My first blurb on my blog :)

I was there at Udorn during the Fall of Saigon, April, 1975.
Aircraft were coming in from every direction all day long.
It was a miracle there were no mid-airs, heaven knows there were more than enough opportunities.
Set of choppers came over the middle of the runway while 4 fully loaded F-4's were blastin off to support our troops near Saigon. Hectic day.
I was in the USAF, an ECM troop. Young man's game crawlin all over F-4's there, it was my honor to be part of the 432nd.
I also crawled all over F-105G's, B-52's, A-7D's an such here and there.

I got the *heck* out at Castle AFB, too many poodle-pumpers, nowhere near enough fun.
Third day *there* my Supervisor calls me into his office, tells me I don't act like a Tsgt, that he was going to do everything he could to make sure I did not remain one.

Well. What can you do. (This is SPARTA!!!)
Oh yaa .. What *Can* You Do?

I told him if I got up on his desk and took a dump, I'd be acting like a Tsgt because I *was* one and if he wanted to take a stripe to give it his best shot.
I had no reason to take any prisoners at that point, yanno?

After a year and a half of a running battle with that 'person,' I finally came to the Day I Got Out.
First Sgt. told me I was throwin my career away. Had 13 years in. I popped open my briefcase and said: 'Yes, it's tough .. I have to decide which of these 3 jobs I want to go to.. think I will go work the B-1, because I know none of you are going to see it for at least another 2 years! Oh, and .. I will make more than my CO does doin it.'
Polite way of sayin 'Bite Me' ..yassir .. I was a troublemaker.

Coupla years I will be starin right at the big 60th birthday. It just blows me away how fast the years have gone.
You know what the biggest changes are?
I don't burn nearly as much rubber as I used to :)
Tuning a Holly carb or 'runnin the valves' on an L-88 are lost arts.
I have a son-in-law who never saw me race.
-shakes head- ..man .. I can't believe it was 1991 when I made my last pass down LACR in my 440 Duster. I wonder what Bernie is doin now that his track is gone? Long time dood.
Even my daughter is nearing 40 no less!

I got into video game 3d art for almost a decade when aerospace went belly up in the '80's,
..Air Warrior Lead Artist. Good times. Lousy management. Wasted days of effort.
Electronic Arts bought us and shut us down. Unreal.

Spent some time at Papyrus on their NASCAR 2002 and 2003 titles .. it was awesome to work with an art director (Dave, dood!) who knew what was goin on for a change! ROFL, then we got bought by a french company, bunch were shown the door, I got out while I could.

There were years where if I didn't have bad luck I would have had no luck at all.
Moral of the story?
Trust your judgement.
Set goals, press on, don't let others wrap you in their chains.
Watchout for people who tell you 'You CAN'T do THAT' ..they have huge chains wrapped all around them and they want you to have some too.

Life is for the living of it.
Take Big Bites.

-Frank P. 'Gray Eagle' Williamson