Military Vehicles, April 1997,: [MV] Just my opinion(A-10)
[MV] Just my opinion(A-10)
David C. Decker (campdeck@infomagic.com)
Wed, 23 Apr 1997 11:18:15 -0700
Since everyone else is throwing their two cents into the ring, I might as
well make it a quarter, then we can get on back to mil-veh. I do not look
at the pilot's actions as being heroic or as a patriot. The man STOLE a
Air Force warplane, loaded with bombs and cannon rounds and put it into a
mountain, for whatever reason. Was he depressed? Don't know, never will.
The facts speak for themselves. A $9 Million aircraft and over $1 Million
spent on the recovery, not counting the risk of lives of personnel
involved in the search and recovery. He hand flew the aircraft to Vail on
purpose after he refueled here in Arizona. That aircraft was part mine,
and part every Americans, we entrusted it to him because he signed up,
pledged his alligence and absorbed millions of dollars of taxpayer's
money to train him. We awarded him an Officer's commission and a
responsibility to his nation. He betrayed that trust, I see no place to
award him 'hero' status. If he had personal and/or mental problems, his
brother pilots and his commander failed in their responibility.
Where do I get this attitude? Two tours of combat in Vietnam, one on
tanks and another as a LOACH helicopter gunner. My oldest brother spent
20 years as a helicopter pilot and my other brother was a Captain in
charge of NATO tactical nukes. If either one of them did the same stunt,
I would condemn them also. You want heros? There is a whole Wall full of
them in Washinton,D.C., and bamboo cages still hold more. Do not degrade
their existence and memory by including a renegade pilot who could not
handle peacetime pressure, he sure as hell would have gotten more then
himself killed in combat.
As far as the posting of the ad on this net, probably poor judgement: the
result being it stirred up a bee's nest that we don't need. Personnally,
I laughed at it, but then again, I laugh at about anything nowadays. You
see, besides having the 'stigma and sterotype' of being a Vietnam Vet, I
am 100% Service Connected Disabled with cancer caused by Agent Orange.
This net would not want to hear ANY of my 'gallows' humor.
Now, please, can we get back to something we all agree on and love, those
good old OD green hulks of steel that we lavish our attention on. Enought
said. Dave in Flagstaff,AZ.,USA
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