Aunt Jen Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 The military commercial thread got me thinking.. It takes all of us. It takes people in all the Armed Services, officers, enlisted. Long-timers, short-timers. It takes people to build infrastructure so our economy can work, fire-breathing dragons to ram-rod industry, nurses to care for us, people to sell us chilidogs at Dodger games. It takes people who argue, for it's through struggle that we find out American way. We're all in this together. My husband, Painless http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_F_Ware_Jralways felt a little guilty that he was never actually in the military. On Veteran's Day, in church, I could stand (Navy), but he could not---while my time in was si short compared to his 34 years in the SkunkWorks, Lockheed. In 1941, he had just taken his job at Lockheed, before Pearl Harbor. During WW-II, he flight test engineered Hudson Bombers and P-38s. Over time he did such ad all the Connie variants---some data of which we used at the NSA----C-130 Hercules, f-104 Starfigjter, TWO AIR FORCE ONEs, the U-2, and SR-71--flight tested at Area 51. I am so proud if him I could bust--a humble man, who couldn't stand on Veteran's Day in church. I just wanted to say: it takes all of us, to all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 It definitely takes us all. My grandpa was denied military service in WWII because he worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the propulsion laboratory. His team designed the engine for the B-29 that enabled it to reach Japan and end the war. He died before I could talk to him much about it, but Dad says he was very proud of his contribution to the war effort. Post-war he spent 20 years at Edwards AFB working in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There were very few of the X-series that he didn't have a hand in. His proudest accomplishment was the X-15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 Wow! Boy do we have few degrees of separation. Joe was a test engineer on Wright engines at Patterson before going to Lockheed, and he used to have aircraft at Edwards, including the U-2/Tony KeVier. I used to also know Tony (test pilot u-2), I used to work at JPL (one summer in college). And Joe and I used to fly into Edwards in various aircraft from the T-28 to a 1937 Stinson Reliant, Bonanza, and even a C-120. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 That's Tony LeVier. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_LeVier That auto complete helps me too much sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 While we certain should and do honor those who served in the military (especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice...which we commemorate on Memorial Day), there wereare thousands who made/make sure that the GI's had/have the equipment, food, clothing, etc., that is absolutely necessary for our defense! One of my uncles had a serious weight problem all of his life. It kept him out of the military during WWII, but he had a degree in bacteriology and went to work for the Food & Drug Administration, as a meat inspector, making sure that the food our troops got was safe for consumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I talked with one gentleman who was in the military in WWII. When I asked where he served, he kind of sheepishly said that he was in Logistics here in the States and was never overseas. I pointed out to him that without the people working to make sure the food, fuel, vehicles, weapons, clothing, munitions, and thousands of other things got to those doing the fighting, in quantity and on time, we might as well not send people to fight. For some reason he seemed relieved that I said that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 True. True. Thank you for your kindness to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Folks like the WASP's, made sure the planes got to where that had to be in WWII. My Mother was a WASP- She flew everydangthing the military had at the time. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 "They also serve who only stand and wait" Milton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 "They also serve who only stand and wait" Milton That's a fact! For families back home too. We had 2 of our sons in combat at the same time-Never want to deal with that ever again. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 "They also serve who only stand and wait" Milton He who covers is as necessary as he who advances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 My grandfather was rejected in WW II because he had too many kids to support but he did put 9 sons into uniform. John, Bob, George Ralph, Donald, Jim Walter, Raymond, Stephan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 My grandfather was rejected in WW II because he had too many kids to support but he did put 9 sons into uniform. John, Bob, George Ralph, Donald, Jim Walter, Raymond, Stephan OUTSTANDING OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 My dad was a pilot and maintenance officer of an ELINT/SIGINT squadron in Japan in the late 1950's. At that time, the Navy was bringing the relatively new Douglas A3D Skywarrior into service with all of its developmental issues. Part of his role with the squadron was to work closely with the engineers at Douglas to solve those problems. Maybe Painless couldn't stand as a veteran, but a lot of veterans could stand and lived on because of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 My dad was a pilot and maintenance officer of an ELINT/SIGINT squadron in Japan in the late 1950's. At that time, the Navy was bringing the relatively new Douglas A3D Skywarrior into service with all of its developmental issues. Part of his role with the squadron was to work closely with the engineers at Douglas to solve those problems. Maybe Painless couldn't stand as a veteran, but a lot of veterans could stand and lived on because of him. That brings grateful years to my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Remove one part no matter how insignifant it appears to be from a watch and it will not function properly. Everyone that supports our National Defense no matter how insignificant they may think their role is. Is a HERO in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Jen, I'm sure our families crossed paths at some point. My grandpa was Charles Howett, and most folks did know him as Charles. It's funny that you would know that Patterson FIeld was one of the two flying fields merged to form Wright-Patterson AFB. Wright Field, of course, was the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I've mention it before in a post or 2, my Dad was denied enlistment in the military in WWII. He was Superintendent of the P51 production line at North American Aviation in California. He tried several times and always said he would rather have been fighting for our country. Later in life after I got out of the army. I told him he did more to keep our freedom than he would have being in the military. He finally realized it, but still had regrets as he lost several boyhood friends in the fighting. Dad died in 2012 at 94. When I was going thru some stuff he saved for me, I found a letter from "Dutch" Kindleburger, founder and president of NAA, written to Dad on his retirement. He specifically congratulated my Dad on his achievement during the war and how it had undoubtably save many lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Jen Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Similar here. Painless passed in 12 at 95, and we have a letter to him from Kelly Johnson..... Very similar... Sooooooo. THIS MEMORIAL DAY it's true, these men and women did not fall in battle, were not in uniform, are not Veterans, per se, like Painless couldn't stand in church on Veteran's Day...., but they're part of our success, each and every one of them. I do NOT take away the huge sacrifice of those who were killed. No one could. But I just wanted to also value those others---be they manufacturing, support, logistics, people who work in business, law enforcement, people whose children were in a support function, whether L, G, B, or T, or not, right up to and including all persons of this nation---who are a part if our economy, who create the massive tax base that supports our Nation's defense. It takes all of us to be the country we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Well said, Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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