Sparks, but we've struck up an "on line" friendship. Sparks son is still gravely ill and still in the hospital. Lets all of us let Keith and his family know that we care and wish the family well.

Thanks guy's....

Giz

My problem is that as an A1C who volunteered for any mission/TDY I could get, I was never in the know about what, why or where. I just got into the back of the airplane and fixed it when it broke. When that gagle (as Giz so aptly describes) got to the Philippines, I got commandeered to their Electric shop. From there came a request from TSN to send Electrical Tech support and once again, I volunteered to go. During the 40 days I was there, I worked the 6p-6a shift 6 days/week. I can tell you, there was a war going on at the time because I frequently saw Illumination Flairs and heard and felt large guns sending outgoing shells. It is only with the dim illumination of hindsight and history that I've come to the conclusion that the siege of An Loc played a role in the reason for my being at TSN at that time. Like you Giz, I was sent back to Langly on a commercial aircraft in civilian clothes. Funny but true: Langley had no idea where I was and actually thought I had gone AWOL..he he he

I wonder if all the aircraft followed the same route. sparks. Best I can recall,my plane went from Langley to Holloman, and then to Hickam, where we stayed for, I think two for , don't know why, three days, then from Hickam to Guam, where we refueled, got food, etc, then from Guam to Takli, where we off-loaded, then, and I can't remember, but it seems like we left as soon as we had offloaded and gassed up, and went to CCK, then, I THINK, by train to Taipei, and commercial back......

I also remember, I guess it was March or so of '71, we ferried a plane to CCK from Langley. First plane we took out developed a tailpipe fire in #2 which was a little exciting, but that's a different story..........

Sparks, I'm pretty sure that the reason y'all ferried over our planes was because many of their An Loc planes were all

shot up.

Pat Wylie

Pat, the gaggle Sparks is referring to was just before the 36th deployed to CCK.We were transferring an F-4 bunch out of Holloman to Takli. The plane I had was taken to replace the downed one, but I can't remember if the other one came back or not, Bob Daly was on that one I think. Originally, we were to bring the planes back, if I remember or was informed correctly. My crew, actually a double crew, hung around CCK for I think about a week or more, then was sent home, and then came back a week or so later. we came back contract/commercial. Because we were there on TDY orders for the fighter transfer, we could not stay. we had to go back home and pass go again. Yessir, military intelligence!

Giz

Accompaying a picture of the new shirts and trousers the city street department workers were issued, was the notation" They are made of a more durable and comfortable fabric, less of a hazard if they should catch fire, and the front shirt pockets are sewn on upside down, so a shovel handle can be more easily leaned on." Of course this was cancelled out a few months later when the city bought shovels that could stand up by themselves!!

Okay, I may not be too bright, but damn an I tenacious. First of the week I got an email from my Congressman's Va rep, tellin' me that they were still working on my correction, they were prioritizing, etc etc. Well, I sent an email back, telling her that this was bullshit, what was gonna happen, was I just gonna be just continuingly dropped to the bottom of the pile, after all, all they needed to do was enter the information I had sent them THREE F'IN' times and things would be fixed just fine. ell, I musta struck a chord finally, ( which is hard for a fiddle player to do) and I got a call from her a bit ago, and apparently she had thought it over, got her Polish warrior princess ire up, went to the Baltimore office, and basically told the manger there' I don't ask for a lot of special things, but you gotta get this done now."""" And now, I have my monthly payment increased, and back pay to June of 2011. Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, Dave in West Virginia, is the water situation affecting you???? Is there anything I or any of the guys on the site can do for you????? Just mention it, and I guarantee the whole bunch would leap in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giz

Okay, another related gut-bucket story...............Went to a house for a call for weakness and some breathing issues. Met a lady, who was about 80, if I remember, but looked like a well preserved 60. You could tell that she had been a real beauty in her day. anyway, I'm doin' an exam, blood pressure, pulse that sort of thing, and I told her I'd like to listen to her lungs, since she seemed to be having some distress. I put my stethoscope on her chest and said ' Big breaths." She said, " Well they used to be." And then there was the time the old guy ate a bar of soap................................

Giz at the least this shood bring an interesting topic of conversation at the 316th reuion this year

Oh, don't ya know it.......I wonder what Bob Craft would say, considering all the stuff he did for vets........

I have always been suspicious of ANY organization that jumps up with the ulterior motive of helping others, then going into huge advertising campaigns and such. This organization, in particular, has always been a puzzle to me, because I wonder just how much goes to their supposed clients. It is a friggin' shame, however, that our troops need to rely on such organizations to meet their needs. I thought that was what the VA was about............oh wait..........I'm 31 months into my tailchasing with them, so answered my own question........I will be much more discerning where my charitable donations go, that's for sure

They can't put anything on the internet that isn't true, you know!!!!!!!!!

Got this one many years ago from my aunt, who worked as a switchboard operator for Bell, back when they still had the plug and socket system...

A man calls the operator to complain about his phone being shut off and the phone taken away. he gets very irate and starts cussing and carrying on something awful. He calls her a dumb such and such and on and on. Finally she says" sir, i really can't help you, you need to go to the local phone office, pay your bill and things will be okay. If not, they will come and take your phone."" "Aw, just stick it up your ass, you dumb &*((((." She tells her supervisor, who does not tolerate such stuff, and he heads off to the guy's house.

He asked the guy" are you the one who cursed and berated my operator and told her to stick the phone up her ass?" "Yep", the guy says. "Well, if you don't call her right now and apologize, I will take your phone right now, and you won't get it back for a year."

"Okay," the guy says, and calls the operator. " Are you the operator I cussed out and told you to stick the phone up your ass?"

She says, " yessir, I am." He says, " Well lady drop your damn drawers and get ready because this son of a bitch here is bringing it to you."

About right. Nowadays it seems to be unit dependent but its mostly aux ground loading ramps, some extra straps, seatbelts, TPRS, Y cables, and other small stuff. Not much big stuff gets chucked up there anymore and I think most birds have the truck loading ramps removed (from the ramp area sidewall) CONUS for weight/fuel savings. Those things are HEAVY.

Ya know, come to think of it, I think those truck loading ramps WERE on the side. I'm talking about the things maybe three feet long, sort of dome topped, and yes heavy as hell. Trying to remember what the Y-cables were,,

Okay, help me remember. In the door compartments, I remember the troop steps, the short round-tops loading ramps, the long vehicle ground loading ramps, and bins with straps in them I do not ever remember chains normally stored in the door. I can't remember anything else, at least standard stuff. It seems to me that the second set of anchor cables were stowed on reels and mounted on brackets on the side of the ramp and door area. Also, weren't the jump platforms carried overhead somewhere?? Now ya gotta remember I was playing with this big old bird back from 70 to 74, so some of the more modern stuff may be different..

Giz

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I feel like I know so many of you personally, and have had the real honor of meeting several of you. I guess the older we get, the more we think back about the times gone by. This morning I have my electric train, that I got in 1957, I think it was, actually runnin' under the tree. I have had it there a few times before, and have had it runnin' a few times over the years, but never under tree like it used to be when I was a kid. Don't know why this year is different, but it's cool.

My question to the rest of you is..... What have you done to connect back to Christmas's long past????

Again all the season's best from Almost Maryland, just a stone's throw from Almost Heaven....

Giz

Okay, here's something that comes to mind, it seems to me that, on the E's I flew, mostly 61 to 63, to close the cargo, first you raised if, using the switches, then pulled the up-lock release and then lowered it, right???? I know that you could raise the ramp a bit by putting the manual valve to raise ( the ramp) and then dropping the door, which allowed some pressure to, I guess, cross-feed to the ramp valve??? Or did I just imagine all this??? also, if the ramp and door was closed from the cockpit, how was the door up-lock overridden????

Giz I think if the drinking had been less, it would have been way more complacated back than instead of just pretty good memoreys

Think you may be right, but I could not judge from personal experience. Damn, that lightning bolt was CLOSE!!

Giz I doint remember having to take anything out, the beer allways seemed to fit right in.

That was my experience, too!!!!!!

I didn't realize there was a published limit, I'm sure there is one. I DO know, I mean, I have heard that two cases of Budweiser stored there didn't impair the operation....But I can remember how damn hard it was to hand pump the ramp and door open!!!!!

History will judge the Obama Presidency and put it into perspective. I didn't vote for this president but I truly wished him well. Now that he is in his 2nd term (foolish American electorate) my judgment is that you can take a community organizer out of the community but you cant necessarily transfer those skills to the leadership of a nation. My first real inkling of how he would be president was with the "beer summit". For a president to inject himself into such a trivial 'Therapy" session sent shivers of dread up my spine. To attempt to project himself as a peacemaker he has actually become the Appeaser in Chief. He appears weak The USA has lost a lot of credibility throughout the world and has emboldened our enemies with his lead from behind strategy. Domestically, he has no idea of what is happening in his own administration. He claims to be unaware of the controversies swirling around him and holds absolutely no one accountable....especially himself. He half heartedly offered an apology for the ACA (Obamacare) only after facing defections from within his own democrat party. Is Holder held accountable for Fast and Furious? NO. Is Sebilus held accountable for Obama Care roll out? NO. Is Clinton held accountable for Bengazi? NO Clinton, "At this point, what difference does it make?" Well Mr. President, it makes a great deal of difference to me and many others like me. As I said earlier...History will be the judge. My hope is that history wont be recorded in Chinese, Russian or Farsi.

Well said, Sparks, well said. I truly hope our country will recover from the damage this person and his minions have caused, and quickly. Yes maybe some of the things he inherited from other incompetents, but he has not the skill, knowledge, leadership, or apparent desire to do anything about them. I hope the American citizens wake up and start going to the polls. With such a small number doing it now, it doesn't take much for those who benefit the most to skew the elections. Also, I would hope that we could get a slate of GOOD candidates, from both parties, so we no longer have to vote for the lesser of two evils.................Just my opinion, I may be wrong...............

Giz, too funny!!

What's great about it is that it actually happened!!!!!!!!

Giz,

I heard they mixed JP4, oil, and outdated napalm and lit it up for crash & rescue practice drills. Asbestos between you and the fire sounds pretty good when you’re up to your ankles in burning jet fuel.

From what i have heard, that is the case. The suits worked pretty well, too. The aluminized outer shell reflected radiant heat, and the asbestos fabric and padding were non-combustible...Of course, now ours is made of Kevlar, and Nomex and PBI and other fabrics. No matter what, don't ever let it be said those crash rescue guys didn't know their job or were not ready willing, and able to do it. Top notch firefighters, all. If it was at all possible to save you, they were going to do it.. Thanks, guys..

Even old style floor tiles had asbestos in them. One of the things we firefighters were taught ( and sometimes ignored) was the fact that even after the fire was out, there was still need for respiratory protection against such stuff as asbestos and so on in the dust and dirt raised up in overhaul and salvage operations. Asbestos was used primary because it was fibrous, and could be made into all kinds of durable items that could be exposed to heavy use or exposure.

It used to be, also, that in many of the old time theatres, an asbestos fiber curtain was hung up in the proscenium, the area around and above a stage, that was fire proof, and could be lowered to stop the spread of fire out into the seating area. Also, most of the old style entry and proximity suits, you know the silver looking things, that the crash/rescue guys wore were made of asbestos, too. We had one at my old station, that was probably from the late 40's or early 50's, and we had to have it taken to a haz-mat outift for disposal. That was probably early 90's......Yeah, I know, more stuff than ya need to know. Just wanted to make the point that that stuff was EVERYWHERE, even places you might not have expected. There WILL be a quiz on Monday!!!

Giz

Back in the days when I was riding the ambulance, got a call late one evening for an elderly lady with chest pains. We get there and find an old lady and her even older husband.... She was almost stone deaf, so I had talk through him. He described what she had been complaining of, and, to determine any pertinent history, I asked " Does she have acute angina?" He says, "Oh, yes, but her tits are a mess."""