Comments on: Mah Brutha Beef

By: Uncle Mike

Uncle Mike — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:21:41 +0000

taxi1,

You’re welcome.

As noted, not original to me.

Feel free to use it with wild abandon.

By: Uncle Mike

Uncle Mike — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:05:31 +0000

Lex,

I’ve no reason to doubt your observations of Beef, and I continue to wish him well.

It is good to remember that those at the top of any pile are standing on lots of shoulders; and the higher the pile, the more shoulders we rely upon.

Served me well.

Thanks

By: Comjam

Comjam — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:40:16 +0000

Mongo:
Damn, that is you, ain’t it? Hey, don’t forget Sickle who had his Western furlough letter on the wall in the office when he was CAG30!

VR,
Comjam
(308 & 304)

By: taxi1

taxi1 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:05:50 +0000

… “he looks good astride a white horse.”

Heh. No idea if that phrase applies to Mr. Beef or not, but I look forward to using it on a number of other candidates. Thanks for that one.

As for people asking me about Naval Aviating, my response is always, “If I had to do it all over again, I’d do it all over again.” I am blessed, and know it. There were a million ways to get denied a seat, too many not under my control. I did the best I could with those that were, and rubbed my lucky rabbit’s foot the rest of it.

By: lex

lex — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:16:38 +0000

Uncle Mike, if you knew the Beef you’d know that not only would he have remembered those who were not members of the “select few”, he’d have given his life for theirs unquestioningly when things went south on the ground, and mere arty wasn’t doing it.

And bought them a beer afterward, if some how they all came through.

We all serve the best we can in our own way, draftees and volunteers, airmen and sojers.

By: Uncle Mike

Uncle Mike — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:41:03 +0000

Lex,

“Hard in the trenches” must mean something different to Naval Aviators than it does to those in, you know, actual trenches.

The world surely looks mighty different from 6′ than it must from 6,000′ or 36,000′ or whatever. No glorious 600 mph IMAX in the wild blue yonder when the days and nights are spent at 4 mph or 15 mph in dust or mud for many of us.

We got to see the results of our actions up close and personal and as it happened. No film at 11 in the comfort of the wardroom.

Some of my friends would probably let it go by saying of your pal Beef that “he looks good astride a white horse.”

Me? I’m inclined to say that it’s the difference between being “to the manner born” (or “To the Manor Born” if you prefer the TV program to Hamlet) and being drafted.

Sincerely hope he continues to lead a charmed life. Had the cards been dealt differently, he could have found himself slogging through the A Shau Valley, patrolling the mountains of Afghanistan, or worse yet, community organizing on the mean streets of Chicago.

Hope that as a member of “the select few” he remembers those who aren’t.

Hard in the trenches, indeed.