Dear friends and family,
I am simply overwhelmed by the number of the cards, letters and emails I have received in the last few months. I am SO appreciative of so many of you sending best wishes and notes about our days together in the Air Force. What a real treat for Karen and me to relive so many wonderful experiences again. I just cannot thank you all enough.
When I get through this next six months I hope to be feeling much better and hope to eventually return to my two to three hour daily bicycle rides.
Your encouragement is playing a huge role in my recovery.
All nickles will be donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Center.
As I tell everyone, if our POWs could withstand years of incredible torture, I can get through this!
Dave
Save A Fighter Pilot's Ass
Chorus:
halleluia halleluia
throw a nickel on the grass, save a fighter pilot's ass
halleluia halleluia
throw a nickel on the grass & you'll be saved.I was cruising down the Yalu, doin' 6 & 20 per
when a call came from the Major, "oh won't you save me, sir
got 3 flak holes in my wingtips & my tanks ain't got no gas
mayday mayday mayday, I got 6 MIGs on my ass"
I shot my traffic pattern, & to me it looked alright
the air speed read 130, I really racked it tight
then the airframe gave a shutter, the engine gave a wheeze
"mayday mayday mayday, spin instructions please"
It was Split-S on my bomb run, & I got too Goddamned low
but I pressed that bloody button, & I let those babies go
sucked the stick back fast as blazes when I hit a high speed stall
now I won't see my mother, when the works all done next fall
then 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 & sputtered, it was too cut up to fly
"mayday mayday mayday, I'm too young to die"
I bailed out from the Saber, & the landing came out fine
with my E & E equipment, I made for our front line
then I opened up my ration, to see what was in it
the Goddamned Quartermaster, why he filled the tin with grit
Oscar Brand
Although Oscar Brand wrote this song during the Korean war and initially made it famous, the real author of the modern version (text) was written by my partner, my long time friend and the best WSO EVER, Raymond B Tucker (Friar Tuck).
Click to enlarge pictures
Click to enlarge pictures