SR-71, The Blackbird
Salute!
It is hard to quickly find someone who received an award/decoration.
I went to the national archives and could not find my DFC, but it could be the dates I entered didn't match. Ditto for my SIlver Star, and I had the dates just right as it was pinned on me by a USAF two-star on the battlefield where the action took place within two weeks of the end. The Army has a quick and dirty process in order to keep morale up and then move on, and they were the ones who put me in for the decoration. Hell, they even had a "program with pictures and a map", just like you would get at a football game. ( Look up :THE 5TH BATTALION ASSOCIATION - Battle of Y Bridge ) USAF is full of paper pushers and I didn't get the DFC for over a year after my flight lead submitted the paperwork, unbeknownst to me until I had returned to the states and the boss ordered me to a ceremony.
Oh well, I have never met an out and out liar about a war, far as I clould tell. But I have heard confusing stories and embellished ones.
Gums sends...
It is hard to quickly find someone who received an award/decoration.
I went to the national archives and could not find my DFC, but it could be the dates I entered didn't match. Ditto for my SIlver Star, and I had the dates just right as it was pinned on me by a USAF two-star on the battlefield where the action took place within two weeks of the end. The Army has a quick and dirty process in order to keep morale up and then move on, and they were the ones who put me in for the decoration. Hell, they even had a "program with pictures and a map", just like you would get at a football game. ( Look up :THE 5TH BATTALION ASSOCIATION - Battle of Y Bridge ) USAF is full of paper pushers and I didn't get the DFC for over a year after my flight lead submitted the paperwork, unbeknownst to me until I had returned to the states and the boss ordered me to a ceremony.
Oh well, I have never met an out and out liar about a war, far as I clould tell. But I have heard confusing stories and embellished ones.
Gums sends...
Medals....BAH!
I have some I cannot talk about....far too embarrassing a story behind them.
The one I am most proud of is the "Royal Order of the Yo-Yo" Medal with Cloth Ribbon that I earned twice.
It was presented by the WOPA Chapter at the Unit to a member that had really done something far beyond stupid......and you retained custody of it until it was awarded to someone else.
It had to worn anytime you were off duty, in the Officers Club, and within sight of alcohol.
To be caught not wearing it meant you bought all the drinks that night.
I have some I cannot talk about....far too embarrassing a story behind them.
The one I am most proud of is the "Royal Order of the Yo-Yo" Medal with Cloth Ribbon that I earned twice.
It was presented by the WOPA Chapter at the Unit to a member that had really done something far beyond stupid......and you retained custody of it until it was awarded to someone else.
It had to worn anytime you were off duty, in the Officers Club, and within sight of alcohol.
To be caught not wearing it meant you bought all the drinks that night.
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Originally Posted by gums
USAF is full of paper pushers and I didn't get the DFC for over a year after my flight lead submitted the paperwork, unbeknownst to me until I had returned to the states and the boss ordered me to a ceremony.
I stumbled across this awards ceremony by accident years ago while walking back from the New Sagaya grocery store in ANC. The gentleman in the broad brimmed hat behind Lt. Gen. Hoog in the picture turned out to be Alaska's sole U.S. congressman Don Young.
More in this article:
World War II heroics not forgotten The Alaska Star
This guy had to wait 68 years for his DFC
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I just came across more on that 1977 SR-71 static display at Mildenhall in Paul Crickmore's Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions (Revised Edition 2016).
Colonel 'Buz' Carpenter narrates:
Actually, one of my Navy skippers did cross-deck with the Russians in Vladivostok in about 1978.
Colonel 'Buz' Carpenter narrates:
As a postscript, about two weeks later we were informed that our TDY at Mildenhall had been extended to support the Air Tattoo celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. A two-day open house would attract well over 100,000 visitors and the SR-71 would be on its first British public display since setting the speed record from New York to London in 1974. The SR-71 would be part of the static display, but roped off so people could not touch the aircraft.
We had been advised to watch for representatives from the Soviet Union and Eastern satellite countries trying to get too close to the aircraft and securing material samples. To prevent the Russians or anyone else from exploiting the display, no sensors were left on the aircraft, all fuel had been removed from the tanks and the aircraft was heat soaked to ambient temperatures to prevent infrared cameras from discovering the secrets of the aircraft’s internal structure and support systems.
As we four crewmembers were standing around the aircraft answering questions from the crowd, sure enough the Russians showed up in numbers. They took numerous regular and infrared photos and some of the Russians even had hidden microphones. They were a sight to see, coming up like a covey of quail. It looked like the Salvation Army had outfitted them. Their dress sense was that from a 1930s movie about American mobsters. They were attired in bulky double-breasted suits made from rougher cloth than one normally sees, and all clustered around each other waiting for their leader to act. The head of the Soviet delegation, a former MiG-23 fighter pilot, was quite relaxed and talkative in his demeanour and invited John and I to sometime drop in on Vladivostok in the Far East as a gesture of peaceful relationships. We just quipped, ‘Please forward that request to our State Department.’ The British open house audiences are much more aviation literate than their American counterparts. Tough aeronautical questions were often asked as we stood by the aircraft in the static display, but a great time was had by all, with wonderful weather and spectacular flying demonstrations.
As we four crewmembers were standing around the aircraft answering questions from the crowd, sure enough the Russians showed up in numbers. They took numerous regular and infrared photos and some of the Russians even had hidden microphones. They were a sight to see, coming up like a covey of quail. It looked like the Salvation Army had outfitted them. Their dress sense was that from a 1930s movie about American mobsters. They were attired in bulky double-breasted suits made from rougher cloth than one normally sees, and all clustered around each other waiting for their leader to act. The head of the Soviet delegation, a former MiG-23 fighter pilot, was quite relaxed and talkative in his demeanour and invited John and I to sometime drop in on Vladivostok in the Far East as a gesture of peaceful relationships. We just quipped, ‘Please forward that request to our State Department.’ The British open house audiences are much more aviation literate than their American counterparts. Tough aeronautical questions were often asked as we stood by the aircraft in the static display, but a great time was had by all, with wonderful weather and spectacular flying demonstrations.
Actually, one of my Navy skippers did cross-deck with the Russians in Vladivostok in about 1978.
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Col. Rich Graham is giving a lecture near Stratford On Avon this coming Wednesday.
Tickets are still available
Tickets are still available
✈ ✈ ✈ **SPREAD THE WORD** This is an event open to members and none members ** ✈ ✈ ✈ Colonel (ret.) Rich Graham, flew the world’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft, the SR-71 Blackbird, for 7 years during his 25-year Air Force career. He also flew 210 combat missions in Vietnam as an F-4 fighter pilot and Wild Weasel pilot. His many military awards include 3 Legion of Merit medals, 4 Distinguished Flying Cross medals and 19 Air Medals.
Rich speaks with authority on the SR-71 having been the Squadron Commander and 9th Wing Commander of this Top Secret reconnaissance program. Rich is a respected authority with an incredible depth of knowledge on the Blackbird. His truly amazing stories enthrall aviators and non-aviators alike.
Location
The Charlecote Pheasant Hotel
Charlecote Road
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV35 9EW
Charlecote Road
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV35 9EW
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Originally Posted by pulse1
He must be on a tour. I am hoping to hear him speak in Bournemouth on Thursday evening.
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Same person?
Hi, is it possible that Jim Eastham and Jack Mecham are actually the same person who chooses to be known under a different name now for whatever reason?
Cheers Paul
Cheers Paul
Training as a civil ATCO at Northern Radar in mid 1973, one day one of the RAF controllers strolled over and told me 'watch track number XX; it's an SR71'
I watched it and noted it would move at high speed for some distance, then the blip would apparently stop (the Type 82 radar I was watching was not equipped with MTI) then it would move again, tracking north west from the vicinity of Alconbury.
It wasn't until later I read about the SR71 climb technique.
The following year, 1974, having been posted to Farnborough I was present when 'Aspen 01' arrived having left Beale only a few hours previously and setting up a world record across the Atlantic.
We were told to have fire crews standing by as if one or more of his 3 brake chutes failed to stream, he would stay down but have VERY hot brakes when he stopped.
I watched it and noted it would move at high speed for some distance, then the blip would apparently stop (the Type 82 radar I was watching was not equipped with MTI) then it would move again, tracking north west from the vicinity of Alconbury.
It wasn't until later I read about the SR71 climb technique.
The following year, 1974, having been posted to Farnborough I was present when 'Aspen 01' arrived having left Beale only a few hours previously and setting up a world record across the Atlantic.
We were told to have fire crews standing by as if one or more of his 3 brake chutes failed to stream, he would stay down but have VERY hot brakes when he stopped.
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Chevvron,when I was an ATCO at Eastern Radar(civil) in 1983,I was called into the bosses office one day (HL,you may know him).I was given a brown A4 envelope,and told to read the type-written page inside,digest the information,hand it back,and then talk about it to no-one.It contained information about the procedures to be followed when the SR71 was to be operating from Mildenhall during my next morning duty.However,when I arrived for work on the said day,my colleague(DW,whom you may also know,being an ex-ATCA).had already arrived,and had 'plugged-in'.Bearing in mind my instructions,I said nothing to him,presuming he had been shown the contents of the aforementioned brown envelope.I did however watch the progress on the spare screen,and thereafter these flights were quite a common occurrence,but I do wonder if this was the first one.
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Fairy, check out the RAeS web site for Rich giving lectures at a number of the Branches. He comes over to UK twice a year. Based in Cambridgeshire. Likely to appear at Duxford talking to youngsters in the main.
