by John ‘Shylock’ Koch
I still cherish the time I spent with the air wing. As I look back on it we were warriors and comrades all rolled up together. When one of us called for help, we all came, and we owe our lives to each other. If I got a call from any one of you, even now, that we had a strike to hell, I know Snake and I would be there with our 28 Mk 82’s strapped to our ass ready to deliver the payload, for we are Naval Aviators !
Warrior yes, Warlike no. Scratch that dedicated exterior and you will find the biggest softy in the world. He always has time to help. His capacity for lending a hand to less fortunate is probably the only thing that exceeds his bent for a good time. Check him closely and you’ll more than likely find a tear in his eye at his son’s Little League baseball game or when he is holding his daughter when she says “I love you Daddy”, or when his granddaughter calls “Papa, Papa”.
No rocket will replace him. No American can do without him. You may not appreciate him but you can’t ignore him. You can heap abuse upon him and call him names, but the next time you need him, he’ll be there. And though he may not understand why, he will keep his dedication, his courage, and his desire to serve; after all, he is a Naval Aviator.
Michael Norman’s quote from his book These Good Men was introduced in September as one of the first handful of posts Remembered Sky: Gift of Wings.
As it turns out Max Carey and Michael are long time friends and Max introduced Michael and Jim Horsely. And interestingly enough, I knew one of the Marines in Norman’s book – a Vandy NROTC Marine. Intersections indeed. I contacted Michael about the site and the connections. His reply is relevant here, I think, as I use his title and thought once again:
Thank you very much indeed for the kind words about “These Good Men” throughout your email exchange. I’m glad the book spoke to a wider audience of servicemen, and I’m delighted that veterans groups think a particular section worthy of their web sites and newsletters and magazines. And I very much enjoyed the stories of six degrees of separation. I’ve known Max Carey since adolescence; we were running mates, as it were, running after…well…you know. We also got together after the war and it was a strange first meeting, the mud Marine and the Jet Jockey comparing stories. Max is the friend of my youth, someone I will never forget. I also want to thank any F4 pilots in the skein of emails. Marines loved you guys, loved the HE, the napalm, the way you came is so close we could almost feel the heat of your after-burners. I can’t tell you how many times you kept a ferocious enemy off our backs. I’m happy your group is reconnecting and I wish you the best. We few. We happy few. We band of brothers. (Henry V, Shakespeare).
Sgt. Michael Norman, Golf Co., 2/9, 3rd Marine Div. 1967-1969