Remember Us

Walt, another Memorial Day offering by one of our brethren, this time

Jack Woodul, aka Youthly Puresome.

Subject: Memorial Day 1997

To the Brethren:

“In small moments, the War always came back to him. He never remembered

his minor triumphs, but Frabb-ups were always sneaking up out of his

subconscious, tapping him on the shoulder, saying ‘Remember me?’ The

Ghosts of his flying career also occasionally emerged from their smoking

holes in the ground and their fireballs in the sky to visit, though over

the years, they had largely merged with the spirits that haunted the

skies over Schweinfurt, stilled the air over Gettysburg, and sounded

distant trumpets over the lonely white markers on the hills above the

Little Big Horn…..” —“The Shrill of the Bagpipe, the Roll of the Drum”.

“Puresome did all the usual stuff……turned in his DD-175 to the Ops

guys. Then, as he was leaving for the transient line, Puresome noticed

the plaques. The sun was streaming through the windows and dust motes

were dancing in the light. On the wall were posted the names of all the

guys from Lemoore who had been bagged in the war. There were lots of

names. Time stopped in Puresome’s universe as he read the names–some he

knew, most he didn’t. Puresome felt them, what they had done, and what

he had not. He felt the honor in them and the sadness of a ratsass

cause. “you don’t forget us, you don’t forget us, ” the wall whispered,

“we gave and we’re gone and nobody gives a shit, so don’t      forget

us.”  Puresome started as two loudly talking sailors came around the

corner. He walked on out of operations towards his plane. On the flight

home, and on other flights, and through the years, Puresome could hear

the ghosts, and the bright fire in him burned, and he did not forget them.”

Forward by Dave Johnson

—————————–

Brown Bear’s letter to Norm Levy is permanently in my Stash folder.  I

check it out every time I seem to lose some focus.

GBU, Brown Bear.

YP

—————————–

Amen to the Rolling thunder saga..I lost some ex-stendents on that fire

as well as KIA and MIA..I have not forgotten, recently read book brought

some of the names back to me.

T28CDKMK

—————————–

I would like to say that Dick Schaffert really put it into words, the

deal about what it means to have been a Naval Aviator in carrier

aviation in the Viet Nam era.  I was a nugget on the Big O in 1967, but

I was also an observer and I saw in Dick Schaffert something that wasn’t

apparent in every Naval Aviator.  When I was in the RAG in VF-124, Dave

Cowles, Bruce Morehouse, Tom Corboy, Bill Kiper, Jerry Unhru and Ray

Donnely were the “gods” of my world.  They were the people that mentored

me and then I went aboard the big “O”!   Combat takes care of the bull

shit and the guys that matter are the ones that teach you during those

times!  I loved being a Naval Aviator!  JP O’Neil and John Hellman were

two mentors of mine on the Big O.  John taught me about being a

“wingman” and JP. taught me to wave the F8!  Paddles, as we called JP,

was an Iron Man, he would roll the lens to the a 2 wire target on a 27

Charlie and do this using the manual ball and this was nothing other

than fucking unbelievable!    It’s now many years, (I thing somewhere

around 42) since then but Dick’s narrative stirred something in me that

was the very essence of every Naval Aviator I ever knew and that was “we

are the elite of the air combat pilots of the world!”  All of us did

this, we don’t need to continually relive this period of our lives, but

we damn sure need to acknowledge it and the profound effect it had on

shaping who we are!  For me, God Bless Naval Aviation, God Bless Dave

Cowles, God Bless Bil Kiper, God Bless Tom Corboy, God Bless J.P.(Mostly

Belly O’Neil) O’Neil and God Bless Bruce Morehouse.  Bruce  Morehouse

was the only man who drew the “combat circle” the way it really was in

the brief for the tactics hop in VF-124!  Dick Schaffert understood

Naval Aviation, he knew who he was and he knew what he was capable of,

witness his engagement with the dip shits on the Viet Nam engagement

with the Migs.  A lesser man would have been toast!  I am humbled to

have been a Naval Aviator and to have know the likes of Dick Schaffert,

Tom Corboy, David Cowles, JP O’Neil, Ray Donnely, Bruce Morehouse and

Bill Kiper.  I hope the guys that do this shit today, enjoy mentors like

the ones I had!  Here’s to you Dick!

Cheers,

Ron Coalson

———————————

For Veteran’s Day, a more befitting song may not be out there.  “Before

You Go” will bring tears to all Vets.

http://www.beforeyougo.us/play… for WW II and Korean Vets

http://www.beforeyougo.us/play… for Vietnam Vets and even those

presently serving in harms way.

Proud to have served!

Hubie

———————————-

You can take the boy out of the Crusader

But you can’t take the Crusader out of the boy.

Crusader Assoc. website: www.f8crusader.org