I’ve been lucky as hell to have the very best job in the world: I got to meet the guys I grew up reading about and was in awe of, became their friend, and recorded their stories for history. Some of them were already in the history books, most weren’t. A friend of mine - a successful novelist - once told me that he envied non-fiction writers, because we have the power to bring the dead to life.
THIS is what Memorial Day should be about. I am stunned by the detail of your stories. Amazing stuff about amazing people. Thank you.
And your "concluding thought" about "service"? When was it that such a concept seemed to almost vanish from public discourse? Politicians now seem swallowed by ambitions for power and control. But wasn't service the original idea? Our earliest leaders didn't think of elected office as a career, but an honor, an opportunity to serve.
On this MEMORIAL DAY 2022, TC's displayed his 'superpower' by bringing Dan Bowling, Dick Best John Bridgers and Steve Pisanos back to life. They were extraordinary pilots in wartime and outstanding models of service in daily life.
'To me, there is a one word thread that runs through these stories - and all the other stories I could write here - “Service.”
These heroes fought for Democracy and served their communities in peacetime. TC waved the banner of determination, hard work and service on this day. What better examples to follow when it comes to standing up for democracy now, without a doubt and without delay.
My dad was a medic for the duration in the South Pacific. He enlisted on December 8, 1941 at the age of 25. Eighth grade dropout, South Philly Irish, they made him a medic for reasons I haven't the faintest idea about. He was wounded in the Philippines got malaria, bitten by a scorpion in his neck and developed heart problems. He served through V-J day. Came home, married my mom, had my brother Tom in '48. His health was failing, was in and out of the VA. My mom got pregnant with me and he died before I was born at the age of 39 in 1956. Never knew him. Have pictures and stories of an old time Irish American shit kicker. My mom told me how much I was like him until the day she died. Thinking of you this Memorial Day, Pvt. Edward J. Clay. Ya did good pops.
Extraordinary stories - thanks! I have read the war stories of Best and Hudner but had no idea what they did after the war. I wish I could ask my father if he had met some of the Enterprise aviators you describe during his tour aboard in 1941-1942. He did volunteer for flight duty and took his first two lessons (unofficial) in N2S biplanes at Pearl between the February '42 island raids and the Doolittle raid.
Today we are also remembering my brother John, who became an A-7 pilot with one Vietnam tour in 1970 aboard Oriskany, and another tour aboard the Midway in 1975, where he watched the amazing last day of the war from the bridge. In 1980 John and a student pilot disappeared over the Pacific while flying a T-34.
I come from a family of heroes, my father and his oldest brother both flew TBF's, the middle brother flew reconnaissance for Paton and his 3rd Army; he flew a puddle jumper of a plane that was hard for the Messerschmidts to shoot down because they were so fast and he was so slow and could fly down along narrow roads in the trees. My grandfather told me that the happiest day of his life was the day all 3 of his sons returned from the war alive. We are lucky, our parents generation truly was a genreation of heroes.
I protested the Viet Nam war in the late 60s. Not the soldiers who were sent there but the senselessness of the war. As well as the atrocities that I learned were occurring. I was a teenager and my brother was draft age. He ended up with a very high number and didn’t have to go. But many of my classmates did. Some came home and some didn’t, at least as the same person they were. Fast forward 30 years and I’m a nurse in Radiology. One of my responsibilities is giving sedation to MRI patients who are claustrophobic. I gave our standard meds to a man in his 50’s and he was relaxed and ready to go into the MRI. For anyone that isn’t familiar with an MRI, it’s an excellent diagnostic imaging test, but you have to go into a tube and the radio frequency’s and magnet make a very loud banging sound as it attains the images. A few minutes after his MRI started he was screaming and literally trying to crawl out of the MRI. We stopped the exam and brought him out. He was frantic because he didn’t have his gun and it was either him or the Viet Cong that his job was to flush out, we finally got him calmed down and he told me he was a tunnel rat. I had never heard of a tunnel rat but he started talking and the flood gates opened. Moving through tunnels with a gun and it was you or him. In my career as a nurse I’ve had some patients that touched and tore my heart, and he was one of them❤️💔💝
All of your wonderful stories about all of these heroes makes me remember my husband's experiences. He was the ordnance part of an air crew flying P2's during Vietnam. They flew first from Saigon and next time from Cam Rahn Bay. His stories were so scary. Our grandson, now 18, loves to tell his friends about his Grumpa and show them the pictures of him and talk about his life. It helps to keep him close even though he passed in 2013. Thank you TC for sharing your stories about the heroes we would not have known if not for you.
Retelling these individuals' stories causes remembrance. No greater honor is the recognition captured in factual, honest narrative by a friend. From these stories of honor, service, and love of country are woven the tapestry of the America we aspire to. Thanks for retelling these today.
Thank you TC. Captivating and compassionate essay. On this Memorial Day, you have memorialized service to our country. Which all of us understand in the small and many ways that we serve community amongst us human beings.
THIS is what Memorial Day should be about. I am stunned by the detail of your stories. Amazing stuff about amazing people. Thank you.
And your "concluding thought" about "service"? When was it that such a concept seemed to almost vanish from public discourse? Politicians now seem swallowed by ambitions for power and control. But wasn't service the original idea? Our earliest leaders didn't think of elected office as a career, but an honor, an opportunity to serve.
On this MEMORIAL DAY 2022, TC's displayed his 'superpower' by bringing Dan Bowling, Dick Best John Bridgers and Steve Pisanos back to life. They were extraordinary pilots in wartime and outstanding models of service in daily life.
'To me, there is a one word thread that runs through these stories - and all the other stories I could write here - “Service.”
These heroes fought for Democracy and served their communities in peacetime. TC waved the banner of determination, hard work and service on this day. What better examples to follow when it comes to standing up for democracy now, without a doubt and without delay.
My dad was a medic for the duration in the South Pacific. He enlisted on December 8, 1941 at the age of 25. Eighth grade dropout, South Philly Irish, they made him a medic for reasons I haven't the faintest idea about. He was wounded in the Philippines got malaria, bitten by a scorpion in his neck and developed heart problems. He served through V-J day. Came home, married my mom, had my brother Tom in '48. His health was failing, was in and out of the VA. My mom got pregnant with me and he died before I was born at the age of 39 in 1956. Never knew him. Have pictures and stories of an old time Irish American shit kicker. My mom told me how much I was like him until the day she died. Thinking of you this Memorial Day, Pvt. Edward J. Clay. Ya did good pops.
Extraordinary stories - thanks! I have read the war stories of Best and Hudner but had no idea what they did after the war. I wish I could ask my father if he had met some of the Enterprise aviators you describe during his tour aboard in 1941-1942. He did volunteer for flight duty and took his first two lessons (unofficial) in N2S biplanes at Pearl between the February '42 island raids and the Doolittle raid.
Today we are also remembering my brother John, who became an A-7 pilot with one Vietnam tour in 1970 aboard Oriskany, and another tour aboard the Midway in 1975, where he watched the amazing last day of the war from the bridge. In 1980 John and a student pilot disappeared over the Pacific while flying a T-34.
The best thing I’ve read today. Thanks, TC.
I come from a family of heroes, my father and his oldest brother both flew TBF's, the middle brother flew reconnaissance for Paton and his 3rd Army; he flew a puddle jumper of a plane that was hard for the Messerschmidts to shoot down because they were so fast and he was so slow and could fly down along narrow roads in the trees. My grandfather told me that the happiest day of his life was the day all 3 of his sons returned from the war alive. We are lucky, our parents generation truly was a genreation of heroes.
You met some amazing people. Your books will keep their memories alive.
I protested the Viet Nam war in the late 60s. Not the soldiers who were sent there but the senselessness of the war. As well as the atrocities that I learned were occurring. I was a teenager and my brother was draft age. He ended up with a very high number and didn’t have to go. But many of my classmates did. Some came home and some didn’t, at least as the same person they were. Fast forward 30 years and I’m a nurse in Radiology. One of my responsibilities is giving sedation to MRI patients who are claustrophobic. I gave our standard meds to a man in his 50’s and he was relaxed and ready to go into the MRI. For anyone that isn’t familiar with an MRI, it’s an excellent diagnostic imaging test, but you have to go into a tube and the radio frequency’s and magnet make a very loud banging sound as it attains the images. A few minutes after his MRI started he was screaming and literally trying to crawl out of the MRI. We stopped the exam and brought him out. He was frantic because he didn’t have his gun and it was either him or the Viet Cong that his job was to flush out, we finally got him calmed down and he told me he was a tunnel rat. I had never heard of a tunnel rat but he started talking and the flood gates opened. Moving through tunnels with a gun and it was you or him. In my career as a nurse I’ve had some patients that touched and tore my heart, and he was one of them❤️💔💝
Thank you for these humbling and not-to-forget biographies.
All of your wonderful stories about all of these heroes makes me remember my husband's experiences. He was the ordnance part of an air crew flying P2's during Vietnam. They flew first from Saigon and next time from Cam Rahn Bay. His stories were so scary. Our grandson, now 18, loves to tell his friends about his Grumpa and show them the pictures of him and talk about his life. It helps to keep him close even though he passed in 2013. Thank you TC for sharing your stories about the heroes we would not have known if not for you.
Then there was Vietnam. A war nobody supported and grunts and pilot’s goals were to protect and save their brothers because nobody els gave a shit.
You tell a really good story TC and the best part is that they're all true.
Retelling these individuals' stories causes remembrance. No greater honor is the recognition captured in factual, honest narrative by a friend. From these stories of honor, service, and love of country are woven the tapestry of the America we aspire to. Thanks for retelling these today.
Thanks for an extraordinary piece of writing, Tom. You were indeed fortunate to know these men and wise to bring their service to our attention.
Thank you TC. Captivating and compassionate essay. On this Memorial Day, you have memorialized service to our country. Which all of us understand in the small and many ways that we serve community amongst us human beings.
Salud!
Thanks for remembering all of them. Steve Pisanos really stood out to me, but all of them were extraordinary.