Yeah, there are some war wounds you don't want a Purple Heart for. Mine got "expunged" before I retired. It's not that I'd ever have made a VA claim for them. Nope. But I did know a guy, Army draftee, Vietnam, who has been collecting a $50 a month VA check since 1968 for "jock itch". A tube of Tinactin is $12.47 and will last a couple of years if you use it right. But who would begrudge a Vet some pain & suffering money? Rashes in the nether regions are pretty hard to cope with. I retired in 1991, made my first VA claim was last November...might see some relief in 2 to 24 months. Who knows? But jock itch...geez, sunshine and saltwater is the cure. Not that I am advocating a nude beach. Decorum before health. And who wants to get heckled?
Fortunate, indeed. Undercover work while on R&R was fraught with danger. You never knew who might be a VC sapper, a vector of troublesome mayhem. Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas. Lindane.
I've been ideating a story about reconnaissance fliers in the northern latitudes. I need to look up the weather patterns in the historic record, so I can make the viewpoint characters' day worse.
I made the mistake of calling one of my dad's friends (a LCOL, USMC-ret.) a "former Marine". I was wearing my brand new Dress Blues just after I made Chief in 1974, It amused my dad, a retired USAF pilot, when that Marine flame-sprayed me. A Marine is a Marine is a Marine, "former", "ex-", "used to be" are fighting words. Similarly, and I was a surface weenie and don't care much, the Navy people who fly aircraft insist on be called "Aviators" and frown on other service's "pilots" being call "Aviators". Notice how I capitalized "Aviator"? ...Once bitten, once flame-sprayed...twice shy. Just trying to help, Tom. I once had a Navy Corpsman summon me from a Navy Clinic waiting room as "Cow 2 Flowers". I lit him up and taught him to say "See Dubya Oh 2 Flowers". It was a good order and discipline thing, a duty thing. Civilization is so fragile. Anyway, Navy NFO's, like our host, are way cooler and mellow than most of the bus drivers up in the front of the aircraft.
My dad was a USAAF/USAF pilot. He hopped over to Europe many times in the 40's and 50's. He flew C-47's and said that Gandor and Keflavík in the winter were great for "lift" when carrying heavy cargo. The routes through Brazil and West Africa, not so much.
I worked for a Naval Aviator (NFO/EWO) once in '82. He said Shemya was the coldest place on Earth. That it was always used as a threat...that if you screwed up that'd be where you got transferred to next, as a refueling supervisor on the runway in Dress Whites.
The kind of places where you count your fingers and toes when you come indoors and hope for a count of 20? Coldest I have ever been was standing watch on the Quarterdeck of a Destroyer Escort tied up to Pier 1 at Newport, RI, on a midwatch in the dead of winter. There was only room for 2 in the heated plywood hut. The odd man out was me, the E-3 MOOW.
And as much as we bitched about how awful conditions were at the time, it certainly doesn't stop us from bragging to the younger folks about how we got the job done anyway!
But at least it wasn't a jungle :)
Right you are, Dixie. ....lions and tigers and bears, Oh My! (and infections, fungus, dysentery, rashes, bugs...hangovers, gunfire...)
I caught a nasty fungi Docs couldn't even find a name for. Still flairs from time to time. I just refer to it as 'Liberal' :)
(Obviously it has affected my mind since I keep posting this reply in the wrong threads)
Yeah, there are some war wounds you don't want a Purple Heart for. Mine got "expunged" before I retired. It's not that I'd ever have made a VA claim for them. Nope. But I did know a guy, Army draftee, Vietnam, who has been collecting a $50 a month VA check since 1968 for "jock itch". A tube of Tinactin is $12.47 and will last a couple of years if you use it right. But who would begrudge a Vet some pain & suffering money? Rashes in the nether regions are pretty hard to cope with. I retired in 1991, made my first VA claim was last November...might see some relief in 2 to 24 months. Who knows? But jock itch...geez, sunshine and saltwater is the cure. Not that I am advocating a nude beach. Decorum before health. And who wants to get heckled?
Fortunately mine was peace time. I hit the sweet spot thank the LORD
Fortunate, indeed. Undercover work while on R&R was fraught with danger. You never knew who might be a VC sapper, a vector of troublesome mayhem. Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas. Lindane.
Wow. I thought the weather at Misawa was rough.
I've been ideating a story about reconnaissance fliers in the northern latitudes. I need to look up the weather patterns in the historic record, so I can make the viewpoint characters' day worse.
Thanks, Jim. 🫡
It must have been pretty cold at Misawa. My parents engendered three of us.
83-84 would have been 43-42 years ago. /pedant
Long time, no see, Ray.
-----------------------------
'83...was on a frigate deployed to SouthPac...tropical islands. '84 to Panama and Gulf of Fonseca patrols. Toasty warm.
Sigh… I know. I forgot to edit that. I originally posted it 20 years ago! Sigh
Anyone who says that aviators have it soft has never been to Minot.
I made the mistake of calling one of my dad's friends (a LCOL, USMC-ret.) a "former Marine". I was wearing my brand new Dress Blues just after I made Chief in 1974, It amused my dad, a retired USAF pilot, when that Marine flame-sprayed me. A Marine is a Marine is a Marine, "former", "ex-", "used to be" are fighting words. Similarly, and I was a surface weenie and don't care much, the Navy people who fly aircraft insist on be called "Aviators" and frown on other service's "pilots" being call "Aviators". Notice how I capitalized "Aviator"? ...Once bitten, once flame-sprayed...twice shy. Just trying to help, Tom. I once had a Navy Corpsman summon me from a Navy Clinic waiting room as "Cow 2 Flowers". I lit him up and taught him to say "See Dubya Oh 2 Flowers". It was a good order and discipline thing, a duty thing. Civilization is so fragile. Anyway, Navy NFO's, like our host, are way cooler and mellow than most of the bus drivers up in the front of the aircraft.
My dad was a USAAF/USAF pilot. He hopped over to Europe many times in the 40's and 50's. He flew C-47's and said that Gandor and Keflavík in the winter were great for "lift" when carrying heavy cargo. The routes through Brazil and West Africa, not so much.
I worked for a Naval Aviator (NFO/EWO) once in '82. He said Shemya was the coldest place on Earth. That it was always used as a threat...that if you screwed up that'd be where you got transferred to next, as a refueling supervisor on the runway in Dress Whites.
Shemya and Thule were the USAF ‘hells’… penalty bases… Been to both and yes, they sucked.
The kind of places where you count your fingers and toes when you come indoors and hope for a count of 20? Coldest I have ever been was standing watch on the Quarterdeck of a Destroyer Escort tied up to Pier 1 at Newport, RI, on a midwatch in the dead of winter. There was only room for 2 in the heated plywood hut. The odd man out was me, the E-3 MOOW.
I got frostbite in Thule because of the flight boots…sigh… -60 sucks!!!
And as much as we bitched about how awful conditions were at the time, it certainly doesn't stop us from bragging to the younger folks about how we got the job done anyway!
True dat!
Geeze, only two hour divert? The Atlantic is such a lake.
Compared to PACFLT, you are correct!
Is there another one?
Just a respect for your service.
Thank you, I was just one of many.
Yes but I do not always get an opportunity to say thank you. So I took it.
We heard stories of such ops.