[GreenKeys] (belated) Happy Veteran's Day

[Don Robert House]

Very nice gesture Gil,

Let me add a few aircraft to your list.  R3D, P2V, P3A, P3C, EP3, 
E1B, E2C, S2F, S3B, WV-2, EC-121, P5M, PB-4Y, PBY, EA-6B, RB-47, 
RB-69, AC-130, etc.,etc.   Many folks forget how much flying the Navy 
does.  Patrol and Elint missions over Iraq and Afghanistan exceed the 
hours put in by the Air Force.  Of course there are a lot more P3s 
flying than AWACS.

One of your many Veteran friends,

Don


Don R. House
Former AX2 (AC) USN 685-17-28
1962-1968
VP-30, VP-16, LPH-3, CVS-15, VAW-12, VP-741





>A Happy Veteran's Day to all greenkeys Vets.  (oops, I'm actually an 
>hour or so into the day after).
>
>Thanks again for your service to our country.  A heartfelt thanks 
>from a civilian.
>
>This year I attended the Veteran's Day Fly-in at our local airport 
>(FFZ: Falcon Field, Mesa, AZ).  There were great stories to hear, 
>and great planes to see.  Rides were available on various cool 
>planes, including a Stearman, P-51 Mustang, and B-17 Flying Fortress.
>
>I did something I have wanted to do for many years -- I took a ride 
>on the B-17.  This B-17, Sentimental Journey, is part of the local 
>CAF museum's collection, and looks almost factory-new.  I believe 
>there are only about a dozen still flying.
>
>This year the CAF lost a plane, and two dedicated volunteers;  a 
>very rare and meticulously-restored HE-111 crashed not that many 
>months ago.  I stood there realizing how unpredictable the future 
>can be, so I got my ticket for the B-17.
>
>I was sitting second-back in the nose, looking out at the props as 
>the engines roared to life.  As we turned onto the runway 
>centerline, I could see the P-51 zig-zagging up the taxiway behind 
>us.  I was grinning like a kid, and realized it was my first time 
>down runway 22R in something over 180-HP.  As we exited the pattern 
>for a 20-minute flight, the Mustang banked across our nose, 
>screaming past not more than a hundred feet in front of us.  Very 
>cool indeed.
>
>To all the Vets who actually lived the days of the B-17, B-29, and 
>P-51, the days of the B-26, F-80, and F-86, the days of the B-52, 
>Huey, Cobra and F-4, the days of the B-1, F-15, F-16. F-18, and 
>F-117, or any of the many other conflicts we find ourselves in, 
>thanks, from the rest of us.
>
>gil
>
>
>
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