UAL T38 Phlyer

We have become a country with hundreds of Congressionally-designated days, weeks, or a months for some 'special' commemoration. For all I know, there may be a National Lightbulb Month.

Some become Federal holidays. But there are so many, we have become inured, blase, and numb to them.

The word 'holiday' is an extrapolation of 'holy day;' which once meant it was a day to break from one's normal routine, pehaps attend a religious service, and reflect upon the significance of the event.

Memorial Day was originally meant as a day to remember the war-dead (from the Civil War), and perhaps visit a loved one's gravesite and perform upkeep.

But, for many today, Memorial Day just means a three-day weekend, barbeque, sporting events, and maybe a mini-vacation. If you work for the government, you get paid to do nothing.

People know they are supposed to honor Vets and acknowledge that they made our way of life possible. And, they know that, intellectually.

But how personal is it?

I decided to make it personal and acknowledge the friends of mine who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I admit, my list is short, and I'm thankful for that. But their lives--and families--deserve to be remembered.


Capt Art Reid

Capt John Barelka

Maj Blair Faulkner


I put my flag up today, and not as an empty gesture. I put it up for them.

And I'll remember them, every year, on Memorial Day.

God bless, guys. One more roll.......

ImTumbleweed

Excellent post Phlyer. Excellent.

Remembering:

-Randy
-Fuzzy
-Zoo
-Paul
-Ken
-PK
-KP
-Wild Bill
-Chet
-John
-Rhino
-Ernie
-Basher
-Spooner
-Liz
-Kojak

You are often in my thoughts and I'm a better person for knowing you.

Cheers,
ImTumbleweed
"Afterburner is a great substitute for poor headwork"

Albief15

My UPT classmate, Brian "Downer" Downs, who perished ironically enough on Memorial Day 2005 while flying in Iraq. He was a furloughed US Air pilot at the time...

sigtauenus

James Blackmon, FA-18 crash, February 17, 2002
Thomas Brandon McCombie, S-3 crash, September 10, 2002
John Berger, FA-18 crash, July 22, 2003
Frank Hooks, FA-18 crash, June 27, 2004
Derek Nichols, FA-18 crash, June 28, 2004
Frank Wittwer, FA-18 crash, Jan 18, 2006
Todd Siebert, sniper fire, February 16, 2007

All great men, and all sorely missed. They will not be forgotten.

There were many more I known personally throughout my career, but these guys were all considered friends.

I used the term "crash" liberally, some were CFIT, some mechanical, one was an oil slick with no known cause. Ironically, these guys are almost to a man among the best pilots I know of, top of their class, good sticks. Better to be lucky than good. The senior Marine who was at Meridian still says John Berger was hands down the most gifted pilot he saw in his 3 years there.

Tweetdrvr

Lt Col Ken Houston Radar Nav B-52 crash, Fairchild 1994

Butch Lewis, UPT classmate, helicopter on the Nellis Range

Curious George, T-38 IP from my 38 flight at CBM, test flight at Edwards

Mr. T from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, ALP student DLF 1999, Su-25 Frogfoot in 2000

Blair Faulkner

It was an honor to have served with all of these fine Americans and one airman from a former adversary turned friend