Last Gathering of Pearl Harbor Survivors @ Fredericksburg

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:13 pm

Thinking back to the conversation (it's been a while, and I can no longer call him up and ask more questions) I wonder if perhaps he wasn't allowed to talk about what had happened (secret mission) and that there was always a bit of embarrassment involved over having slipped into the prop. He seemed to think that it was awful having had to go through the rest of his life in that state. I can't say that I'm in his shoes, but would hope that if I had a similar thing happen and it was a genuine accident (if you read the account the deck was pitching up and down, the last plane appears to have snapped the lashings and nearly tipped back into the ocean and a number of handlers were hanging on to it to bring it back down) that I would treat it as more of a battle scar won in honor - Henry V style. It's really hard to tell sometimes why folks react in different ways, but in the end I think it really has a lot to do with what you believe deep down about life, purpose, and opportunities.

Ryan

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:14 pm

ah. Thanks Ryan. As for attitude, well, all I can say is you gotta eat the pudding to taste the blood in it. I've seen very strong men come out of things like that ruined, and men who seemed like complete fools overcome PTSD and dismemberment and turn their lives around. It's sort of hard to really grok until you've been through it. You know, the old saw taht you never know who is going to do well in war...

It's a shame really. Modern medicine and therapy might have made a real difference for him, if he'd been helped soon enough. But yeah, a lot of it is just being willing to give up old perspectives and accept reality instead of what you want.

It can be hard sometimes accepting taht your needs and life isn't as important as the mission. Maybe that had something to do with it, after all it was a sort of stupid thing to be doing, in a sense. It's not like all that effort and pain and loss of skill and future amounted to much more than a smile for the folks back home. It could be hard to feel that trading ones arm for a "moral boost" would be a fair trade, no what I mean?

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:19 pm

Back on the subject..................any WIXers coming to this event?

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:33 am

Obergrafeter wrote:

Back on the subject..................any WIXers coming to this event?

Steve Dickey and I'll be there on Sunday.....

Lynn

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:33 am

Planning on being there on Saturday.

Ryan

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:32 pm

Hey Cuz, what time do you expect planes to start coming in?

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:08 pm

A few will arrive Friday evening , the majority probably noonish on Sat. Will there be room at the Rose shindig for participants are do we have to have our own festivities. I know there is a bar somewhere calling for a splat contest.

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:06 pm

The Rose Sqd had to RSVP for the dinner, so there won't be any room at the meal. The O'club at the Hangar Hotel is a very nice place though. Usually a piano player there, and a pool table which always has a decent game of Crud being played when the Rose Squadron is around. I'll be going to Killeen first to pick up about three friends and we are going to check out the lights and other attractions Saturday night. I didn't RSVP for the dinner either. They are having German food, but it wasn't the greatest last year, so I'm going into town for some, and some Spaten (imported German beer)! I really feel bad, not going to the party since I'm the incoming OPS officer. Oh well, the Rose won't be there either! Progress is being made on the left wing, and the left engine should be here in a few weeks.

C U there!

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:42 pm

Splat with Spaten..............................now your talking.

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:13 pm

I and other PROFFESSIONAL JUDGES will be available for judging.

Ztex · **Posted:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 4:30 pm

Well...my management has given the tentative approval for a trip to Fredericksburg next weekend! :wink:

Last time she let me out I ended up flying with RickH and his Huey :oops:

Now all I have to do is get all my other ducks in a row.

Hope to see some of you guys at the field.

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:22 am

Three days to go and it looks like the weather will be OK. So far the list of paricipants remains (no cancellations yet) KNOCK ON WOOD. Looks like a great line up of warbirds and should present good static photo oppourtunities.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:08 am

No B-25s yet?

BTW, while TX may get hot in the summer, there is something cool about being able to have warbird events even in winter!

Ryan

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:11 am

All the B-25s in this neck of the woods that were coming are broke,

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:22 am

Obergrafeter wrote:

All the B-25s in this neck of the woods that were coming are broke,

Is the LSFM bird down too?

Ryan

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Last Gathering of Pearl Harbor Survivors @ Fredericksburg

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