Any air wingers out there ?

[gutinstinct]

I was just looking at one of the pictures that Jetdoc posted. I noticed that the Marines on the birds turtle-back or shell(I forgot the name of the panel) were barefoot. I don't remember ever going barefoot while working ontop of the bird. In fact we weren't even allowed in the hanger or on the flightline without our steel tips. I guess that each squadron sets its own policy.

[Top Caplinger]

HMM-265 (82-84)
HMX-1 (87-91)
1stMAW Headquarters (97-05)

... but I was admin

[BobTate]

[jetdoc]

Tony, yea we called it the turtle back and I also saw the socks and didn't know what to think about that. I can tell you we never wore socks up there, that would be, you know, kinda slipppery?

[Gyrene251]

No socks for us either - steel tipped shoes for us. Below is one way we got
our spare parts while at MCAS Iwakuni!

[tripledog]

VM0-6
vmo-2
HMM-362
HMM-462

[Gyrene251]

Gut buster of the day...enjoy!

News Anchor Dan Rather, NPR Reporter Cokie Roberts and a U.S. Marine were hiking through the desert one day when they were captured by Iraqis. They were tied up, led to the village and brought before the leader.

The leader said, "I am familiar with your western custom of granting the condemned a last wish. Before we kill and dismember you, do you have any last requests?"

Dan Rather said, "Well, I'm a Texan; so I'd like one last bowl full of hot, spicy chili." The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the chili. Rather ate it all and said, "Now I can die content."

Cokie Roberts said, "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my tape recorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen. Maybe someday someone will hear it and know that I was on the job till the end." The leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder and Roberts dictated some comments. She then said, "Now I can die happy."

The leader turned and said, "And now, Mr. U.S. Marine, what is your final wish?"

"Kick me in the ass," said the Marine.

"What?" asked the leader. "Will you mock us in your last hour?"

"No, I'm not kidding. I want you to kick me in the ass," insisted the Marine.

So the leader shoved him into the open, and kicked him in the ass.

The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a 9mm pistol from inside his cammies, and shot the leader dead. In the resulting confusion, he leapt to his knapsack, pulled out his M4 carbine, and sprayed the Iraqis with gunfire. In a flash, the Iraqis were dead or fleeing for their lives.

As the Marine was untying Rather and Roberts, they asked him, "Why didn't you just shoot them? Why did you ask them to kick you in the ass?"

"What!?" said the Marine, "And have you *******s call ME the aggressor?"

[gutinstinct]

Dam Gyrene, you guys really canned the s**t out that bird. If you ever came to NYC, you would have a secure future here stripping cars, (LOL).

[cball]

VMR 153 we flew C 119's out of Cherry Pt way back in 55 56-57 58 ,I think 153 was de-commissioned in 1960.
C Ball

[Gyrene251]

Hey Gut -

Like buzzards on roadkill! Worked on my site and realised I busted the link to the picture - here's another angle on it.

[crate78]

cball, I flew all over the east end of the country, including Puerto Rico, in C-119's from '55 to '57. I probably rode your birds many times.

Two things I recall about the C-119's. They were noisy, and they had a fairly high cruise speed for a piston engine cargo plane.

I also recall one time some GySgt who was a crew chief on a C-119 got drunk one Sunday afternoon, stole a C-119, and all by himself flew it to an Air Force Base somewhere down south, Lousiana, I believe. Even landed successfully. Do you know anything about that?

crate

[CRASH CORPORAL]

Mwss 272 Mcas New River 1993-95
Mwss 171 Mcas Iwakuni 1995-96

[cball]

Crate78,I dont recall that sgt, taking the plane,but with all the hours we spent setting in behind the pilots and watching them at the controls,I know I could have flown one.I taxied them to the end of the flight line to make power checks..We flew to Vieques a lot..Its nice to hear from someone that was in back in the old days..What outfit was you with? cball

[kydevildogmark]

Mals-31 Beaufort,SC man there wasn't anything there but did I love that place.The base as I left it back in 06 was all f-18s. Guess what guys I feel all you pain I was GSE and the statement of Greatest Show on Earth was correct and always remember YOU CAN"T GET IT UP WITHOUT US. The old huffers man you could hear those things all over base.loud as ll get out.

[gutinstinct]

I found this picture. I think we were at Luke AFB.