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Tim Savage
 Post subject: Lefty Gardner
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:05 am 
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I hope that I am not already duplicating something posted, but I just got a call that Lefty Gardner passed away yesterday.

Another one of the greats has left us.
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Ztex
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:24 am 
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Sad news...I will forever remember his White Lightning show!

found this pic online..
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Warbird Kid
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:38 am 
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:cry:

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Randy Wilson
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:41 am 
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I got the same word yesterday (Dec 24) evening.

Randy
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Steve Nelson
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:50 am 
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That's too bad. Does anyone know if he got a chance to see his former lightning fly after it was resurrected by Red Bull?

SN
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richkolasa
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:56 am 
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Godspeed Lefty, and thank you for your service to aviation. My condolences to his family and friends. God bless.

Rich

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Dudley Henriques
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:57 am 
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Ztex wrote:
Sad news...I will forever remember his White Lightning show!

found this pic online..
Image


Very sad news indeed. Lefty was a great guy. Last time I saw him was during an after show get together some of us had at a motel in Falls Church Va back in 1971. We traded wings that night (after tossing a few) and I still have his original CAF wings in the den.
A wonderful gentleman and he contributed much to the Warbird effort.
Dudley Henriques

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Jack Cook
 Post subject: ????
PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:02 pm 
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That's a darn shame!!!
RIP

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vg-photo
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:22 pm 
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Lower the flag to half staff in honor of Lefty. RIP.
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Rogue
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:28 pm 
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:cry: the warbird family looses another great one,

Always "White Lightning" with Lefty at the yoke.

Condolences to the Gardner family.

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Xrayist
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:23 pm 
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That is very sad news. I was fortunate enough to see him perform several times in his Lightning. One of my favorite videos is one on the CAF. It shows him flying his Mustang, then landing, taxiing across a road and pulling up in front of his house, where he parks it. He climbs out like I would climb out of my car after coming home. I know his trip was a lot better than mine!!
RIP, Lefty.
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Connery
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:27 pm 
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Godspeed Mr. Gardner. I will never forget the memory as a 7 year old kid riding dirt bikes with my dad and this beautiful white P-38 Lightning came diving down out of the sky directly at us like you were doing a strafing run at us and then pulling up and barrel rolling away. Thank you for that memory.

This happened in 1972, the day before the last airshow at Greater Southwest Airport (Amon Carter Field) where I got to see White Lightning as well as Scatterbrain Kid up close. Not to mention Texas Raiders, Diamond Lil, and others. It was also the last time I say Piccadilly Lilly fly as well. Zane (Ztex) was there as well.
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K5DH
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:30 pm 
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Sad news, to be sure. I really enjoyed watching Lefty put that P-38 through its paces at the Beercanridge Air Show year after year. He was a great pilot!

Dean
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spookythecat
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:25 pm 
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Sorry to hear the news.

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Rob Mears
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:25 pm 
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Thanks for a lifetime worth of warbird memories Lefty! You'll forever be the definitive P-38 warbird pilot in my book. 8) -Rest in Peace-

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