Posted on 05/28/2012 4:13:41 PM PDT by clamper1797
I wish to make a muster of those we know who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom ... I'll start ...
Taps please ...
On October 24th 1972 ,an aircraft crash landed on USS Midway's deck. This aircraft ran into a group of parked aircraft and destroyed eight of them, killed 5 crewmen and injured 23 others. Among those killed were my best friend AOAN Danny Cherry and my very good friend AME2 Karl Blankenship.
Please ... just a moment of silence for these true heros on Memorial Day
My Uncle Dick, an Air Force pilot was shot down in Korea before I was born. The plane was observed being blown to smithereens. I found his name on the wall commemorating Korean MIA’s at the Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. That’s a beautiful cemetery and a must see if you are in Honolulu.
My great uncles Floyd and Edward Record died in WWII. One was on the USS Quincy when it was sunk by the Japanese at Guadalcanal, the other was killed in the battle at Leyte Gulf. How my great grandparents endured losing 2 of their sons within a year of each other I’ll never know.
My father was a radar observer with the 868th Snoopers Bomb Squadron Heavy (no wing or group). They were classified and unattached reporting to 13th Headquarters. They flew predominately night low altitude bombing runs in the Pacific during WWII in B-24s. The crew were put together and trained at Langley prior to shipping out. My father was hit by an attacking Japanese Oscar in the vicinity of the Celebes in 1945 and killed instantly. His life was the only loss from his crew. It took many years but his body is home resting in our military cemetery.
My Dad said, "I've forgotten his name".
My Cousin USMC, 1968 Khe Sanh
My friend’s son, Jason, died April 26, 2012, from wounds he received in Afghanistan 10 days earlier. We buried him May 5th.
Private Kevin Coggins
What squadron were you in?
VA-93
My dad was the Maintenance Chief in VA-115 at the time.
Ah yes ... it was one of their birds ... A-6 ... that caused the incident ... it came in all shot up and the right strut collapsed on landing. RIO punched out and went down the stack
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