31 July 2013

Dear Ones,

Every Saturday night the whole town (Helotas, TX) meets and dances on this cement slab behind John Floores' Store.  So there was a crowd, maybe 80-100+ all having fun consuming adult beverages.  It was maybe midnight or so when big fat John Flores, the man of this town-he ran the general store, the dance behind, mayor and friend to everyone-one great old Texan that I was proud to meet that night.  Then in the daytime we (the tower operator and I) with the press.  Old John just wrote to the General he was some kind of an operator.

The problem was bad PR in that a lady was (she said) riding her horse, a jet flew by, she fell off the horse, broke her leg I guess and wanted to sue the Air Force.  "The noise of the jet engine spooked my horse and that's why I was bucked off and broke every bone in my body" or something like that.

So here I come many days later.  The PR people wrote "The noise of the jet brought attention to all 107 people (round about) the area for 21.7 miles and led the people to the fire."  It's a stretch of the truth but so positive.  Not true.

I was on red light with 65 gallons left.  To top off the total gas in the T-33 is 813 gallons.  The refueling crew told me 801+ gallons into this group of tanks, 12 gallons to spare.  Oh sure-my knees moved a little and alas we're on the Terra Ferma at this time.

Love you all,
Mom & Dad

12 July 1956

Letter from the mayor, John Foote, to the General

Air Force response

One of the many newspaper articles about the incident

Air Force Times 14 July 1956

Honorary Fire Marshall

Twin Village News 19 July 1956

THE WHOLE STORY:

While flying on a local test hop in T-33 aircraft I was making an approach for landing from the north of Kelly AFB on the new runway about 15 miles north of the field. In the foothills of San Antonio is a community, Helotes.  Not for maybe 3 or 4 miles I see a big brush (trees not tall in this point of Texas) "fire".  I call the tower "any reported aircraft in??" I said, the tower operator said, "No".  So I buzzed around looking close at the fields houses.  No people, some cattle, etc.  Maybe 6 or 7 passes of the area.  I see no life, no movement. Of course I'm I am flying 100-200 feet above ground.  I fly over Helotes on these passes.  No I am low on fuel.  I report to the tower no sign of life but the fire is spreading maybe 50 -100 acres by now.

That night I leave for Dover, Delaware as co-pilot in YC124A.  Come back Sunday and Monday in the paper-here it is.  "Jet Pilot Saves the Town".  Leads in the fire trucks, saves the cows, the chickens, etc... the "noise" of the jet engine alerts the town folks.  John Floore, mayor, sends a letter to the General and the tower operator and I are invited to the next Saturday in the square dance where we are made Honorary Fire Chiefs.

I get a note from an old classmate who is flying C119's in Japan, Doc Blanchard.  "Hey David, I read about you saving the town there near San Antonio with your T-33 leading the fire trucks and all that then Honorary Fire Chief in the Pacific Times (Military newspaper).  I always knew you would do some fancy flying."  Doc and I sent Christmas cards for years after this.

In Vietnam one late afternoon our crew C123K was loading at GiaNghia (like an aircraft carrier) was a very tricky place to land and we caught fire in the right engine upon landing.  We did not want to RON (remain over night) because the bad guys would love to blow up a C123 just for fun.  What to do.  It's getting darker and darker.

A C-7 lands and out jumps Doc Blanchard from St. Louis my roommate at C-119 school at Randolph AFB and sang in the choir at Morone?, AZ and Laredo, TX.  A good friend, Doc.  It's 1969 and I haven't seen him since December 1955.  He looked great.  Our crew chief engineer and the load master did the best they could checking for leaks of fuel.  All looked good.  Gave Doc a hug and off he went in his C-7.  We crank the engines OK no fire and off we go back to Phon Rong.  Small world.  I saw Doc and his wife at '55 flying class reunion in San Antonio around 1995.  Some old classmates about half of the original bunch.  One became a 2 star General.

So now you know how this little fire chief badge came to me.

27 July 2013

(In response to article "US Students need better words than LOL and BFF")

Power is not gold, power is KNOWLEDGE and vocabulary skills follow reading comprehension.  That made me think on SOS school 1958 in Montgomery, Alabama.  Speed reading and speed writing courses taught.

I took speed reading: WPM 260, comprehension 35%.  This is not good.  At the end of the speed reading course almost 500 WPM and comprehension went up to almost 60%.  So there you have it.  I could comprehend more, almost twice as much.  That was in 1958.  This is July 2013.  55 years ago.  What advancements have been made in speed reading and comprehension and that would mean POWER and if you Warriors remember I told you to (as soon as you get a position in some company/enterprise) get a copy of the SOP's, the company book on how to do the work they want, because no one READS the book of instructions.

I believe your next move-that if you don't like the words-you submit your own and offer them as a "change to improve the SOP's (standard operating procedures)" then up the ladder of success you went.

OK, so stupid me....What is LOL and BFF?

Turn off the TV and have your children read a book.  As I recall, Tom and NanC no TV for 3 children and to date how many books have they studied and what do they remember and apply in their daily lives? Oh me. I believe they love books.  WOW.  There is no stopping someone who is well read.

I remember in Trabsay? Turkey I met with an LDS airman.  We shared some good times together and we met in the library.  Shared some great moments there not just religious discussions.  1965-68.  He was reading great books someone (where he was stationed in the states) told him, "You will be gone for one year then on the coast of the Black Sea.  Here is a list of 84 great books."  I wish now, as I did then why did I not get that list? He gave it to me but when I got back to Germany I could not find the list then he was transferred.  I lost contact with him.  I'll bet if you go to a library and ask one fo those workers, maybe an old very old grey hair worker just ask them.  I'll bet there are more books added to that list.  Hey that was 48 years ago-ok.  The list must be 84 x 10 now.

My input to new Warriors is ONE first after all the scriptures-Old, New, Book of Mormon, D&C, Pearl of Great Price, Jesus the Christ-there is one I cared a lot about, Music in Western Civilization by Lang.  Our music played a part in our civilizations history, trade, commonwealth, a myriad of areas that effected and affected mankind.  Read this one too, it's not an easy read but will make you become a better musician in all forms of musical expression.

Which brings me back to reading.  I agree it's SO much fun.  I am very happy I can see well, my vision today is near 20/20 without glasses.

Love to all,
Grandpa, Pops, the Old Geezer
Love U!
xxxooo

10 July 2013

Whittling wood and making a whistle with my dad in the woods about 1938-39.  All my life I would see men at dad's service station just sitting there whittling wood making "stuff".  Amazing to me! as a young boy.

Dad cut a green branch from a hazelnut bush.  The key is to have the bark 360 degrees move no knots so it will slide.  Then notch a V, cut out and blow air 360 degrees between bark and wood so it slides easy.  It will make a sound to use to help your friend.  A lost friend.  Survival help.

Operation Sage Brush C-119
We supported along with other C-199's there at Randolph AFB all over the SE USA for 4 days hauling troops.  Troops that jumped from aircrafts and load other passengers/cargo from San Antonio to Valdosta, Georgia.  We were a crew of 8 all together walking down a paved street curb-side walk with mom and pop shops-a negro alone is coming at us all 2-3 abreast on the sidewalk.  He steps in the street and continues towards us and speaks, "Good evening gentlemen." We reply "Good evening." When in a little more distance he moves back on the sidewalk.  Hmmm... I've never in my life experienced anything like this before in my life.  Hmmmm.....

After 0100 midnight to 4AM to an army base near Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the next afternoon we are free will fly at night back to San Antonio.  There is the center of town.  Our instructor had been to this town before so it was a guided tour with him telling of these people and what really impressed him.  All around the court house were out the door bunches with ?? married- 5 or 6 people, we could sit here and watch people in their walk abouts.  He told us not to start conversations just nod your head and be respectful.  If the whittler speaks to you, it's ok to talk to him.  Lot's of men (no women) just sitting there busy in their work of whittling wood.  One man making a chain out of a tree branch, a long stick. Just so much.  Wow I've never seen so much whittling going on at one time at one place in all my living.  It was a quiet time.  Some men were taking a practice nap.  Canes decorated, all items so beautiful things.

Whenever my dad would make something he would give it away.  He must have made 20-30 of those wood hazelnut branch whistles maybe 1/2 inch or a little smaller.  Slide bark it was.  What happened to them?

Next time you're in Murfreesboro, Tennessee take time to watch these old and young whittlers making beautiful "stuff" out of wood there on the benches in front of the courthouse. (All white building).

01 July 2013

(In response to an article "Take life insurance in your own hands-Term policy plus mutual fund might be best strategy")

Dear Ones,
So what will your family do if you are not here.  Tomorrow you are gone.  What is your plan to have them help themselves? Your options are:
1. Do nothing.
2. Do something.
3. Everyone has to have a will and all the legal documents that go with the will to protect your life's work.  The boy scouts were correct.  BE PREPARED.  This is your life, your time is today to take action.  All Weiland Warriors DO THIS.

I sold this stuff for a time in San Antonio licensed by the state of Texas, worked my way up to RVP at Primerica company.

Who in the world cares more about you than the mirror? When I did this in 1979-89 it's now for you to know.
1. 90% of life insurance sold in the world was sold in the US.
2. Most loud in US outside government were insurance companies.
3. Insurance companies bet you are going to LIVE and you bet you are going to DIE.
4. Who in this world care more about your money than you? Only you and the mirror.
5. So please understand TERM is the only kind you should buy.  NOTHING ELSE EVER! and some day you may have so much money you will not need any insurance.

OK, When you buy term you RENT that amount for 30 days.  So it's $50-100 or more or less.  You MUST be full of the program to keep your body near 100% HEALTH so that easy.  The Word of Wisdom you have been part of your upbringing so if you follow that plan your life will be long and full of good living.  If using your free will (only men and women can will and reason) no other living thing can do that! (Down the chain of living things it's called condition reflex.) So you decide how to care for your body.  The insurance company "actuary" is the group in the insurance company that KNOWS exactly the day +/- a few days that you will die.  That's their job.  If you smoke, do drugs, boogie it up and tell the truth to the insurance company you pay a higher rate for $____ because you are going to die sooner.  They then do what from day one.  They take your money, invest it, make a profit on hour money and live in a big house, drive a big car and take a vacation every month for about 10 days each and every month.  Hey.  Why did I give them my money so they can use my money to make a profit.

Ok, so what we did was (1980) say $100 is what you have in your budget for insurance.  We took $50 and you had, for 20 years, a $500,000 plan with goal of $100,000 in your investment plan.  This would give your wife $1,000 a month forever and still leave the $100,000.  We then take the other $50 and invest it into mutual funds.  Short need, long term stuff.  It grows, you never touch it.  It's your money you invest and you can buy/sell as you want.  This program will grow.  It is about 7% +/- since George Washington times more or less.  Just keep trucking.

Do you did OK.  Dead $500,000 + $1,000 a month + what the mutual funds, stocks, bonds and she can work some part time and home or whatever she is full of passion for.  An ice cream ?? will do just fine.  If you buy anything else these insurance people will fool you, take advantage of you.  They do just fine.  Because people trust them.  The words they use will trick you.

All Weiland Warriors are smarter than that.  If you want to ask me more, I am still here.  It's 01 July 2013.  Just buy term and invest the difference.  Emergency fund 1st. 6 months pay in cash. 100% debt free.  0 credit cards.  No loans. Pay cash for everything.  You can barter.  Americans are the the worst barter people in this world.  We just accept the stated printed price.  Never do this.  People can't say no unless you ask them.