A flight instructor's annoyance brings a gift

GoldenRivet · 08-18-10, 07:31 PM

thanks for the comments guys!

Sailor Steve · 08-18-10, 08:15 PM

In my response I mentioned American Heritage. 'My Brush With History' is a section in which readers contribute stories of how they met history face-to-face. Al Capone, John F. Kennedy, Nikita Kruschev, Woodrow Wilson - all famous people of course meet the rest of us, and most of these stories tell of some common soldier, sailor or civilian meeting someone famous.

One of my favorites is anonymous, and your story made me think of it, so I had to go the their website and look through the archives until I found it. I was aided by the fact that I remember where I was when I read the story, so I could isolate the time frame pretty closely.

Quote:

TWO HANDSHAKES AWAY

My mother loved parades and early on imbued me with a love of same. An incident at one sticks in my mind. I believe it was in 1926 or 1927. I can’t be sure as I was only a small boy then.

While standing on the curb in Newark, New Jersey, watching a Decoration Day parade pass by, I found myself near a group of seven or eight ancient Civil War veterans. I looked over their beards, their blue Grand Army of the Republic coats and broadbrimmed campaign hats, and I wished I could grow a beard like one of theirs. One old soldier called, “Sonny, come over here,” and “Sonny” obediently did. He said, “Shake my hand,” and I did. “Now,” he said, “you’re only two handshakes from the Revolution.” When he was about my age, six or seven, he had shaken hands with a veteran of that war.

I fully intend someday to pass on this membership in an exclusive club to another young hand. He’ll be three shakes from the great event. We certainly are a young country.

—John Clark Alberts, Lt. CoL, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), lives in North Barrington, Illinois.

American Heritage, October 1996
http://www.americanheritage.com/arti...996_6_34.shtml

GoldenRivet · 08-18-10, 08:17 PM

Wow thats something else.

glad you shared that

Platapus · 08-18-10, 08:23 PM

In 94 I was dating this lady and I was able to meet her father. B-24 pilot. Liked him, dumped her. Wish I could still stay in contact with him, if he has not passed away yet.

Just being able to talk to this old guys opens up your mind to so many different viewpoints.

We, as a nation, need to hunt down all surviving WWII veterans, stick someone with a tape recorder in front of them and just record their memories and impressions. We are running out of time.

mookiemookie · 08-18-10, 08:23 PM

Great story, man. It goes to show that you never know what life will bring you.

SteamWake · 08-18-10, 09:38 PM

Thats an absolutly stunning story GR.

You should feel very gratified and graced to have had such an experience.

I am envious.

Sledgehammer427 · 08-18-10, 11:23 PM

I have recently discovered how famous some of my girlfriends family is...

I got to meet J.K. Havener, he is my girlfriend's great uncle.
He was aboard the Marauder that had to crash-land at Manston. (not the only one that had to do so but it's rather famous here)
http://www.bomberlegends.com/pdf/BL_...-1-Mediums.pdf

and if memory serves me right he also flew in Vietnam. His was one of the first bombers in Operation Rolling Thunder (if I got my operations right)

very touching GR, It must have been like a shovel to the forehead after he said B-17's

UnderseaLcpl · 08-19-10, 07:21 AM

So I gets up, brush my teeth, start breakfast, and then read this story. I can already tell it's going to be a good day. Thanks, GR

HunterICX · 08-19-10, 06:39 PM

Amazing, such an honor it must have been sitting next to such legend

I think I would have responded the same way GR if I would ever to meet a veteran like that.

B-17 pilots & Crew are a amazing class of veterans in my book.

HunterICX

Jnamiyo · 12-31-14, 10:47 PM

Your story brought tears to my eyes as well as remind me of my own handshake with history.

I took flying lessons at Frederick Field in Maryland and attended a few of the air shows there when I lived in Maryland.

One of my most treasured memories was meeting Col. Morgan at a book signing during one of the air shows. I shook his hand, bought his book and famous photo of his crew and plane, and he signed it.

How super human these men where. I doubt there will be such a generation again.

FIREWALL · 08-18-10, 11:24 PM

I was just about ready to shutdown my rig GR and finish the evening with a little reading.

Glad I didn't.

A day like you had makes up for bad ones.

There's alot of history written. I like to talk to the ones who made history.

TarJak · 08-19-10, 01:44 AM

Nice. Anyone who flew those things, even if never in combat has my respect.

08-18-10, 07:31 PM	#1
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	thanks for the comments guys! __________________

08-18-10, 08:17 PM	#3
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Wow thats something else. glad you shared that __________________

08-18-10, 08:23 PM	#4
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,388 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	In 94 I was dating this lady and I was able to meet her father. B-24 pilot. Liked him, dumped her. Wish I could still stay in contact with him, if he has not passed away yet. Just being able to talk to this old guys opens up your mind to so many different viewpoints. We, as a nation, need to hunt down all surviving WWII veterans, stick someone with a tape recorder in front of them and just record their memories and impressions. We are running out of time. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

08-18-10, 08:23 PM	#5
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	Great story, man. It goes to show that you never know what life will bring you. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

08-18-10, 09:38 PM	#6
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Thats an absolutly stunning story GR. You should feel very gratified and graced to have had such an experience. I am envious. __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

08-18-10, 11:23 PM	#7
Sledgehammer427 PacWagon Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Drinking coffee and staring at trees in Massachusetts Posts: 2,908 Downloads: 287 Uploads: 0	I have recently discovered how famous some of my girlfriends family is... I got to meet J.K. Havener, he is my girlfriend's great uncle. He was aboard the Marauder that had to crash-land at Manston. (not the only one that had to do so but it's rather famous here) http://www.bomberlegends.com/pdf/BL_...-1-Mediums.pdf and if memory serves me right he also flew in Vietnam. His was one of the first bombers in Operation Rolling Thunder (if I got my operations right) very touching GR, It must have been like a shovel to the forehead after he said B-17's __________________ Cold Waters Voice Crew - Fire Control Officer Cmdr O. Myers - C/O USS Nautilus (SS-168) 114,000 tons sunk - 4 Spec Ops completed V-boat Nutcase - Need supplies? Japanese garrison on a small island in the way? Just give us a call! D4C!

08-19-10, 07:21 AM	#8
UnderseaLcpl Silent Hunter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Storming the beaches! Posts: 4,254 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	So I gets up, brush my teeth, start breakfast, and then read this story. I can already tell it's going to be a good day. Thanks, GR __________________ I stole this sig from Task Force

08-19-10, 06:39 PM	#9
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Amazing, such an honor it must have been sitting next to such legend I think I would have responded the same way GR if I would ever to meet a veteran like that. B-17 pilots & Crew are a amazing class of veterans in my book. HunterICX __________________

12-31-14, 10:47 PM	#10
Jnamiyo Nub Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My brush with history Your story brought tears to my eyes as well as remind me of my own handshake with history. I took flying lessons at Frederick Field in Maryland and attended a few of the air shows there when I lived in Maryland. One of my most treasured memories was meeting Col. Morgan at a book signing during one of the air shows. I shook his hand, bought his book and famous photo of his crew and plane, and he signed it. How super human these men where. I doubt there will be such a generation again.

08-18-10, 11:24 PM	#11
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	I was just about ready to shutdown my rig GR and finish the evening with a little reading. Glad I didn't. A day like you had makes up for bad ones. There's alot of history written. I like to talk to the ones who made history. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

08-19-10, 01:44 AM	#12
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Nice. Anyone who flew those things, even if never in combat has my respect.