Category Archives: Visitor Stories

This came to me from Bill Schwoeble, a friend and fellow aviator. The account is abridged and edited slightly from the original source, Aviation Week & Space Technology: “Contrails.” I’m publishing it as a visitor story not because the author knows me, has visited my website, or ever will. But it’s well written and effectively puts readers in the cockpit (and out of it) in chilling fashion. Sharing it seems entirely appropriate to one of my original intentions for the site. The author, USAF General Merrill A. (Tony) McPeak, flew F-100, F-104, F-4, F-111, F-15 and F-16 fighters, including 269 … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid concludes: None of us had ever done this before! I said, “Williams first, Bourgeois second, Campbell third, Knobloch fourth, and I’ll follow you guys! Go fast, two seconds apart! Then count three seconds and pull your rip-cord!” We kicked open the hatch and gathered around the hole looking down into the blackness. It did not look very inviting! Then I looked up at Williams and gave the order, “JUMP!” Within seconds they were all gone. I turned and reached back for the auto-pilot, but could not reach it, so I pulled … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid continues: Williams was in the back emptying the extra gas cans into the gas tank as fast as we had burned off enough fuel. He then punched holes in the tins and pushed then out of the hatch against the wind. Some of the fellows ate sandwiches and other goodies that the Navy had put aboard for us. I wasn’t hungry. I held onto the controls with a firm grip as we raced along westward just fifty feet above the cold rolling ocean, as low as I dared to fly. Being … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid continues: There was instant reaction from everyone in the room and food trays went crashing to the floor. I ran down to my room, jumping through the hatches along the way, grabbed my bag, and ran as fast as I could go to the flight deck. I met with my crew at the plane, my heart pounding. Someone said, “What’s
going on?” The word was that the Enterprise had spotted an enemy trawler. It had been sunk, but it had transmitted radio messages. We had been found out! The weather was crummy, … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid continues: I set up quarters with two Navy pilots, putting my cot between their two bunks. They couldn’t get out of bed without stepping on me. It was just fairly cozy in there, yes it was. Those guys were part of the Torpedo Squadron Eight and were just swell fellows. The rest of the guys bedded down in similar fashion. Some had to sleep on bedrolls in the Admiral’s chartroom. As big as this ship was, there wasn’t any extra room anywhere. Every square foot had a purpose. A few days … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid continues: Within a few days of  returning to our base in Florida we were abruptly told to pack our things. After just three weeks of practice, we were on our way. This was it. It was time to  go. It was the middle of March 1942, and I was 30 years old. Our orders were to fly to McClelland Air Base in Sacramento, California on our own, at the lowest  possible level. So here we went on our way west, scraping the tree tops at 160 miles per hour, and skimming … Continue reading →

A personal account by a participant of the raid continues: After we got settled in Columbus, my squadron commander called us all together. He told us  that an awfully hazardous mission was being planned, and then he asked for volunteers. There were some of the guys that did not step forward, but I was one of the ones that did. My co-pilot was shocked.
 He said, “You  can’t volunteer, Mac! You’re married, and you and Aggie are expecting a baby soon. Don’t do it!” I told him, “I got into the Air Force to do what I can, and Aggie … Continue reading →

In the spring of 1978 I flew to Aspen, Colorado from Albuquerque, New Mexico in a small Cessna aircraft. The pilot was my fiancé Rudy’s friend Paul, who had made a fortune in the early ’70s Indian jewelry business, and taken up the rich man’s sport of flying. I was headed to Aspen for the weekend to visit with Paul’s lovely girlfriend, Johanna, and shop at the charming boutiques in search of a unique dress for my upcoming wedding. Before leaving town, Rudy gave me his credit card and instructed me to, “Fly home commercial if Paul does anything weird.” … Continue reading →

Darrell Bryant, a friend and fellow writer, sent this to me. I cannot read it and shove it in an electronic folder to be forgotten, so I’m going to share it as a Visitor’s Story to honor the aviator who wrote it. It’s over 7000 words. I’ve separated it into parts for publication in this blog, and I hope that those of you who care to join me in offering a belated “Godspeed” to men like Mac McElroy will check back often to read the entire account of a moment in time when a small group of valiant young men … Continue reading →

In 1973 Patti and I flew from San Juan to Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands with a couple of our friends on what at that time was PRINAIR. One of our friends was of considerable size (If he had not been the best man at our wedding 49 years ago, I might say he was obese. But I’d rather say John is “stout to the max.”) I knew it was going to be a fun flight when the young man working on the Coke machine put down his pliers and screwdriver to come to the counter to issue our tickets … Continue reading →