Enlisted Heritage

From the 80th Fighter Squadron Assocation organization head Col Jay Riedel,
USAF Ret, on a project to recognize the Enlisted that have kept our squadron
going from WWII in the Pacific in P-38s to the present with F-16s.

"Thanks for the contact--good to hear from you. No, we don't have a specific
Enlisted Heritage of the 80th; however, I wholeheartedly agree with you--it is
a very important part of our Squadron History, and needs to be assembled. At
each reunion banquet, I recognize all of our Squadron Aces in the audience
(getting to be a very short list), then all the past Sq Commanders, general
officers, and the spouses that keep things running smooth at home. Then, last
but not least, all the Enlisted men/women in the audience--as I point out that
even our Aces couldn't get off the ground, if it were not for all of our ground
personnel that maintain the birds, fix and load the weapons, keep our personal
equipment working perfectly, and all our Squadron records up to date and
accurate. "Not one of these groups of Squadron people could do the mission on
their own--it takes ALL of these parts working together to make the fine honed
whole of what our Squadron is, and always has been--a symbol of excellence in
the Fighter Community."

"SteveM8597" wrote in message
...
From the 80th Fighter Squadron Assocation organization head Col Jay
Riedel,
USAF Ret, on a project to recognize the Enlisted that have kept our
squadron
going from WWII in the Pacific in P-38s to the present with F-16s.

"Thanks for the contact--good to hear from you. No, we don't have a
specific
Enlisted Heritage of the 80th; however, I wholeheartedly agree with
you--it is
a very important part of our Squadron History, and needs to be assembled.
At
each reunion banquet, I recognize all of our Squadron Aces in the audience
(getting to be a very short list), then all the past Sq Commanders,
general
officers, and the spouses that keep things running smooth at home. Then,
last
but not least, all the Enlisted men/women in the audience--as I point out
that
even our Aces couldn't get off the ground, if it were not for all of our
ground
personnel that maintain the birds, fix and load the weapons, keep our
personal
equipment working perfectly, and all our Squadron records up to date and
accurate. "Not one of these groups of Squadron people could do the
mission on
their own--it takes ALL of these parts working together to make the fine
honed
whole of what our Squadron is, and always has been--a symbol of excellence
in
the Fighter Community."

I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good Colonel is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good Colonel is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks


I was hoping he would but then I am not holding my breath, sadly.

I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good Colonel is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

With "Enlisted" in the subject line - not a chance.

Jack G.

"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message ...
"SteveM8597" wrote in message
...
SNIP:
I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good Colonel is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

Kevin - I doubt very much if Art needs any advice on the contributions
made by the enlisted men of his outfit. Note that most aerial gunners
were enlisted, and valued members of the crew. BTW, I myself was a
corporal working on the flight line before I went to Aviation Cadets.
Walt BJ

WaltBJ wrote:

Kevin - I doubt very much if Art needs any advice on the contributions
made by the enlisted men of his outfit. Note that most aerial gunners
were enlisted, and valued members of the crew.

Except in Kramer's case, that's where the appreciation ends. The enlisted men
fixing and maintaining his aircraft, weapons builders and loaders, military
police and *every* other enlisted serving in his bomb group are valueless who
made no contribution to the war what ever as far as Kramer is concerned.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

"WaltBJ" wrote in message
om...
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...
"SteveM8597" wrote in message
...
SNIP:
I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good Colonel
is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

Kevin - I doubt very much if Art needs any advice on the contributions
made by the enlisted men of his outfit. Note that most aerial gunners
were enlisted, and valued members of the crew. BTW, I myself was a
corporal working on the flight line before I went to Aviation Cadets.

Then you have obviously not read many of Art's posts on the subject; he has
routinely denigrated the service of those personnel that provided the
support required to get and keep his aircraft in the air, and ISTR his
getting into a little ****ing match with a former RCAF flight engineer
(where has Gord been lately?) in this group when he made a statement
regarding how some of the tasks of the flight crew were obviously beyond the
mental capabilities of a mere sergeant.

Brooks

Walt BJ

"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...

"WaltBJ" wrote in message
om...
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...
"SteveM8597" wrote in message
...
SNIP:
I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good
Colonel
is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

Kevin - I doubt very much if Art needs any advice on the contributions
made by the enlisted men of his outfit. Note that most aerial gunners
were enlisted, and valued members of the crew. BTW, I myself was a
corporal working on the flight line before I went to Aviation Cadets.

Then you have obviously not read many of Art's posts on the subject; he
has
routinely denigrated the service of those personnel that provided the
support required to get and keep his aircraft in the air, and ISTR his
getting into a little ****ing match with a former RCAF flight engineer
(where has Gord been lately?) in this group when he made a statement
regarding how some of the tasks of the flight crew were obviously beyond
the
mental capabilities of a mere sergeant.


Let's not forget that all ground crew (incl cooks, admin, supply, etc) are
"interchangeable".

And ISTR him talking down to a former longtime armament specialist about
fuze construction, damage, and repair thereof...

Pete

Kevin Brooks wrote:

Then you have obviously not read many of Art's posts on the subject; he has
routinely denigrated the service of those personnel that provided the
support required to get and keep his aircraft in the air, and ISTR his
getting into a little ****ing match with a former RCAF flight engineer
(where has Gord been lately?) in this group when he made a statement
regarding how some of the tasks of the flight crew were obviously beyond the
mental capabilities of a mere sergeant.

Gord is lurking in news:can.community.military where he is taken no
more -- no less -- seriously than he was here, but we're slightly more
polite when we pooh-pooh him, as we Canadians ought to be.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

Date: 8/20/2004 4:27 PM Central Daylight Time
Message-id:


"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...

"WaltBJ" wrote in message
om...
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...
"SteveM8597" wrote in message
...
SNIP:
I wonder if Art has bothered to read and absorb this...the good
Colonel
is
obviously qualified to lecture him in this regard.

Brooks

Kevin - I doubt very much if Art needs any advice on the contributions
made by the enlisted men of his outfit. Note that most aerial gunners
were enlisted, and valued members of the crew. BTW, I myself was a
corporal working on the flight line before I went to Aviation Cadets.

Then you have obviously not read many of Art's posts on the subject; he
has
routinely denigrated the service of those personnel that provided the
support required to get and keep his aircraft in the air, and ISTR his
getting into a little ****ing match with a former RCAF flight engineer
(where has Gord been lately?) in this group when he made a statement
regarding how some of the tasks of the flight crew were obviously beyond
the
mental capabilities of a mere sergeant.


Let's not forget that all ground crew (incl cooks, admin, supply, etc) are
"interchangeable".

And ISTR him talking down to a former longtime armament specialist about
fuze construction, damage, and repair thereof...

Pete

Art has also made it clear he genuinely feels he could have flown all his
missions without any support personnel at all.

He still hasn't figured out he was just another GI just like the rest of us who
have ever served. I have yet to understand how his combat experience had any
more value than mine.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired