Cool pics of yourself

Our base, our squadron (7 months of filming), I'm in there too. Movie wasn't made - turned into a weekly that was very poorly edited and cancelled after just 2 weeks. I named "Merkin." Merkin - Pubic wig. Due to his bleached hair do.

Key Players - Bean Freany - Ops off and friend; Shark Garland - very good friend and weapons off - ejected from F-22 2 years ago. I tried to name "Getsno" Love, "Buddy."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5LM0e6YUmI
 
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Waldo - Where's Waldo?

First deployment from Japan in F-15 to Alaska. Had 2000# trapped fuel in left external wing tank and right external wing tank would not take more than 1/2 normal fuel (2000/4000#), so I was 4000# light when we came off the last tanker over the Alutian Island chain enroute to Elmendorf, AK (Anchorage). Required divert base was Eilsen (Fairbanks, 120 NM North (from memory)).

As we came off the tanker, the sq commander cleared us off freq (leave the radio) in order to program our preset radio frequencies (40 of them) to the Alaskan standard frequencies for fighters. As we were doing that, sq commander pushed it up and climbed up into the mid 40's pushing mach 1.2, which burns a lot of gas, which I didn't have. I tried to remind him of my fuel issue twice. I still don't know if he was ignoring me (wingmen are to be seen, not heard) or if he was still off freq. I stayed subsonic at about .92 mach to save gas and fell behind the other 5 Eagles.

Most lieutenants would have hung on and kept their mouths shut. I had 2000 hours in jets when I went to Eagles. I was pilot in command, and I wasn't about to go below divert gas just to boom the islands.

Fast forward to my naming one Friday night toward the end of our month-long deployment. When you join a sq, there are a variety of personalities that can exist. Our sq was divided. I was perceived as a threat by the controlling 1/2, and perceived as a friend by the good guys. The controlling 1/2 wanted to name me a demeaning name (which is fairly standard). The good guys fought it.

The good guys wanted to name me "Buck" after the knife I had used the previous weekend to quick-fillet a fresh Silver Salmon which we grilled on a stick over a gasoline fire in the middle of a river on a rock/sand bar we got stuck on overnight. They actually won. My true F-15 call sign is "Buck." It is engraved on the 44 caliber bullet I have in my pocket which was presented to me in 1993 at my naming (engraved later in life support).

On our next deployment, the controlling personalities out numbered the good guys and opened up my call sign for re-naming without cause (which is non-standard, and generally not accepted without a really good reason). They referred back to the Alaskan story and won the vote. They named me "Waldo" as in Where's Waldo because they could not see me in formation as we cruised into Alaska. I was behind them, and maintained visual the whole time (whining).

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story. Very, very, very few people know the whole story. Only a hand full were on both deployments. The bullet in my pocket is now engraved "Buck / Waldo" in two different hand writing styles.
 
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Before they were banned
My cousin bought the "Kite Tube"....it was fun, but I think we were lucky my Uncle's Landing Craft could only get us this far off the water.
These first 2 are me
106.jpg

166.jpg


This is my Cousin
PICT2274.jpg
 
Four Suns said:
You know... this thread is turning into the "those that have been to the islands" and "those that haven't" and I'm having a real hard time with that.

Island snobs.
Click to expand...

You mean to say a rich guy like you hasn't been to the islands?
 
Hampton said:
Waldo - Where's Waldo?

First deployment from Japan in F-15 to Alaska. Had 2000# trapped fuel in left external wing tank and right external wing tank would not take more than 1/2 normal fuel (2000/4000#), so I was 4000# light when we came off the last tanker over the Alutian Island chain enroute to Elmendorf, AK (Anchorage). Required divert base was Eilsen (Fairbanks, 120 NM North (from memory)).

As we came off the tanker, the sq commander cleared us off freq (leave the radio) in order to program our preset radio frequencies (40 of them) to the Alaskan standard frequencies for fighters. As we were doing that, sq commander pushed it up and climbed up into the mid 40's pushing mach 1.2, which burns a lot of gas, which I didn't have. I tried to remind him of my fuel issue twice. I still don't know if he was ignoring me (wingmen are to be seen, not heard) or if he was still off freq. I stayed subsonic at about .92 mach to save gas and fell behind the other 5 Eagles.

Most lieutenants would have hung on and kept their mouths shut. I had 2000 hours in jets when I went to Eagles. I was pilot in command, and I wasn't about to go below divert gas just to boom the islands.

Fast forward to my naming one Friday night toward the end of our month-long deployment. When you join a sq, there are a variety of personalities that can exist. Our sq was divided. I was perceived as a threat by the controlling 1/2, and perceived as a friend by the good guys. The controlling 1/2 wanted to name me a demeaning name (which is fairly standard). The good guys fought it.

The good guys wanted to name me "Buck" after the knife I had used the previous weekend to quick-fillet a fresh Silver Salmon which we grilled on a stick over a gasoline fire in the middle of a river on a rock/sand bar we got stuck on overnight. They actually won. My true F-15 call sign is "Buck." It is engraved on the 44 caliber bullet I have in my pocket which was presented to me in 1993 at my naming (engraved later in life support).

On our next deployment, the controlling personalities out numbered the good guys and opened up my call sign for re-naming without cause (which is non-standard, and generally not accepted without a really good reason). They referred back to the Alaskan story and won the vote. They named me "Waldo" as in Where's Waldo because they could not see me in formation as we cruised into Alaska. I was behind them, and maintained visual the whole time (whining).

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story. Very, very, very few people know the whole story. Only a hand full were on both deployments. The bullet in my pocket is now engraved "Buck / Waldo" in two different hand writing styles.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome. I'm sure you have tons of other outstanding stories to tell. Hearing that makes me wonder how different my life would have been had I enlisted in the military, in a good way.
 
Hampton said:
If you mean me, F-15 then, and now. I think I'm the oldest F-15 Instructor Pilot in the history of the world. I got real lucky when I was separating from the military with 15 years of service. They opened a Guard Unit at my home base teaching F-15 pilots how to fly and fight in the jet. I've been doing that for the last 9 years. When I got in, I was 2 -3 years older than my peers. Simple math: 24.5 + 14.5 + 9 = almost 40 : )

I flew F-15's part time for 6 years in the middle while I flew for the airlines. Now, I'm back full time in the military earning an active duty retirement.
Click to expand...

John,
Thanks for your service.

Congratulations on flying probably the finest fighter ever built. I have a buddy who flew 14s off a carrier for 10 years. After he seperated he got a hop in a 15. His only comment to me when I asked what he thought: "Man, I joined the wrong service". He was only half serious, he had always wanted to go to Annapolis.

Anyway, the 15 paid for my childhood. My dad lead the avionics design team, then moved into designing test stands and the like.

I went to an Air Force base near Panama City, I think it was Tyndell (spelling?) with my dad 30 years ago. We were on vacation, and he had a meeting there. One of the pilots on base took the time to give me and my brother a "tour" of his 15, to keep us out of the way. Super cool guy. I have to see if I can find pictures of that day...
 
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