F/A-18 crash at NAS Key West
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Location: UK
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Do a 'Google' search :-
Chorus
Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass--Save a fighter pilot's ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you'll be saved.
Chorus
Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass--Save a fighter pilot's ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you'll be saved.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Within the U.S. Air Force fighter pilot community, the term "throw a nickel on the grass ..."
embodies an expression of mutual respect and good luck from one warrior to another. It stems from the refrain of an old Korean War barroom ballad… "Throw a nickel on the grass, save a fighter pilot's ass" and was later immortalized by an unknown author's closing words in his Tribute to the Fighter Pilot …
So here's a nickel on the grass to you, my friend, and your spirit, enthusiasm, sacrifice and courage - but most of all to your friendship. Your's is a dying breed and when you are gone, the world will be a lesser place."
Throw a Nickel On the Grass…Save a Fighters Pilot’s Ass
Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass–Save a fighter pilot’s ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you’ll be saved.
I was cruising down the Yalu, doing six and twenty per
When a call came from the Major, Oh won ‘t you save me sir?
Got three flak holes in my wing tips, and my tanks ain’t got no gas.
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I got six MIGS on my ass.
I shot my traffic pattern, and to me it looked all right,
The airspeed read one-thirty, I really racked it tight!
Then the airframe gave a shudder, the engine gave a wheeze,
Mayday, mayday, mayday, spin instructions please.
It was split S on my Bomb run, and I got too God Damn low
But I pressed that bloody button, and I let those babies go
Sucked the stick back fast as blazes, when I hit a high speed stall
I won’t see my mother when the work all done next fall.
They sent me down to Pyongyang, the brief said “no ack ack”
by the time that I arrived there, my wings was mostly flak.
Then my engine coughed and sputtered, it was too cut up to fly
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I’m too young to die.
I bailed out from the Sabre, and the landing came out fine
With my E and E equipment, I made for our front line.
When I opened up ration, to see what was in it,
The God damn quartermaster why he filled the tin with grit.
embodies an expression of mutual respect and good luck from one warrior to another. It stems from the refrain of an old Korean War barroom ballad… "Throw a nickel on the grass, save a fighter pilot's ass" and was later immortalized by an unknown author's closing words in his Tribute to the Fighter Pilot …
So here's a nickel on the grass to you, my friend, and your spirit, enthusiasm, sacrifice and courage - but most of all to your friendship. Your's is a dying breed and when you are gone, the world will be a lesser place."
Throw a Nickel On the Grass…Save a Fighters Pilot’s Ass
Oh, Halleliua, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass–Save a fighter pilot’s ass.
Oh, Halleliua, Oh, Halleliua
Throw a nickel on the grass and you’ll be saved.
I was cruising down the Yalu, doing six and twenty per
When a call came from the Major, Oh won ‘t you save me sir?
Got three flak holes in my wing tips, and my tanks ain’t got no gas.
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I got six MIGS on my ass.
I shot my traffic pattern, and to me it looked all right,
The airspeed read one-thirty, I really racked it tight!
Then the airframe gave a shudder, the engine gave a wheeze,
Mayday, mayday, mayday, spin instructions please.
It was split S on my Bomb run, and I got too God Damn low
But I pressed that bloody button, and I let those babies go
Sucked the stick back fast as blazes, when I hit a high speed stall
I won’t see my mother when the work all done next fall.
They sent me down to Pyongyang, the brief said “no ack ack”
by the time that I arrived there, my wings was mostly flak.
Then my engine coughed and sputtered, it was too cut up to fly
Mayday, mayday, mayday, I’m too young to die.
I bailed out from the Sabre, and the landing came out fine
With my E and E equipment, I made for our front line.
When I opened up ration, to see what was in it,
The God damn quartermaster why he filled the tin with grit.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melb, Aust
Age: 51
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Thanks rvusa and ORAC,
being a mere sapper I was unaware of that connection.
On to the F/18, I watched an online video (now unable to find it) recorded by a man and woman paddling around the crash in their canoe. It appears from their conversation that the crash had happened less than 15 min prior, that another jet was still circling overhead, the SAR bird had not yet arrived, and there was strangely no mention of the crew. The aircraft had broken apart immediately in front of the air intakes and remained in 2 main parts, both upside down.
Paul
being a mere sapper I was unaware of that connection.
On to the F/18, I watched an online video (now unable to find it) recorded by a man and woman paddling around the crash in their canoe. It appears from their conversation that the crash had happened less than 15 min prior, that another jet was still circling overhead, the SAR bird had not yet arrived, and there was strangely no mention of the crew. The aircraft had broken apart immediately in front of the air intakes and remained in 2 main parts, both upside down.
Paul
Salute, Paul!
Sorry I assumed that most here were aviators or familiar with the terms we use without thinking of other folks' background.
The nickel on the grass toasts have been around since the 50's, and I was sure that the Blokes and others would have also picked up on it due to exchange assignments and such.
The Jeremiah Weed toasts came about much later, like 1980. This blog even has pics of our fallen comrades, and the traditional nickel next to the bottle of Weed.
https://fightersweep.com/1233/fighte...jeremiah-weed/
One of my combat flight members borrowed an English toast and modified it for our own use at reunions when we toast our missing wingmen.
So hold your goblets steady,
For we come from a brotherhood that flies,
Here's a toast to the dead already,
And a low, fast pass for the next man that dies!!
Gums sends...
Sorry I assumed that most here were aviators or familiar with the terms we use without thinking of other folks' background.
The nickel on the grass toasts have been around since the 50's, and I was sure that the Blokes and others would have also picked up on it due to exchange assignments and such.
The Jeremiah Weed toasts came about much later, like 1980. This blog even has pics of our fallen comrades, and the traditional nickel next to the bottle of Weed.
https://fightersweep.com/1233/fighte...jeremiah-weed/
One of my combat flight members borrowed an English toast and modified it for our own use at reunions when we toast our missing wingmen.
So hold your goblets steady,
For we come from a brotherhood that flies,
Here's a toast to the dead already,
And a low, fast pass for the next man that dies!!
Gums sends...
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melb, Aust
Age: 51
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Cheers Gums
Just goes to show that you learn something new every day, I'm a very keen aviation tragic but that had somehow slipped me by. As an aside, one of my long term projects is the restoration of a Vietnam veteran Grumman Mohawk cockpit section.
Regards Paul
Just goes to show that you learn something new every day, I'm a very keen aviation tragic but that had somehow slipped me by. As an aside, one of my long term projects is the restoration of a Vietnam veteran Grumman Mohawk cockpit section.
Regards Paul
