radar wrote: I just ask about your avatar which I can't enlarge - it is similar to iconic Australian Vietnam War photo, often seen in black and white.
Regards,
Ray
My avatar pic (which has been seriously downsized to use as an avatar) is a still shot from a short bit of film taken with an 8mm home movie camera. My pic features the Big Red 1 in action. I don't have a bunch of footage of such scenes because if you've seen one LZ, you've seen them all. As you may know, if there is green smoke; might be time to catch some film. If there's red smoke, no time for film (or much else) and you just pray you get in or out without "incident." Many of such scenes look pretty much the same!
I was downed in October of '72 (not all aboard survived). I have a vivid memory of everything that happened right up until impact. There is a big hole in my memory for a couple of days afterwards. I suffered what is now called a traumatic brain injury and it cut my tour short. While I recall nothing after impact, I was told I was one of the first up and moving and that after we got the last of the injured out of the Huey, that I collapsed and passed out. I chalk it up to that adrenaline rush, it gives even a small man the strength of two. One thing I remember before the impact was a statement made during training: "From the moment this thing (a helicopter) comes off the assembly line, it has one goal ... and that is to kill you!" Never were more accurate words spoken.
Once I returned to civilian clothes, I made three promises to myself: Never again work in wet boots, Never work all day in the rain and never - ever get into another helicopter as long as I live. In 1976, I was in a bad auto wreck (VW bug VS semi-truck). I regained consciousness at the scene when fire-rescue was cutting me out of the mangled VW and I watched a life-flight helicopter land in the road. I asked if it was for me and was told yes. I refused to be loaded aboard and insisted on land transport. After some shouting and very strong language/words on my part, the helicopter was sent away without me.
In 2005, I went to a famous air show in Lakeland FL with my brother in law. We are both pilots and so we got to go down onto the flight line. They had a beautiful old Huey that we checked out. The moment I sat in that thing my heart started racing, my blood pressure rose and I got the shakes. I had to get out as fast as I got in. After talking for a bit with the pilot, I was invited to ride along when they did their low level fly-by for the crowd. My reply was "absolutely no thanks!" It took all I had to even get inside and just that was a little too much for me. The mere sound of that particular machine in flight brings back a flood of memories.
Ironically, besides that crash, I've lived through two C-47 "incidents." One crash on take-off and one dead stick crash landing. Most everything to do with that time is a subject I rarely talk about with anyone who is not a vet from that conflict or a pilot. I recently opened up a little to my youngest daughters fiance. He's a pilot for a large cargo airline and in the last couple of years he also trains for them and KAL. He was very interested in the three crash incidents. I told him if he took me to the pub and he bought the drinks, I'd tell him about it.
I've kept only a hand full of photos of my time with the Army and had one 8mm film put on DVD. I have the one dress uniform hanging in the back of a closet. There is a box of medals and insignia in the back of that same closet. A couple of times I've come close to throwing all of that stuff out but my oldest daughter asked me to keep them.
I've seen my life flash before my eyes too many times. It changes a person and not always for the good. I've made peace with that part of my life and I've overcome some demons that I watched consume others. I consider myself a fortunate and lucky man. I consider every day on this earth a blessing, a gift. Like all of us, I am the sum of all the incidents that have shaped my life up to this point.
It's no secret that I've several ex-wives and my history has made me a sometimes difficult person to live with (fortunately, I've mellowed with age). My current wife is a famous Canadian ballerina who also spent several years working in the circus. She now spends her days in court for JP Morgan - Chase. She's been on the cover of magazines, featured in newspapers and on television. I've met my match and she doesn't take any crap from me ... but I am so lucky she understands me (she and I are only days apart in age). She is smart, always motivated, strong (in so many ways) and can hold her own (I can't imagine her ever being a frail old lady). I've already typed way too much (sorry to all who read this). So, that's all I've to say about that avatar and those days. As for my demographic; put me down in the 60 to 70 year old generation.
) is that when I am researching an era outwith most people's living memory I am pretty much on my own.