June 9th -- Crippen Doll to Crib Rehaul
Last day of WBLS went fairly smoothly -- NASA astronaut CAPT Bob Crippen spoke to us about his three shuttle flights (including the very first), and afterwards he was mobbed by autograph hounds and well-wishers, to include some lady who had an actual Bob Crippen action figure. 
(As a post-script, my wife tells me later that years ago, when she worked for NASA, she was in Bob Crippen's chain of command. !)
Col Chuck DeBellevue was a fighter ace with the "Triple Nickel" in Vietnam, and he showed some cockpit footage of a couple MiG shootdowns; he was followed by Brig Gen "Tex" Hill, who is as old as them, having flown with the "Flying Tigers" with Clare Chennault in India-China during WWII. Frail and hard to hear, it's likely he won't be telling his story very much longer... all the more we should be honored.
Spent lunch chatting with "Crip" about the space program, mentioned that I was reading Reagan's autobiography where he had mentioned how the first shuttle flight had uplifted the spirits of Americans; asked him if he had gotten to meet the President afterwards, and he said he had, a few times. Nice fella, he said.
The afternoon began with Gene Kranz (a former AF jet pilot!) recalling his days as a Flight Director with a well-rehearsed but mesmerizing accompanying slideshow, specifically about the Apollo 13 disaster, even though we all knew what had happened. (One jaw-dropper: the 20-man mission control crew during the Apollo 11 moon landing? Average age? 26.)
Next, Lt Col "Buddy" Archer, a Tuskegee Airman from WWII awkwardly went fifteen minutes past his allotted time, with WBLS staff members standing, crawling up the stairs, trying to get his attention, trying to get applause started to cut him off... it was a wonderful talk up to that point, though. Finally, Col George "Bud" Day, a six-year POW in Vietnam and a Medal of Honor winner closed the show. As I was putting his microphone on his lapel, trying like hell to avoid the Medal around his neck, I told him that I had actually worked with his son, Lt Col George Day, Jr., when I was stationed in Turkey. That must have just about made his minute.
What a show. Twelve wonderful speakers. And this Friday, what does the base paper have to say about a Medal of Honor winner, a retired four-star, two other generals, and a half-dozen other living legends coming to visit AFIT? Zilch. Which makes me feel a little better about my Perryville article being snubbed...if it was even submitted at all. Makes me wonder how hard our Public Affairs shop pushes to have things reported.
Anyhoo. After months of planning, the last big AFIT project is done. All that's left is to graduate. Spent the night cleaning up the apartment for the imminent arrival of Ainsley & Littleshorts and the Fouldses.
It took a while.
I hadn't seen some parts of my floor in months.
(As a post-script, my wife tells me later that years ago, when she worked for NASA, she was in Bob Crippen's chain of command. !)Col Chuck DeBellevue was a fighter ace with the "Triple Nickel" in Vietnam, and he showed some cockpit footage of a couple MiG shootdowns; he was followed by Brig Gen "Tex" Hill, who is as old as them, having flown with the "Flying Tigers" with Clare Chennault in India-China during WWII. Frail and hard to hear, it's likely he won't be telling his story very much longer... all the more we should be honored.
Spent lunch chatting with "Crip" about the space program, mentioned that I was reading Reagan's autobiography where he had mentioned how the first shuttle flight had uplifted the spirits of Americans; asked him if he had gotten to meet the President afterwards, and he said he had, a few times. Nice fella, he said.
The afternoon began with Gene Kranz (a former AF jet pilot!) recalling his days as a Flight Director with a well-rehearsed but mesmerizing accompanying slideshow, specifically about the Apollo 13 disaster, even though we all knew what had happened. (One jaw-dropper: the 20-man mission control crew during the Apollo 11 moon landing? Average age? 26.)
Next, Lt Col "Buddy" Archer, a Tuskegee Airman from WWII awkwardly went fifteen minutes past his allotted time, with WBLS staff members standing, crawling up the stairs, trying to get his attention, trying to get applause started to cut him off... it was a wonderful talk up to that point, though. Finally, Col George "Bud" Day, a six-year POW in Vietnam and a Medal of Honor winner closed the show. As I was putting his microphone on his lapel, trying like hell to avoid the Medal around his neck, I told him that I had actually worked with his son, Lt Col George Day, Jr., when I was stationed in Turkey. That must have just about made his minute.
What a show. Twelve wonderful speakers. And this Friday, what does the base paper have to say about a Medal of Honor winner, a retired four-star, two other generals, and a half-dozen other living legends coming to visit AFIT? Zilch. Which makes me feel a little better about my Perryville article being snubbed...if it was even submitted at all. Makes me wonder how hard our Public Affairs shop pushes to have things reported.
Anyhoo. After months of planning, the last big AFIT project is done. All that's left is to graduate. Spent the night cleaning up the apartment for the imminent arrival of Ainsley & Littleshorts and the Fouldses.
It took a while.
I hadn't seen some parts of my floor in months.
posted by Dan at 10:36 PM
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