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.
The Man. He retired near my home town of Grass Valley, CA. That's close in proximity to Beale AFB, where Chuck could go to and fly anything he'd like to, including the SR-71 in it's day. The stories I could tell you about "The General". He was quite a guy. Completely unpretentious.
I think it interesting you describe him as unpretentious. I met him three times, once at a formal dinner. From his mannerisms I describe him as a shameful lout.
If he did not like you or what you were doing he could be a treacherous kind of general officer, he for some reason, had it in for the early NASA astronaut candidates, really gave them grief on a personal level, but the dude could fly, and had exceptional eyesight like Red Sox player Ted Williams.
Re: "If he did not like you or what you were doing he could be a treacherous kind of general officer, he for some reason, had it in for the early NASA astronaut candidates"
Maybe that's because all of the NASA candidates looked down their noses at guys like Yeager, who - though he never went to college - could fly rings around their better-credentialed colleagues. Yeah, Yeager and the others without college degrees probably had chips on their shoulders about it, but the NACA/NASA pilots behaved like arrogant jerks, so they had it coming in terms of the abuse and ridicule sent their way. Elite pilots respect ability to fly, not pieces of paper issued by colleges. Yeager was twice - heck, ten times - the man any of his detractors claim to be.
My father shared a VOQ (Visiting Officers Quarters) room with him once in the early 1950s as the rooms had two bedrooms a single bath and a sitting area. My father's comment about him was that he was a jerk.
My pilot examiner flew P51 from England. Asked what it was like..Scared shitless from startup to back in the chocks. This from a guy who taught how to fly B52s 50 ft off the deck on radar guided autopilot. Guys like that deserve to carry attitude they want, its called Swagg.
The Man. He retired near my home town of Grass Valley, CA. That's close in proximity to Beale AFB, where Chuck could go to and fly anything he'd like to, including the SR-71 in it's day.
ReplyDeleteThe stories I could tell you about "The General". He was quite a guy. Completely unpretentious.
I think it interesting you describe him as unpretentious. I met him three times, once at a formal dinner. From his mannerisms I describe him as a shameful lout.
DeleteMannerisms and lout? He said unpretentious, not well cultured. General Yeager was a warrior and an unrivaled aviator.
Deleteunpretentous is synonymous to simple. The man was complex. But he used that complexity in a manner which many found quite annoying. Arrogant
DeleteI can name a large number of aviators who were, or are now, equal or superior in skill and performance.
American Hero
ReplyDeleteIf he did not like you or what you were doing he could be a treacherous kind of general officer, he for some reason, had it in for the early NASA astronaut candidates, really gave them grief on a personal level, but the dude could fly, and had exceptional eyesight like Red Sox player Ted Williams.
ReplyDeleteRe: "If he did not like you or what you were doing he could be a treacherous kind of general officer, he for some reason, had it in for the early NASA astronaut candidates"
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's because all of the NASA candidates looked down their noses at guys like Yeager, who - though he never went to college - could fly rings around their better-credentialed colleagues. Yeah, Yeager and the others without college degrees probably had chips on their shoulders about it, but the NACA/NASA pilots behaved like arrogant jerks, so they had it coming in terms of the abuse and ridicule sent their way. Elite pilots respect ability to fly, not pieces of paper issued by colleges. Yeager was twice - heck, ten times - the man any of his detractors claim to be.
Your idolization is embarrassing.
DeleteBecause you never respected anyone but yourself, right? Get bent, jerk-weed.
DeleteWell Anonymous---
DeleteAt least he can put a fake name up, but then it's a lot easier to be a keyboard tough guy when you're completely unknown.
Isn't it?
God bless him.
ReplyDeleteHis cameo in The Right Stuff was priceless but the photos of Barbara Eden sitting on his desk were truly "the right stuff."
ReplyDeleteMy father shared a VOQ (Visiting Officers Quarters) room with him once in the early 1950s as the rooms had two bedrooms a single bath and a sitting area. My father's comment about him was that he was a jerk.
ReplyDeleteMy pilot examiner flew P51 from England. Asked what it was like..Scared shitless from startup to back in the chocks. This from a guy who taught how to fly B52s 50 ft off the deck on radar guided autopilot. Guys like that deserve to carry attitude they want, its called Swagg.
ReplyDelete