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Michael McLeod

fyi dave

https://www.newsweek.com/2017/10/27/us-army-officer-returns-vietnam-chase-enemy-spymaster-686709.html?amp=1&fbclid=IwAR16-rjIioGy7tayseGQCalWSMln5XCYhSKCXDusIdgrk8QuVyApYT5z5NA

David Mitchell

Thanks Mike M.

I am part way through your article and will have to finish it later.

Mike B. 

I have a funny comment in response to your compliment about me in the photo. (BTW, I think it is a horrible shot of me). But in that photo of seven guys, two were not "Loach" pilots. But of the five of us who were, we counted that we were shot down a combined total of 13 or 14 times. And I am the only one of those five who was only shot down once. I joked at the reunion that I was not only the youngest and the best looking, but I was also the smartest, because it only took me one time to learn that "drill" and decide that I did'nt need to repeat it.       I accused them all of being slow learners.  

And there is one guy not pictured who arrived late. He would have added five more himself. I'll add a photo of him with a story later.

At this reunion, we decided (reluctantly at first) to hire a wedding videographer, and hold a recorded story telling session on video. It was about three hours on the second day in one of the hotel conference rooms. It turned out to be magic!  It opened us all up in a cathartic way and for the first time in many years. We only did so after debating weahter or not to do it, when one of the wives asked her husband, "How much longer are you all going to be here?"  That remark answered the questuon for us. 

From the large group shot before, Here's a zoom of three guys for these three stories.

Here are a few abbreviated versions of their stories - some from that video session, others from my own memory. I'll break this into a few sessions.

1) Far left (heavy set, with cain) is a guy named Don from New York City. He was not a "Loach" pilot. He was a 1st. Lt. (later Captain) who flew front seat in a Cobra for a while and then became an Air Mission Commander, flying a Huey and directing the mission (from 500 feet). Although I was not fond of him (a rather rude New Yorker) he was the piiot who was the "AMC" the day I was shot down and landed the Huey to pick me up. My sense of gratitude overrides those personal feelings. * (Don later trained Cobra pilots for the Shaw of Iran until they had to make a sponaneous exit in 1979 - in a matter of hours! He later ran a helicopter passenger business in NYC) 

2) Back row, tall - w/blue shirt is a guy named Al from Atlanta. He was a also young 1st Lt. who did fly "Loaches" with our "Scout" platoon. He also became a Captain. The guy came across as a sort of bovine clown, but he is dumb like a fox. And funny - just plain funny! 

His first (of FOUR ! ) shoot downs was a chilling story - but he made it funny. It's just his nature. He made us laugh often at his child-like antics. 

We all had to spend our fist week in the observer (left) seat for a week while the platoon leader (another "old guy" Captain of 24) gave us a quick training. On the seventh day they were shot down and bonked and rolled the ship on it's side in a rice paddy, down east of the U-Minh Forest - a very bad place. Captain Rip Ash (a much smaller guy) climbed out his right side (now pointed up) first. Al, a big guy, climbed out and had a bit of a harder time getting all the way out and got grazed above his collar bone with and AK round. As the two got down and started running, they realized immediately that they were running straight at the source of fire, a large group of NVA "Regulars" in the nearby tree line. They quickly reversed course and started running the opposite direction, only to realize that two more NVA were at the far other end of the paddy, standing full open on a dike line, and firing at them from about 50 yards away with their AKs (AK-47s). So they quickly made a 90 degree turn and began running a third direction when Rip slipped and went face first into the 15 inches of rice paddy water, getting a helmet full of water in his face. So Al, (a big strong guy) grabbed Rip by the back of his (jungle fatigue) shirt collar and picked him up, choking as he came up gasping for breath. By this time the C&C ("Command and Control" ship - that Huey that is piloted by the AMC)  is comming in to get them - under heavy fire, and also close cover from the two Cobra gunships, laying down as much cover fire as they can. 

Al and Rip jumped into the back of the Huey and as they are climbing out, Al (telling us the story at the conference table) recalls, "We dove into the back floor of the ship so fast I almost slid out the other side. And, as we were lifting out I was thinking to myself, just 51 more weeks of this shit and I'll be ready to go home." 

After having us recall most of his story with open mouths, we were howling at his ending! 

That may give you and idea how frantic these scenes could be.

3) lower front - wheel chair and plaid blanket. My good friend Bob from Atlanta. You will recall Bob from my story about the bullet next to his spine from his "drug bust" of the drug-dealing senior police officers in Atlanta. He's had the bullet next to his spine fo rover 25 years! He actually wnet back to work on the police force full-time fo 10 years - with the bullet inside him! He has finally had to succomb to heavy pain pills and can no longer drive himself. (p.s. His second wife - blonde in white sweater - is and Angel ! )

Bob was shot down three times, but his worst story is not one of those. He was atempting to land and pick up a wounded guy (hard to fit into a Loach, but the guys on the ground were desperate).

Warning - this one is prettty bad! Skip it if you're uneasy with the hard stuff.

As he hoverd down low and close, the guys lifting the wounded kid up into his backseat were all shot. Bob was taking so much fire he had to pull up and abort the attempt. I think that is enough detail on this one. Sorry, but this story gets really messy. I just wanted you to know a bit of what Bob went through. 

And although he is still a good looking guy (in white hair and beard) I just wantd to remind you what a haandsome dude he was back in the day. A sort of "golden boy" who did everything right and was liked by all. 

David Mitchell

Jim,

Speaking of a "neck that a guard or tackle would envy" - you gave me an idea. Could you get one (or two) of those in a trailer and haul them up to Broncos Headquarters. I know it might be a tough fit for a helmet but anything would be better than Bolles, Leary, or Wilkinson right about now.  They couldn't block my mother!

David Mitchell

Mike,

I Just finished your article posted on your #6486.

Although it seemed to drag on a bit, getting to the point of the story - the meeting, those last few paragraphs spoke volumes to me! I could write volumes explaining his (and mine) frustration with some of our tactics and "management" of the military campaign. A war run by self-absorbed political idiots, who never took the time to really learn anything about the nature of the enemy - or the allies for that matter.

(sound familiar?)

That whole "free fire zone" thing would be a volume unto itself - a volume of poor judgements, miscalculations, errors, and sorry outcomes - not always - but sometimes. My own experience with "free fire zones" was limited, and usually okay, but punctuated with a couple of horrible mistakes. After one tragic incident, I made up my own mind to maintain the normal cautions I was used to in "non free fire" areas - instructions to the contrary be damned. If God gave "do-overs" I would love to have a couple days back, so I could change the outcome. 

Janie Albright (Blank)

I am reposting a note I received to the watterson1966@aol.com email so you can all enjoy our newest member. :)

Dear Janie,

Thank you for all the news.  I will try to be a part of the Message Forum - Class of 1966!  It  will take me time though.  Hello to the Watterson Eagles of '66. 

My best,Sister Gilmary

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Welcome to the Forum Sister Gilmary!!  Excited to have you on board.  A word of caution, some of us have a tendency to rock the boat at times!!  LOL

Michael McLeod

Great. Now I have to behave myself. Or I'll get a checkmark on my report card.

Does anybody remember how, in class in grade school, if you thought you knew the answer to a question and you were really excited about answering, you would not only raise your hand but you would shout "sssster! sssster! sssster!" to try to get the nun to call on you?  And some of the more devoted and unruly little suckups among us would actually stand up next to their desks with their hand still upraised and hop up and down going ssster! ssster! sssster! like demonically possessed mexican jumping beans? 

I do. Of course I was way too cool to do it myself.

David Mitchell

And of course there wre those times when we leaned over behind the kid in front of us, as if hiding from her view would insure that she would not call on us - since we had no clue what the answer was.

----------------

In the news......

A lot of coverage lately of the flooding in Venice (yet again).

For the last few years I have been loosely following the story of the enormous "Mose" project in Venice.   

"MOSE" is an acronym for (MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, Experimental Electromechanical Module) and I believe also is rooted in the Italian word for Moses. It is an enormous system of electronic flood gates designed to prevetn the high tides from entering the three channels leading into Venice lagoon/harbor from the ocean. 

Here is a brief video of the concept. There are many more (and longer) videos on You Tube which go into greater detail, showing the concept, the current progress, the mamouth cost overruns, the mafia involvement in the construction companies, the government scandal about the costs and delays, etc, etc, etc. It is quite interesting - a rather ingenious solution if you ask me.

(But I didn't raise my hand, so don't ask me) 

Maybe some day it will be up and working. 

Michael Boulware

I am not sure where to RSVP for the Mary Clare Christmas Party for our class, so I'll do it here. Sue won't be able to be there so I'll represent our family. Thanks

Janie Albright (Blank)

Mike, I have noted your reply but that reminds me to post the invite that hopefully everyone received in email here also. 

Christmas  Open House   December 15, 2019   2 pm - 5 pm   1798 Ridgeview Road 43221     Does talk of Barcelona seem far off in terms of time, distance and possibilities?  Can you believe another year is coming to a close?  So how about a little get-together for the holidays?  Janie, Fred, and Clare are putting together another great chance for everyone to greet and meet and, of course, to eat!!!  If you'd like to bring a small unwrapped toy or book, we're collecting items to help Franklin County Children's Services grant children's holiday wishes.  Please stop by Sunday, December 15th, 2 pm-5 pm.  Maybe we'll be lucky enough to have a few friends in from out of town for the holidays.  We'll even have a few door prizes you won't want to miss out on. Hope you can make it.    Janie, Fred, and Clare rsvp: watterson1966@aol.com

John Jackson

Trump buddy Roger Stone was convicted by a jury today on all seven criminal counts of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

If you care at all about what’s happening to our country, I urge you to read the full NYT article (link below) but if you don’t, here are two excerpts:

“The government built its case over the past week with testimony from a friend of Mr. Stone and two former Trump campaign officials, buttressed by hundreds of exhibits that exposed Mr. Stone’s disdain for congressional and criminal investigators. Confronted with his lies under oath by one associate, prosecutors said, Mr. Stone wrote back: “No one cares.” 

and

Mr. Stone, 67, joins a notable list of former Trump aides convicted of lying to federal authorities. It includes Mr. Gates; Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser; Michael D. Cohen, the president’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer, and George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide. And his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was also once Mr. Stone’s partner in a political consulting firm, was convicted of a string of financial crimes and is serving a seven-and-a-half-year prison term.

Link to full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/us/politics/roger-stone-trial-guilty.html?campaign_id=60&instance_id=0&segment_id=18827&user_id=69b07627b4fd88e0657a6f64fab5638e&regi_id=47667229ing-news

There’s an old saying we are all judged by the company we keep.  It should be painfully obvious by now that our president, who pledged to fearlessly drain the swamp, doesn’t give a rat’s a** about corruption.

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

All roads lead to Putin.

James Hamilton, M. D.

John,

Regarding "by the company we keep":

Thank you for reminding us that (Republican) politicians sometimes are associated with certain individuals who are not particularly saintly persons.

I probably missed it but I do not recall your writing a post here on the Forum about (Democratic) President Obama's connection to people like William Ayers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Rev. Louis Farrakahn.

Ooops! I broke my rule not to discuss politics anymore.

My bad.

Over and out,

Jim

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

Jim, I respect John Jackson and I have no respect for Donald Trump or his followers. So if you can convince me that this is wrong please let me know.

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

I would venture to say that there is not a person in the U.S. who follows the politics of the day who does not acknowledge that corruption is rampant throughout most of the government (both parties), the unelected government agencies, corporations that lobby the government for federal favors and even some NGO's. With a little digging one can learn the depth of corruption and deceit that has become particularly imbedded in the State department, the intelligence agencies, and the FBI.

It continues to be my opinion that what is driving the depravation of our government is the depravation of the current culture which no longer speaks of righteousness, courage, temperance, chastity, fidelity, humility and judiciousness.  The culture has all but abandoned a belief in one living and true God, Creator, and Lord of heaven and earth, infinite, all-knowing, omnipotent and incomprehensible.  As a society we will continue to spiral downwards until we humble ourselves to admit our individual and collective dependance on a higher power than ourselves.    

Thomas McKeon

Mary Margaret you have hit it out of the park this country was made when Washington made his covenant with God and when he did we started to prevail in our quest for independence.  Right now we are facing a new time when we can survive or go down to defeat.  I must say i cannot believe that the best and most educated are not doing there homework regarding what is happening to this country.  We are being run by a group of unelected bureaucrats who believe they know what is best for this country.  I wish everyone could keep an open mind and listen to what some of the people on the conservative side have to say.  Listen and do not accept what is being said and check it out.  Glenn Beck has 3 documentaries on the Ukraine that are very interesting they are on utube.  Everything he points out has supported documents.  Please pray for our country even if you don't believe there is a supreme being. God bless the class of 66

David Mitchell

I agree that we all see corruption in our political and social culture. Are we saying therefore that it should be acceptable?  What is done elsewhere, or in the past, or by other administrations makes it "okay" this time. I'm confused! 

Not one of you on this Forum could possibly miss the fact that I stand against much of what Liberal Democrats sand for; from their long history of generations of systemic and blatant "Jim Crow" racism through the South, to their appeasement of Communism, their initiation of the concept of deficit spending (once their own private bailiwick - but now kidnapped by Republicans), to their support for the legalised slaughter of our own offspring. So I would probably not be the first person you all might expect to buck the party line of those heroic, honorable, honest, and "pure" Republicans - those infallible, tried and true guardians of truth.

Or would I?

You see, I am feeling old again today. Really old!

I am so old I get confused at times - really confused. I need help understanding some of the things I see and hear. And there is so much these days to see and hear. Hard for an old guy like me to keep things clear in my muddled old brain.

Let me see if I can get this straight. On the one hand, we call a U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, "Scum". A man who's family fled Ukraine to esacpe Russian tyranny, and who served this country in actual combat in Iraq (as opposed to multiple draft "dererments"), where he was wounded and received a purple heart. We call him "Scum" - because he remembers a conversaton differently than the rest of the boys?  Maybe he's a double agent, or at least, just plain disloyal. Not many "disloyals" let themselves get near roadside bombs. A bit confusing if you ask me.

While a few days ago we recieved a "guest" into the White House, who is one of the most despotic leaders in the middle-east, one who jails journalists, harrasses some of his own ciizens in our country, and who had his troops execute two of our Kurdish "allies" (you remeber the term "allies" don't you?) journalists (and their wives and a child - shot in the head), and who threatened to cut off U.S. troops that we had on the ground that were in his way, and who had the nerve to stand in our White House and use it for a stage to deny his county's genocide of the Armenians "104 years ago". And finally, to have the balls to hand back the "tough guy letter". "Here you go Donald - in your face!"

And, we call him "our dear friend"?   

I am so confused. I must be getting really old.

p.s.

listening to recordings of today's hearings of a loyal (and very strrong) woman who was not intiimidated by a man who should have been convicted of covering up for a sexual predator (at OSU), was also very confusing!

And right after that, I walked into a theater and watched the new film, "Harriet". Talk about a strong woman - guided by her Faith!  

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mary Ann, 

Respect is a very individual and personal matter and I would never presume to be able to change that in you or anyone else. There are many people in politics and other areas for whom I have absolutely no respect - yes, most are progressive Democrats, but also some Republicans. I strive to be respectful to those with whom I disagree, but I am an imperfect person and probably at times fail. I also accept the fact that those whom I respect and support also are imperfect. Perhaps I just don't want to be the one to "cast the first [or any] stone".

Jim 

​​​​​​

Mary Ann Nolan (Thomas)

Jim, I guess I fall into the category of those you have no respect for because I think progressively.  It really doesn't matter to me what you think because we do not  know each other well enough to judge one another.. 
We will see who wins on the side of good  or evil in 2020. 
 

David Mitchell

Point of clarification:

1)  To avoid any doubt. I cannot imagine that Hunter Biden's role with the Ukrainian oligarks is anythng but corrupt.

But that is NOT the point of these hearings. An important aspect leading up to these circumstances, maybe - but NOT the main point of these hearings. Gloves off, and putting it bluntly, I am of the opinion that both sides are filthy as hell ! 

I believe this 41 year-old Ukraininan TV comedian is a potential hero in the fight against both his county's internal corruption, and Putin's agressive appetite. He won by a sweeping majority (almost 2/3rds) running as an anti-Russian, and anti-corruption candidate. But he needs our unwavering support - not a "let's make a deal" relationship. 

I just think that our leader's insulting and very public way of undermining his own loyal state department officials is childish and cowardly (and it apparantly goes on with ssome of our other ambassadors in other countries). And in this particular case, messing with the security of a critical alliance against the master villain of our age.  

Underlying all of this, it all seems all for one reason - "winning" re-election - not long term national security. 

p.s. no big fan of Adam Shiff, but getting really sick of Devin Nunes' childishly condescending attitude. 

David Mitchell

Meanwhile Clare,

What's the lastest news from down at the casting ponds?

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mary Ann, 

I think you may have misinterpreted what I wrote above, or I did not express it well. In no way do I disrespect all who have progressive leanings (although I may disagree with their views). What I stated was that of those IN POLITICS for whom I have no respect, MOST are progressive Democrats but also some are Republicans.

Just for the record, that does not include anyone in our class.

Jim 

John Maxwell

Michael Boulware

Our country is so divided!  Jim and Mary Ann are both wonderful people and classmates; they are also polarized politically. We can discuss things but need to set limits.

An example of this is the current impeachment hearings. I watch these and say to myself that our president is a conniving, lying, unfaithful, manipulating, insane cheat. My Republican friends see the proceedings as a witch hunt, with the Dems not coming up with any proof, and our president has the authority to do whatever he wants to do.    

I look at Barack Obama as the savior of our country; we were almost a bankrupt nation when he bacame our president. He pulled us out of a recession and served as an example to all of us how to be a good husband, father, and citizen. My conservative friends do not feel the same way.

I love Goose McKeon so I read Glenn Beck. That man(Glen Beck) makes me throw up but not as much as Rush Limbaugh does. Therefore I proclaim these limits: Discuss politics until you feel yourself getting sick, then stop.

Michael McLeod

Nice to see respectful debate here at a very tough time for the nation and the world.

What I keep thinking about is the background of what is happening rather than the foreground, and how lucky and privileged we all were, given the beautiful haven and the time we grew up in. We were not born as Kurds, a people who have no country. Nor do we live in the the Ukraine, where if you speak out thugs soak you in an acid bath to melt your flesh away, slowly, so you suffer as much as possible before you die.

Our parents grew up in a country that stood up for people like them. It would be wonderful if we could get back to being that country again. There is a window for it. But from what I'm seeing it's a small one.