Category Archives: On their Shoulders

Last of the Few

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Ed

Testimony of Pilot #36 I’m 104 and the last survivor of the Battle of Britain – I want to live to 106 to see my crashed plane fly again. Group Captain John “Paddy” Hemingway is the only surviving pilot of … Continue reading →

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Testimony of Pilot: The Silver Waterfall

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Ed

Testimony of Pilot# 22 Stephen Crane once said that he wrote The Red Badge of Courage because reading the cold history was not enough; he wanted to know what it was like to be there, what the weather was like, … Continue reading →

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Testimony of Pilot: “I Am a Dragon, America the Beautiful Like You Will Never Know”

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Ed

Testimony of Pilot#3 From AIRSHIPS; Testimony of Pilot by Barry Hannah … Through Lilian I got the word that Quadberry was out of Annapolis and now flying jets off the Bonhomme Richard, an aircraft carrier headed for Vietnam.  He telegrammed her that … Continue reading →

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Testimony of Pilot: Of the Telling of TINS and the Avoidance of Lawyers

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Ed

Testimony of Pilot #1 You love a lot of things if you live around them, but there isn’t any woman and there isn’t any horse, nor any before nor any after, that is as lovely as a great airplane, and … Continue reading →

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Veterans Day 2017: What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Ed

Burns and Novick The Vietnam War – A Counter Anthology The PBS documentary The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick has received critical acclaim  and has been recommended for showing in schools. It follows Burns reputation well as … Continue reading →

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The 4th of June – Remembered Sky Day

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Ed

Blown Slick Series#5 The A-7 Corsair II carried a healthy fuel load for a carrier based strike aircraft.  On major strikes – those to significant, highly defended targets – into North Vietnam called “Alpha Strikes” with 30 -40  A-7,s, A-6’s, F-4’s, bombers, … Continue reading →

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What kind of war was it? – “How do I know, I saw the whole thing backwards!” June 4-7, 1942 at Midway

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Ed

Battle of Midway, Commanding Officer, USS Enterprise, Serial 0133 of 8 June 1942 At Sea June 8, 1942 From: The Commanding Officer. To: The Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet Via: Commander Task Force Sixteen. (Rear Admiral R.A. Spruance, U.S. Navy). Subject: … Continue reading →

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June 4th 1942 – It begins

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Ed

Preface to Blown Slick -the series: The evolution of fighter, attack, and strike warfare All days come from one day, that much you must know. You  cannot change what’s over, but only where you go… The road that leads to nowhere, … Continue reading →

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Sticks & Wires & Cloth

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ed

“An airplane is just a bunch of sticks and wires and cloth, a tool for learning about the sky and about what kind of person I am, when I fly.  An airplane stands for freedom, for joy, for the power … Continue reading →

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