kpardon wrote:
While I am sympathetic to the OPs feelings of anger and loss over HQs request to base the airplane in Dallas, I need to ask a question.
Why did you pour your heart and soul into the airplane in the first place?
I hope it was because you wanted to help fulfill Don's mission -- because of your work this airplane and the story it tells impacts children all over the country. I have watched it happen and it's a wonderful thing. That was the goal. You should be thrilled about that accomplishment and proud of yourself and your squadron members. You did your job so well they now want to use it as the cornerstone of this new facility. Do you think Don would be proud about that and grateful to all of you?
When we make these things about ourselves we lose sight of the real reason we do the things we do. Your hard work and accomplishments will never be diminished just because you can't drive over to the airport and rub on the airplane.
It's interesting -- the Tuskegee Airmen did their job so well they were specially requested by others to escort them on bomb runs. See the parallel?
And, again, I get the heartache. Just offering another perspective.
Mrs. Pardon,
Having been the Crew Chief for the Squadron since December, 2003 I feel at least somewhat qualified to answer the questions you put to Bryan.
We did this in part to fulfill Don’s vision of what could happen if one applies logic, action and feeling to human obstacles. In many cases a better world is created, even if it’s just one small part of the world. With their permission, full support and cooperation, we used the heck out of the example the Tuskegee Airmen made during World War Two. No one could find a better model. As a side benefit it also proved to be one of our nation’s best attempts to date at recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen. However, at least for me, by far the largest part of the mission, which is all too often lost, is its mission of mentoring at risk youth. This nation suffers a dearth of quality youth guidance. By all accounts we more than succeeded in our goals and without question are thrilled by the results. I sincerely hope and pray for continued success.
The crew that spent five years putting the airplane together and kept it mission ready, with a perfect record for another six years in operation asked for nothing in return other than to continue in support of its mission in the way we best knew how; maintaining her in mission ready condition. To give you an idea of the level of dedication, for some it was a near fulltime job stacked on top of a normal 40 hour a week job…all as volunteers. Nobody ever leveled any serious complaints other than being tired…a good kind of tired. We believed in what we were doing. We took Mr. Brown at his word and in so were fully prepared to continue to supporting the Squadrons mission. This goal was cut short for no valid reason. With only minor concessions from each party we could have easily supported the Squadron and the DAB at the same time by working under the model we had developed and proven successful over our six years of operation. This apparently was not enough to satisfy.
This airplane was never about “Us” as you so incorrectly assume we felt it was. Each member of the team was indeed completely selfless in their contributions. Rather, they took a great deal of pride and ownership in the airplane and its mission. We are fully aware, and justifiably proud of the fact that our mark has been indelibly left on the Squadron. No matter where “Red” is, as long as it’s out there, so are we. It’s the one saving grace in this situation. There are very raw feelings right now because we had so much more to give and were willing and ready to follow through. Make no mistake Mrs. Pardon, that is the very heart wrenching part of this story. While CAF Sr. Management managed to get its way, at the same time it’s proven to me it has lost touch with the human element which is really what the CAF is all about…human beings, not airplanes ma’am, people. In its lustful grab it’s lost a comparatively youthful group of world class fabricators, troubleshooters and mechanics which is not at all in keeping with what is continuously preached to the membership as the thing to be doing.
How do I think Don would feel about this? I’m very glad you asked. On Thursday of this week I had lunch with a very good friend of mine, who incidentally was one of Dons longtime friends, whose friendship predated their days with the CAF. When I asked my lunch partner what he thought Don would do or think in this situation, without hesitating he said, “Don would have put a stop to it. The project, mission and now Squadron has always been Minnesota based, born, bread and largely supported. He would have insured it remain as such. He would have worked tirelessly until he found a solution amicable to all involved”. Don was a man of unmatched moral character, wit, business savvy, intelligence, filled with compassion and feeling for his fellow man from the greatest among us to the least. If you fully understand and grasp that Mrs. Pardon, my question to you would be, do you think Don would be proud of the CAF in this instance? There are a great deal of things that went on “Behind the scenes” to force this issue to the benefit of CAF Sr. Management you are not privileged to, and will not become known to you by me. Moral character is still a creed I hold true to as well.
Honestly, I don’t see any relationship in the parallel you attempted to draw. As I see it, the Airmen did their job and were rewarded with more work that had greater meaning and value, not stripped of their means to contribute in a meaningful way…
Regards,
John Beyl
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