Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A mighty..

...warrior, it's the name to be had,
by the plane often known, as the Spad;
it really is the Skyraider, or the AD1,
it was a ledgend it it's time, for the battles won.

From the forties through the seventies, the warrior flew,
and, it seems, with each flight, the ledgend grew;
bring it back full of holes, use duct tape for a patch,
the armored cockpit saved the man, he without a scratch.

It served in many capacities, versatile and stable,
from the ground or carrier deck, this one was able,
now replaced and retired, the recip is gone away,
but, it may come back, sometime to save the day.


Top: Wings folded and in a museum.
Middle: The Marines over Korea.  Painted the original Midnight Blue.
Bottom: VA-152 flying over Vietnam in 1966.

2 comments:

  1. A Tribute to Ol' "Chesty"

    There was a man called "Chesty";
    We sort of "met" some time ago.
    He was a legend in the Corps,
    The kind you'd like to know.

    Short of stature was this man,
    But his courage, 10 feet tall.
    Attested to by all the medals,
    So many you couldn't count them all.

    My first year was when we met,
    His last year in the Corps.
    His tour was almost over;
    He would fight no more.

    Yeah, I remember Chesty and
    How he answered any call.
    He fought in every clime and place,
    A model for us all.

    God bless you, General Puller,
    You are now on heaven's scene,
    I won't forget the time we "met";
    You are a true Marine.

    Semper Fi, Chesty

    Mac Little

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  2. Howdy Ole Geezer:

    You've got some dynamite photos posted on your Tehachapi Pete website. Diane and I drove to the old West Pembroke Forest Hills cemetery to visit my dad's gravesite last Tuesday. We were relieved to see that Pembroke Crescent Masonic Lodge No. 78 has undertaken the responsibility of maintaining the family plots, especially the ones of the Masons. Indeed, there were Masonic Memorial flags on all of the brother's graves.

    How fondly I recollect attending meetings all over Down East from Princeton in Leavitt's basement, to Eastport and Machias. We even went to the meetings at Calais Hospital and the church. Indeed, if a drunk wishes to attend meetings Down East with regularity, they must drive all over the area; there also used to be a meeting in the elementary school in Robinston.

    Ha, what does the program say about "going to any lengths" to get and "stay" sober? As you probably already know, meetings Down East were very difficult for me because almost every meeting not only required a drive, but also was held in the early evening hours. We ole geezers are typically in bed by 1800 or 1900 hours.

    Semper Fi,

    Mac Little

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