Warbird Information Exchange

God, that's a lame title.
I thought I'd give you all a quick update. We're all moved in to our new but temporay digs here in SE Salem. Got everything out of the storage I rented and in the garage and have gone through about 75% of everything.
On the down side of course we lost about 90% of everthing and a couple pets not to mention Julie getting burned and getting pneumonia from the smoke (she's BTW getting much better!). Have salvage quite a bit of stuff from the back room inc Julie's piano but most of my militaria type stuff is gone inc about 10,000 original photos. I did save Jake DeSahzer's Doolittle Raider uniform and my step-dad's flight jacket among other things. I also went through my CDs of photos. Believe it or not I found 3 CD towers the firemen had thrown out in back during the fire. After smashing them to pieces I got the CDs out in their cases and after prying the disks out it seems most survived the fire! So I have about 70 CDs containing photos of all file sizes and formats! I also have a new computer with some hp in it ie mega processor, ram and hard drive.
I think the hardest part is getting over it all. Sometimes driving, at work or sleeping I imagine I'm smelling smoke and just jerk upright and feel my heart racing. My sense of humor is unchanged on the outside but things still seem a little darker on the inside. I'm a pretty good acter though. The boss sent me to employee health last week and they told me I have a dose a PTSD. Seems sorta odd having never heard a shot fired in anger.
The best part of this whole mess is finding out how many friends I (we) have and what depth they'll go to help another friend in need. Just so you guys know, YOU SAVED OUR BUTTS!!!!! My greatest hope is this never happens to any of you, but if it does I'll help any of you in any way I can. You can count on that! One last thing to add before I sign of, by pure luck , the fire station is 4 blocks down the road. 2 of their trucks were cruising back to the station when the call came through. They were dispatched 47 seconds after the call and were at the house in under 2 minutes. How's that for response! Julie was on the kitchen floor with flames on each side of her and across the ceiling. The fireguys made entry through the front door and found her and got her out in minutes. Total time from call to them pulling her out of the house was under 4 minutes. They told me 2-3 more minutes would have to late! I think about that everyday. Everytime I pass a fire truck now I honk and wave.
Signing off and back to posting pictures.
Your friend and fellow wixer.........Jack

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Don't touch my junk!!

Hi Jack,
Glad to read that. Looks like there were some gems in the rubble, there, literally and figuratively. Of course you are going to have some residual grief over the fire - the recognition of that is one of the good things about living today; and PTSD isn't just about wars or violence - it's about stress.

It will get better, and you've focussed on the good things, two big positives, and the support here was (and is) a big bonus.

We do tend to get hung up on 'stuff' here that frankly, most people would throw out - after all warbirds are just drink cans that didn't get caught. But I was amazed by a friend of mine when living in the UK. She'd been politically active in South Africa, and was thus 'a person of interest' to BOSS, the state security secret service. Anyway, she escaped after losing most of what she had, and then got rid of everything else - it's not for everyone, but she realised that just being around was valuable, having lost important stuff like family, as well as 'stuff'.

Just a random thought, and I'm another one here who is glad you are still around and on the road to recovery. It's getting better.

Cheers,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Thanks for the update, Jack.

We’re all glad we could help!

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Commemorative Air Force
Experimental Aircraft Association
Warbirds of America

What are you waiting for? Join us!

Best way to contact me- email my last name @gmail.com

Jack, Glad to hear your doing better. I hate to see someone lose there house to a fire, It just happened a mile from my house tonite, the fire department is still on the scene, 6 departments had to be called so far.
It really makes me feel bad when i see it.

Good show, Jack. I think your title is just fine. Shows you haven't lost your sense of humor. The fact that the humor is a bit on the "dark" side makes it all the more revealing.

Mudge the revelationary

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Land of the free because of the brave

Jack,

I'm glad to see you're in good spirits. You've been doing more than enough photo postings which we all really enjoy, especially considering your circumstances. I suppose it's therapy, right?

I wish you all the best with your new place and with gettings back to as close to normal as possible.

Cheers,

David

Well Jack, I'm sure that if you still need anything, the WIX support isn't over. Just let us know if we can do anything for you as you and Julie continue to recover.

Gary

Glad that things are getting better for you, and fo course that you are still here.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Jack,
Remember that everything you had or lost, belonged to somebody else before. You can always get "NEW STUFF" but there is only one Julie!

Hang Tough and if there is anything I can do, I will be pleased to do so.

Tony

I have to ditto the above. To hell with al your stuff. Julie's okay. All the rest is just stuff, when it comes down to it. Squeeze her hard for us!

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Boy, don't I know it She's been through stuff that the average person
wouldn't have made it through and she'd still give ya the shirt off her back!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Jack, thanks for the update and if we can help in anyway. let us know ......

Lynn

Thanks for the update Jack and glad to hear things are settling down a bit. Also glad to hear you recognized the PTSD and are getting it addressed. A buddy's (also a WIXer) family therapist wife made a huge difference in the lives of a few of my loved ones so getting an assist from a professional can really facilitate healing. Let me know if we can help in any way now or later.

All the best!

Jack, its so good to hear each time you update, that things are getting a little better. Hope the positive progress continues.
Best Always
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!