The End of Summer Random Discussion for TPBM (29)

A bit of George AFB History while I was there:

Tactical Air Command

35th Tactical Fighter Wing

431st Tactical Fighter Trainer
F-4 Phantom II Aircraft

While there the base received a prestigious service award for the F-4 by going so many years without losing an aircraft. As I recall within a week of receiving the reward we lost one aircraft and 2 more shortly afterward. I think it was the 1 st and 3rd one had the same pilot. First time the aircraft never lifted and kept going off the runway leaving quite a trench in its wake. First flight after the accident investigation was completed he no sooner got up and off the runway when he and his co-pilot had to eject and let the plane ditch over the desert. Both accidents were deemed mechanical errors, but; he decided not to try for the "3rd time is a charm".

2nd craft was over a populated area around LA, the pilot rode that one out to crash the jet in an uninhabited area. The co-pilot got out the pilot ejected just as the jet rolled and pretty much ejected into the ground. That was a very sad day at the base.

I didn't share any photos of the ship I served on in the Navy (USS Caron DD970). I have several of my own photos, but they aren't scanned into the computer, so here are some I found online:

In her better days:
http://navysite.de/dd/​dd970_2.jpg

Dying:
http://navysite.de/dd/​dd970_4.jpg

Going down:
http://navysite.de/dd/​dd970_7.jpg

I get "Not allowed to view" on all three links, Lonnie.

^^^ Me too Lonnie

I guess that site must have hotlink protection turned on.

I linked to three of the photos on this page. There are a few others there as well.

Here's another site with pictures of the Caron and an explanation of how it was sunk.

That's the kind of ship I picture in my head when I think of Navy, Lonnie, aside from an aircraft carrier.

thomascanty wrote in post #8713620
Here's another site with pictures of the Caron and an explanation of how it was sunk.

The blurb states that the DD was supposed to survived the explosions and be sunk at a later date.

Not really sure how a ship is supposed to survive with TWO large holes below the Plimsoll line.

Becky N wrote in post #8713641
That's the kind of ship I picture in my head when I think of Navy, Lonnie, aside from an aircraft carrier.

I tend to think of THIS

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8713653
The blurb states that the DD was supposed to survived the explosions and be sunk at a later date.

Not really sure how a ship is supposed to survive with TWO large holes below the Plimsoll line.

The way I understand it, those holes were accidental. The ship was just being tested to see how it weathered nearby explosives. When I was stationed on the Caron we witnessed them doing the same thing to another ship. They set depth charges all around it and we sat a few miles away to watch. That ship did survive. I have photos of this in my Caron photo album, but like I said -- no scanner. Besides, I was using a P&S with no zoom, and we were too far away for the photos to really show any detail.

But, those pictures of the Caron on that site really make it look like it was hit by a couple torpedoes, don't they?

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8713661
I tend to think of THIS

I liked the last one that John linked to. Looks like a Navy grey speed boat!

mtnphtgrphr wrote in post #8713665

Gotta love Ol' Ironsides....

thomascanty wrote in post #8713677
The way I understand it, those holes were accidental. The ship was just being tested to see how it weathered nearby explosives. When I was stationed on the Caron we witnessed them doing the same thing to another ship. They set depth charges all around it and we sat a few miles away to watch. That ship did survive. I have photos of this in my Caron photo album, but like I said -- no scanner. Besides, I was using a P&S with no zoom, and we were too far away for the photos to really show any detail.

But, those pictures of the Caron on that site really make it look like it was hit by a couple torpedoes, don't they?

That's what I thought they were. "Well, let's fire a coupla fish into her, but NOT sink her. Betcha five bucks it'll work, Admiral...."

thomascanty wrote in post #8713684
I liked the last one that John linked to. Looks like a Navy grey speed boat!

Those were cool. I had an old chief Boatswains mate that did river patrols in 'Nam. He had a bunch of pics like that.

OK, I won't start sea stories again.

Uh... Lisa and I have a senior shoot this afternoon up at Silver Falls State Park. Beauty area.

My dad was in the Air Force during the Korean conflict (war). He remained statesside and was in charge of the officers clubs and entertainment on the bases where he served in Texas and California. He wound up teaching Greek and German at the Army Language school in Monterey.

As a very young man, he was involved in the Greek resistance during their occupation by the Germans and Italians. I have heard many stories about battles and situations that arose from his daring, he was 14 when he first joined the resistance. We have some old photos and there are many battle fields in the mountains of the greek countryside that we have visited together when I was much younger.

I haven't written any of this history down tho, and now he is unable to tell it anymore. I'll do some research to see what I can find, but the documentation is poor as there was a junta in place for many years in greece after the war and they were not supporters of the resistance. My father went to Greece in 1972 with my brother Jon for a few weeks and was held at the airport when he tried to board the plane to come home. After our governor and other elected officials interceded and I am sure someone on the Greek side was paid off they got to leave.