[JClark]

Got back from vacation late last night...and very, very tired, as you can imagine! Got to meet Pat O'Shea, who has been my good friend for almost 12 years now, for the very first time. Pat couldn't make the Fourth of July Veterans Parade in Frostburg, Maryland, but he did make it in time to have lunch with my family and myself. He exchanged aviation experiences with my father in law, who was a B-17 co-pilot in WW2, and who was interned in Switzerland for the last year of the war when his plane was heavily damaged in a raid over a city in northern Italy. And people, don't let Pat fool you: he deserved to be in that parade as well, with the rest of the terrific people who served in our nations wars, from WW1 to today. Pat was a Naval Aviator, who flew RA-5Cs over North Vietnam, in the worst way possible: straight, level, in full view of the enemy, who was firing every thing they had at him and his radar navigator, while taking intel photos before and after strikes. Pat would have been retired by now, if it were not an ejection from a Phantom during a ferry flight. Pat left the service as a full commander, and would have probably retired a captain at least. Pat, I know you won't tell anyone these things, being the warrior you are, but I am. You can go to hell too, shipmate, you're a hero in my books, and always will be...but first, you are my friend.

I'll put up pictures of the parade, a small town America classic, as soon as the pictures get developed.

Byron

[Buddha]

JClark, on Jul 8 2006, 06:37 AM, said:

Got back from vacation late last night...and very, very tired, as you can imagine! Got to meet Pat O'Shea, who has been my good friend for almost 12 years now, for the very first time. Pat couldn't make the Fourth of July Veterans Parade in Frostburg, Maryland, but he did make it in time to have lunch with my family and myself. He exchanged aviation experiences with my father in law, who was a B-17 co-pilot in WW2, and who was interned in Switzerland for the last year of the war when his plane was heavily damaged in a raid over a city in northern Italy. And people, don't let Pat fool you: he deserved to be in that parade as well, with the rest of the terrific people who served in our nations wars, from WW1 to today. Pat was a Naval Aviator, who flew RA-5Cs over North Vietnam, in the worst way possible: straight, level, in full view of the enemy, who was firing every thing they had at him and his radar navigator, while taking intel photos before and after strikes. Pat would have been retired by now, if it were not an ejection from a Phantom during a ferry flight. Pat left the service as a full commander, and would have probably retired a captain at least. Pat, I know you won't tell anyone these things, being the warrior you are, but I am. You can go to hell too, shipmate, you're a hero in my books, and always will be...but first, you are my friend.

I'll put up pictures of the parade, a small town America classic, as soon as the pictures get developed.

Byron

Welcome back, Boats! I hope your vacation went well, as you've been sorely missed here. As to Pat, those recon guys carried enough balls for twenty MF'ers, and although I can't arrange a parade, I'll sure as hell buy the man a beer if he comes to San Diego. In this town, I doubt I'll be alone.