Dutch Harbor

pls send postcard when you arrive in dutch harbor !
hbg

I've sent a link for this to Danon. He may have some comments he's willing to share.

edgarblybte,

It is really good to hear from you again after all these years. Thank you for addressing the Save the Rain Forest thread. Hope your're clicking......dream.

So. You went to Hawaii, Phillipines, Japan.......

I've been to all those places - plus, Guam and Japan..... No big deal. In the Phillipines, I went face to face with a black panther in the jungle - my only defense was a knife I bought for three dollars on the way out to the jungle route. Once I stopped it was enroute to Vietnam at Guam and next time it was for a weeks inspection tour from the Fourth ROTC Division at Guam - I was located in Fort Lewis, WA. Don't worry, you didn't miss a thing - the island is 26 miles around. Once around - there is nothing else to see. Oh, in war time - there is always girls. But, of course you already know that. In the military, outside of any post or barracks there is always - No. 1 , a barber shop, No. 2 , a saloon and No. 3 , a girley house. In that order.

My # is = [email protected]

Yeah, I have some harry tales to tell from the Nam. And, a bunch of funny ones from the Officers club - a place of mystery, intrigue and other ****.

Still your friend,

Dan

PS: My old Address was and still is = [email protected].

Hamburger, Thanks for the map. that's new to me.

Hoping for the best for you and Mrs. Hamburger during the snow we are seeing you getting from down here in NE TX where we have not gotten one flake.

Stay warm.

Setanta,

You are great with your reporting. I admire your history.

Farmerman,

How is your arm??? Or was it a leg??? It's been sooooo loooong. How ya doin??

farmerman,

How's it hanging?? I mean your arm - or, leg - It's been so long I forget. I hope all is well with you.

I was in Alaska from April 1970 to September 1972 - stationed at Fort Wainwright, AK. That 1971 was the coldest winter on record in Alaska. It got down to minus 72 degrees F. For two weeks straight. The average temp F. while I spent in AK was approx minus 60 F. I spent two weeks in the wild - in a tent - on an Army exercise at minus 60 degrees Farenheight. Still have the paper sent to all soldiers on the site by the commanding general. While there in the open, I experienced 35 mile per hour winds - which sent the wind chill factor off the chart - that maxed out at 125 degrees below zero F. That was the coldest I've ever been.

There were, in my opinion that you would like, some spectacular Auroya Borealis effects as I flew in my OV-1 Mohawk aircraft at 25,000 feet - which is average for that aircraft......

In Vietnam, I flew the same aircraft up to 42,000 feet above the ground indicated on my instruments. Then, after not being above the clouds and weather, I stopped trying to climb - and - pulled my power levers back to about 10 percent to keep the temp ok - and, as the plane began to drop to earth - I guided it over it's nose in a backwards motion and started a descent down as I clicked the switch that blew open the big doors that slowed the aircraft's descent. About fifteen minutes later, I was doing 350 knots about fifteen feet over the South China Sea doging waves that would have crashed my plane. I knew the way to my base. I approached and landed safely. Screw all of them if they can't take a joke.

Everything was OK and all landed safely.

On PSP - if you can believe that............!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you stay with us...........Your absolute friend, Dan

Write again, soon.

Please.

If you mean the times I bent up my arm from accidents at the farm, Im all healed and doing fine. Of course my left arm is still all boogered up from my earlier adventures.
I liked your story about your nifty "landing".

AQre you travelling much? we havent heard you for a while. I believe You were going rock hunting the last time you communicated . Hows that proceeding? Need any locations for your quests?

Jesus, danon. You've had enough advenures for the two of us. My ship made it to Nam, but not before sending me home. My most harrowing adventures were in the few years that followed. While I daydreamed of going out on fossil digs, I actually did something else. Hitch hiking and railroad bum were my chief means of transportation. I believe if my older brother had not died, in late '69, I might not have become this settled geezer typing at this keyboard. Possibly a dead drunk or worse. Anyway, I enjoyed your stories - Landing that plane was exceptional.

Don't mind hearing from you now and again, dude.

word up.

Good to hear from you guys again. I marked the thread so will be getting back occasionally.

Thanks. We will hold you to that.

Ok, guys. If you liked that landing here is another one you may like. I had a .30 caliber hydraulic leak a short distance SE of my base. I called my company and told them I would land at the USAF base just north because they had better emergency equipment and a much bigger and better runway. The OV-1 Mohawk I was in depended on hydraulics totally to fly and to brake and to steer once on the ground. Without hydraulics - all of the above was not working. I called a precautionary landing request because then I didn't have to make out the paper work that goes along with emergency landings. I did tell the tower about my problem and requested help after landing. I lined up on the runway and as soon as I felt I really had it made I pulled the emergency landing gear handle up - just like the manual said. Nothing happened so I pulled the handle up again - it came out of it's socket and the cable attached to it started to show. I saw the runway coming at me so I took both hands and pulled the cable up as far as I could. The 3000 lb airbottle blew the gear down. I had good indications that the two mains were down but there was no light for the nose gear. I came on down and hit the pavement holding the nose up for as long as I could. It came down and held. I then had no braking except for the prop reverse which slowed the plane nicely. Then I used differential prop usage to get the plane off the main runway and onto a taxiway - I didn't want to stop the jets from helping our guys in the field by blocking the main. After turning onto the taxiway the winds which were gusting up to 25 knots hit my vertical stabilizers and gently pushed my nose off the taxiway into the sand. I saw it coming so had already started engine shut off and main switch off. The AF guys got there fast - but all was ok - they asked about the equipment I had on board and stationed guards around the plane. Really neat they were.

Anyway, that's my .30 cal hydraulic leak landing story.

Next time I'll tell you about landing in the dark at my home base. It' a funny.

Then, I had an exciting one in Alaska with clear icing.

Almost getting killed that way must have seemed routine after a while. - Just kidding. I look forward to any more you can take the time to share.

In a war zone - life and death have different meanings to each individual. Most take it for granted - a few are scared to death - and there are some idiots like me who go looking for it - with great intentions of course. For instance, after a few months in country - after completing my mission I would fly my plane around the base of those little hills that were flattened by dozers and artillery was placed upon. On top were the good guys - or I thought so - and invariably at the base or somewhere on the side was the bad guys - or so I thought at the time. I would circle low untill I saw muzzle flashes. Then I would leave and go RTB (return to base). I felt that would let the guys on top of the hill know where the guys at the base of the hill were located. Dumb?? I don't know, but it let me know I was becoming crazy - which to me is associated with people in a war zone. I knew later the moment I was crazy. After returning to base from a mission, I walked straight into the Officers Club, still fully armed - past four officers standing on their heads with their feet leaning against the wall, drinking flaming brandies upside down, straight up to the bar - ordered a drink, and didn't think anything was unusual.

Earlier, to exemplify a person scared, after a mortar attack - usually about 2 to 3 am (I think they were just mean to pick those hours) a couple of us who had been there for awhile went out during the pounding and placed sandbags against the hooch door of a really new guy. It's just a trick some of us played. Next morning at breakfast the new guy wasn't there. At Noon, we began to worry and went to his hooch and after tearing down our joke, went inside. There still under his bed which he had sandbagged to the ceiling, was our FNG. Still scared out of his wits. We told him all about how he had spoiled our joke. I don't think he heard us. Oh, well.

Even peace time military guys act differently. I did and said many things while in uniform that I later recanted. I can't say without having been there, but I think I would have done my part. For, as much as I stand against war, I believe in having the best military possible.

I also, edgarblythe.

Even the North Vietnamese people now invite us with open arms. It's the politics that screws things up. And, it's certain people in politics that does it.

Gotta know what's happening in the world and what our politicians are doing about it.

I too, believe in a strong military - unfortunately. In the days of Vietnam, I believed in the USA. I found out as I grew in age that the belief is in the hands of a few people we voted into office who didn't believe in the USA - except for the multitude of dollars they could get in office. Shame on us.

Dan

Yep. That's the truth. I have been whining since the late 1960s that the government needs to be revitalized toward honesty and statesmanship, among other things.

edgarblythe,

I really think your whining has paid off now. Our current President considers transparency an overwhelming advantage and priority in his administration.

To put it in a certain ladies terms = "It's a good thing."

Ok, the landing in the dark story. These are all true.

I flew most missions in the dark - at 1500 feet above ground level and up and down valleys between 8500 feet tall mountains. Using IR (infrared) which gave me a view of the terrain beneath my airplane. One night, after completing my mission - I returned to base. The entire area was dark because of a recent mortar attack. I called the tower and said I thought I could land my aircraft ok. They said alright. My first pass was over the PX (post exchange) which was just to the right side of the main runway. I told the tower that I would try again. On this second run - I was just to the left of the runway - when I heard this sort of screaming on my headphones, "He's coming right at us.??? He's going to hit us.??" It was the tower guys, but I knew where they were and did a quick left turn which left them all safe. Then I reported, "Well, I've got you bracketed." And, began my third approach to the runway in the dark. I got it and landed. It was my way of getting to the "O" Club much faster than landing at the USAF base three miles away and having to wait for a Jeep to come and transport us through three miles of "No Man's Land" to base in the dark. And, let me say, in Vietnam, at night there are NO lights - It was like flying in a black ink bottle.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about my ICE landing in Alaska. It has a certain bearing on the recent icing crash in the national news.