And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Fun fact: one of Gore Vidal's "four step-brothers includ[ed] Robin Olds from his mother's third marriage to Robert Olds, a major general in the United States Army Air Forces". IIRC, Vidal said in his autobiography that they got along well. Ya wouldn'ta thunk it. Oh, he also was married to a movie star. What a life.
Spent time volunteering with a man who flew under Olds when Olds was flying over North Vietnam. He didn't talk much about his experience except to say that he would have followed Olds to Hell if Olds had asked him to. This man did a full career in the Air force and flew many planes while serving. I asked him which plane was his favorite and he said that the Phantom II (F4). I asked why? He said that "because it never failed to bring me home from over North Vietnam." Dan Kurt P.S. His favorite plane to fly was the Northrop F-5.
I served in the 8th under this incredible officer. When Tactical Air Command wouldn't approve his mission plan he just went ahead and did it anyway and the North Vienamese Air Force got slaughtered. He tricked them into believing that the aircraft they saw on their radar were really F 105s - but they were Phantoms. Hungry Phantoms. They came up to play and were very surprised. It was an incredible day for Tactical Air Command.
The Marlboro Man!
ReplyDeleteOperation BOLO.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-I2mwMEd74
Excellent book about a true leader and great fighter pilot.
ReplyDeleteIt's in my stack of stuff to read. When I found it, the first thing I did was look up a distant cousin who flew with him.
Delete~ Doctor Weasel
Ed Rasimus is no slouch either, 250 missions in F-105s and F-4s.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: one of Gore Vidal's "four step-brothers includ[ed] Robin Olds from his mother's third marriage to Robert Olds, a major general in the United States Army Air Forces". IIRC, Vidal said in his autobiography that they got along well. Ya wouldn'ta thunk it. Oh, he also was married to a movie star. What a life.
ReplyDeleteThe little chickens on his collar means he's a cook.
ReplyDeleteSpent time volunteering with a man who flew under Olds when Olds was flying over North Vietnam. He didn't talk much about his experience except to say that he would have followed Olds to Hell if Olds had asked him to. This man did a full career in the Air force and flew many planes while serving. I asked him which plane was his favorite and he said that the Phantom II (F4). I asked why? He said that "because it never failed to bring me home from over North Vietnam."
ReplyDeleteDan Kurt
P.S. His favorite plane to fly was the Northrop F-5.
Fantastic book. A graduate of West Point to become the commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy.
ReplyDeleteThe definition of a "true leader"!!!!! A great book!
ReplyDeleteGreat Book. Amazing stories in it.
ReplyDeleteI served in the 8th under this incredible officer. When Tactical Air Command wouldn't approve his mission plan he just went ahead and did it anyway and the North Vienamese Air Force got slaughtered. He tricked them into believing that the aircraft they saw on their radar were really F 105s - but they were Phantoms. Hungry Phantoms. They came up to play and were very surprised. It was an incredible day for Tactical Air Command.
ReplyDeleteSee the faces of those men carrying him? We all knew how much he cared about us.
ReplyDeleteHis daughter and Rasimus finished the book after Olds' death. Rasimus himself died recently.
ReplyDelete