Flying back up the east coast late at night, watching the cities below pass by. Like fiery diamonds tosed out on a sea of velvet black, the lights on the horizon reaching up to touch the stars above. Watching a group-4 taking black water over the bow in the North atlantic and thanking God I was a brown shoe.
The smell of JP and the throaty roar of awakening engines, and the sea, spreading out forever, to all sides, alive and breathing with every rise of wave. The tang of salt air, and the mournful cry of gulls on a quiet day at anchor.
I can close my eyes and smell the sea, the JP and the scent of the berthing compartment. And still, I can see their faces. All so young, all so confidant. I may forget their names, but their faces will always be with me. My shipmates. My drinking buddies. My crew. So very young. Lord where did all those years go? Was it really so very far away from now?

Thanks, shipmates. It’s good to remember those daze.

Respects,

AW1 Tim

- Min radius turn for ten minutes in S. China Sea over huge school of big sharks tearing into what appeared to be a giant ocean sunfish. Tuna, as far as the eye can see, being chased by tens of thousands porpoises/dolphins.

- Airwing flyby, east to west, over Arizona Memorial on a perfectly clear early winter day. Flawless.

-Sitting behind the JBD, Cat 1, on a cold dark night in the Med (before all them lights like nowadays) when a Prowler crewmwmber ejected in a flash of intense light, with his body outlined, until the island swallowed the scene from my view. Boss yelling and EA-6B pilot cooly ground looping the jet to a sideways stop well down the bow and saying (flatly) “my backseater just ejected”…

Hectic moments that seemed like hours vainly searching for everybody else at the marshalling point during an EMCON, Ziplip recovery, on a mean day at sea 1000 miles north of Midway.
The relief when bubbas were spotted!

One hour run on deck of US flagship in 35 degree wx w/snowshowers while transiting the tight fiords of Norway enroute to inport Trondheim. Could almost hear the Viking horns calling down from the mountains!

Can’t believe they paid me to be there and see stuff like that.

B2