WWGC USTeam

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In addition to the hugely well deserved congratulations to Sarah, I also think it worth mentioning that nobody does this on their own. Sarah and her team mates would be the first to agree.
Kudos to John Good for accomplishing a dream of being the team captain to a World Champion. His dedication to this objective spans more than 2 decades. He was my team captain at Gawler in 2001.
His reports have been outstanding.
There are many others who worked very hard for these 3 ladies.
Maybe someone on the team could provide us a list of all who contributed at Lake Keepit to the US Team effort.
A hearty WELL DONE! to all.
UH

[John Good]

For the record, the US Team had 8 members at WWGC-2019:
Three pilots (whose names everyone knows):
Sarah Arnold
Kathy Fosha
Sylvia Grandstaff
Four crew:
Jason Arnold
Jim Staniforth
Hugh Grandstaff
Will Moonan
And me as Captain.

The list of people who supported this US Team leading up to the contest has 220 (!) names on it.

Here at Lake Keepit, we've been supported by improbable numbers of friendly and helpful Australian glider pilots - their culture apparently requires this of everyone.

[Dan Marotta]

Reminds me of my first visit to Bond Springs, north of Alice Springs,
where I got my winch training.Â* I was told to go to the winch end of the
cable to observe and, as I (a foreigner and complete stranger) started
walking towards the winch a mile away, someone shouted, "Take my car,
Mate!"Â* Yes, very friendly folks.

On 1/18/2020 10:54 PM, John Good wrote:
> their culture apparently requires this of everyone

--
Dan, 5J

[Michael Opitz]

At 05:54 19 January 2020, John Good wrote:

>Here at Lake Keepit, we've been supported by improbable numbers of
friendly
>and helpful Australian glider pilots - their culture apparently requires
>this of everyone.
>

The Aussies in general have been particularly friendly to Yanks since
WW II. Their army was in Africa fighting for the British before Japan
entered the war. Once Japan started island hopping, the Aussies
asked Churchill to return their troops to be able to defend their
homeland. Churchill said no. So, the Aussies had to defy Churchill
and ordered their troops to return home. On the way back to Oz,
Churchill tried to have the troop ships diverted to have them fight
in Burma (IIRC). This infuriated the Aussies because they could do
nothing to defend themselves until their army returned home. The
only things that stood in the way of Japan invading Australia were
the US Navy and Douglas MacArthur. As I understand it, Yanks in
general have had a very warm welcome in Australia ever since. I
can say that over the month that I spent there flying in WGC 1987,
I felt nothing but genuine friendship and hospitality from all the
Aussies I came into contact with. At the end of my month there,
Oz seemed like a second home to me. So, yes John, their culture
requires this of them because they have not forgotten their debt of
gratitude from WW II. You can go to a lot of places in the world
where the mantra is "Yankee go home" or worse. Not in Oz.....

RO

[Darryl Ramm]

As an Australian expat living in the USA: Oh yes that United States support for Australia in WWII is not forgotten. MacArthur likely saved our asses.. Australian's appreciation of "yanks" (there's a bit of confusion in oz about that,... many Aussies think of all American's as "yanks") bailing us out in Word War II extended to Australian alliance with America after WW II. That included support for the United States in Vietnam ("all the way with LBJ" was used by Howard Holt the Australian Primer Minister that committed to support the United States in Vietnam). And in lots of cooperation since then, including Five Eyes and other military and security collaboration. So while Australians' well tuned sense of sarcasm and dark humor might for example have them making fun of America and it's idiot orange President*... you'll find true love of and respect for Americans.

* I'm just using that as an example of what a sarcastic Australia *might* think, I am not necessarily implying that I think the idiot orange president is indeed an idiot or orange.

On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 6:30:04 PM UTC-8, Michael Opitz wrote:
> At 05:54 19 January 2020, John Good wrote:
>
> >Here at Lake Keepit, we've been supported by improbable numbers of
> friendly
> >and helpful Australian glider pilots - their culture apparently requires
> >this of everyone.
> >
>
> The Aussies in general have been particularly friendly to Yanks since
> WW II. Their army was in Africa fighting for the British before Japan
> entered the war. Once Japan started island hopping, the Aussies
> asked Churchill to return their troops to be able to defend their
> homeland. Churchill said no. So, the Aussies had to defy Churchill
> and ordered their troops to return home. On the way back to Oz,
> Churchill tried to have the troop ships diverted to have them fight
> in Burma (IIRC). This infuriated the Aussies because they could do
> nothing to defend themselves until their army returned home. The
> only things that stood in the way of Japan invading Australia were
> the US Navy and Douglas MacArthur. As I understand it, Yanks in
> general have had a very warm welcome in Australia ever since. I
> can say that over the month that I spent there flying in WGC 1987,
> I felt nothing but genuine friendship and hospitality from all the
> Aussies I came into contact with. At the end of my month there,
> Oz seemed like a second home to me. So, yes John, their culture
> requires this of them because they have not forgotten their debt of
> gratitude from WW II. You can go to a lot of places in the world
> where the mantra is "Yankee go home" or worse. Not in Oz.....
>
> RO

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 8:56:32 PM UTC-8, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> As an Australian expat living in the USA: Oh yes that United States support for Australia in WWII is not forgotten. MacArthur likely saved our asses. Australian's appreciation of "yanks" (there's a bit of confusion in oz about that,... many Aussies think of all American's as "yanks") bailing us out in Word War II extended to Australian alliance with America after WW II.. That included support for the United States in Vietnam ("all the way with LBJ" was used by Howard Holt the Australian Primer Minister that committed to support the United States in Vietnam). And in lots of cooperation since then, including Five Eyes and other military and security collaboration. So while Australians' well tuned sense of sarcasm and dark humor might for example have them making fun of America and it's idiot orange President*... you'll find true love of and respect for Americans.
>
> * I'm just using that as an example of what a sarcastic Australia *might* think, I am not necessarily implying that I think the idiot orange president is indeed an idiot or orange.
>
> On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 6:30:04 PM UTC-8, Michael Opitz wrote:
> > At 05:54 19 January 2020, John Good wrote:
> >
> > >Here at Lake Keepit, we've been supported by improbable numbers of
> > friendly
> > >and helpful Australian glider pilots - their culture apparently requires
> > >this of everyone.
> > >
> >
> > The Aussies in general have been particularly friendly to Yanks since
> > WW II. Their army was in Africa fighting for the British before Japan
> > entered the war. Once Japan started island hopping, the Aussies
> > asked Churchill to return their troops to be able to defend their
> > homeland. Churchill said no. So, the Aussies had to defy Churchill
> > and ordered their troops to return home. On the way back to Oz,
> > Churchill tried to have the troop ships diverted to have them fight
> > in Burma (IIRC). This infuriated the Aussies because they could do
> > nothing to defend themselves until their army returned home. The
> > only things that stood in the way of Japan invading Australia were
> > the US Navy and Douglas MacArthur. As I understand it, Yanks in
> > general have had a very warm welcome in Australia ever since. I
> > can say that over the month that I spent there flying in WGC 1987,
> > I felt nothing but genuine friendship and hospitality from all the
> > Aussies I came into contact with. At the end of my month there,
> > Oz seemed like a second home to me. So, yes John, their culture
> > requires this of them because they have not forgotten their debt of
> > gratitude from WW II. You can go to a lot of places in the world
> > where the mantra is "Yankee go home" or worse. Not in Oz.....
> >
> > RO

I think the U.S. Marine corp played a large part! Guadalcanal was the first offensive Allied operation against the Japanese. The Japanese were building out Guadalcanal as a base of operations to invade Australia. Just so happens my Father was a combat wounded who fought for 2 ½ years in the Pacific theatre.

[JS[_5_]]

On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 9:18:22 PM UTC-8, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
> On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 8:56:32 PM UTC-8, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> > As an Australian expat living in the USA: Oh yes that United States support for Australia in WWII is not forgotten. MacArthur likely saved our asses. Australian's appreciation of "yanks" (there's a bit of confusion in oz about that,... many Aussies think of all American's as "yanks") bailing us out in Word War II extended to Australian alliance with America after WW II. That included support for the United States in Vietnam ("all the way with LBJ" was used by Howard Holt the Australian Primer Minister that committed to support the United States in Vietnam). And in lots of cooperation since then, including Five Eyes and other military and security collaboration.. So while Australians' well tuned sense of sarcasm and dark humor might for example have them making fun of America and it's idiot orange President*.... you'll find true love of and respect for Americans.
> >
> > * I'm just using that as an example of what a sarcastic Australia *might* think, I am not necessarily implying that I think the idiot orange president is indeed an idiot or orange.
> >
> > On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 6:30:04 PM UTC-8, Michael Opitz wrote:
> > > At 05:54 19 January 2020, John Good wrote:
> > >
> > > >Here at Lake Keepit, we've been supported by improbable numbers of
> > > friendly
> > > >and helpful Australian glider pilots - their culture apparently requires
> > > >this of everyone.
> > > >
> > >
> > > The Aussies in general have been particularly friendly to Yanks since
> > > WW II. Their army was in Africa fighting for the British before Japan
> > > entered the war. Once Japan started island hopping, the Aussies
> > > asked Churchill to return their troops to be able to defend their
> > > homeland. Churchill said no. So, the Aussies had to defy Churchill
> > > and ordered their troops to return home. On the way back to Oz,
> > > Churchill tried to have the troop ships diverted to have them fight
> > > in Burma (IIRC). This infuriated the Aussies because they could do
> > > nothing to defend themselves until their army returned home. The
> > > only things that stood in the way of Japan invading Australia were
> > > the US Navy and Douglas MacArthur. As I understand it, Yanks in
> > > general have had a very warm welcome in Australia ever since. I
> > > can say that over the month that I spent there flying in WGC 1987,
> > > I felt nothing but genuine friendship and hospitality from all the
> > > Aussies I came into contact with. At the end of my month there,
> > > Oz seemed like a second home to me. So, yes John, their culture
> > > requires this of them because they have not forgotten their debt of
> > > gratitude from WW II. You can go to a lot of places in the world
> > > where the mantra is "Yankee go home" or worse. Not in Oz.....
> > >
> > > RO
>
> I think the U.S. Marine corp played a large part! Guadalcanal was the first offensive Allied operation against the Japanese. The Japanese were building out Guadalcanal as a base of operations to invade Australia. Just so happens my Father was a combat wounded who fought for 2 ½ years in the Pacific theatre.

I didn't notice any influence of these things or departments at Keepit.
For more information on real factors at the WWGC....
See you in Little Rock!
Jim