Hello, Geezer coming back to this forum. Paul B
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Paul B
Premium Member
That ramp is for small rafts and canoe's. You can't put a power boat on there
That looks nicer than some of the ramps we’ve backed our boat/trailer down.
Paul B
Premium Member
I am going to Washington DC tomorrow. Hopefully, the cherry blossoms will still be in bloom. The "Honor Flight" people are taking me and about 100 other Veterans there for an Honor ceremony.
Some of my friends are staying with my wife to help her as I won't leave her alone for a day.
www.honorflightlongisland.org
Some of my friends are staying with my wife to help her as I won't leave her alone for a day.
Veterans | Honor Flight Long Island | New York
It is Honor Flight Long Island's privilege to fly our Veteran heroes free of charge to Washington, DC. We schedule our flights in the Spring and the Fall. Honor Flight Long Island is a regional hub of the national Honor Flight network.
www.honorflightlongisland.org
Kudos to the Vets.I am going to Washington DC tomorrow. Hopefully, the cherry blossoms will still be in bloom. The "Honor Flight" people are taking me and about 100 other Veterans there for an Honor ceremony.
Some of my friends are staying with my wife to help her as I won't leave her alone for a day.
Veterans | Honor Flight Long Island | New York
It is Honor Flight Long Island's privilege to fly our Veteran heroes free of charge to Washington, DC. We schedule our flights in the Spring and the Fall. Honor Flight Long Island is a regional hub of the national Honor Flight network.
@Paul B,
You are an inspiration for me. Between November 1966 and November 1970 as an Air Force veteran, I made E4 four times. My squadron commander continued promoting me so I could serve four 90 day tours in Cambodia as a flying crew chief on Puff the Magic Dragon.
Hug your gorgeous wife. She is a keeper.
Patrick
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Paul B
Premium Member
OMG I got home 1:00 this morning from the Honor flight to DC. Our plane landed here about 11:30 last night. It was amazing and some of it was almost indescribable. I even had a Supermodel companion assigned to me who was really nice. I couldn't be happier but I will get back to this as we are having a bunch of company coming today. 
Paul B
Premium Member
This homecoming was a very high point in my life. When people come home from the service or war now they are greeted with respect and maybe a party, parade or at least an ice cream cone and are rightly so treated as Hero's. It was much different when we came home from Vietnam.
I ETSed (Got out of the Army) in April 1971. I left the jungle in Vietnam on the Cambodian border and got on a helicopter to go to another helicopter, then to a makeshift airfield, still in the jungle for the flight on a fixed wing airplane to a Tonsunut (spelling?) Air Force base in southern South Vietnam. I was still muddy.
I had to remove all my clothes and walk through a "tunnel" naked (so I wasn't carrying grenades or a duck) leave my weapons and got clean clothes (but no shower) to get on the TWA plane home. (I was better looking then)
In those days the flight attendants were all Supermodels but the return flight Home we didn't have any of them. The flight was 24 hours with a stop in Japan and Alaska where I called home and reversed the charges (no cell phones then so this was the first call home in a year)
The plane took off and went almost straight up so we didn't get shot down. I thought we were crashing and didn't realize commuter planes could take off on such an angle. We all gave a standing ovation. No movie, and we had a bologna sandwich on white bread, no mustard, lettuce mayonnaise LRS food, mysis or anything else for the 24 hours. They couldn't even spring for a movie, not even a Bugs Bunny Cartoon.
We landed in McGuire Air Force base in New Jersey at 2:00 am with no fanfare. I got out of the plane, got on my knees and kissed the ground.
They wouldn't wake up the clerks to sign us out so they thought we would quietly sit there for 5 hours. Of course we started yelling and tearing the place apart until they woke up some people.
My girlfriend, now wife, filled out many discharge papers so most of my information, including my 2 Bronze Stars and other medals on my DD 214 (discharge papers) was missing until about 25 years ago.
They gave us all a 15 cent subway token and we were out of the Army. There are no subways in New Jersey and none of us had any money because we didn't use real money in Nam. We had MPC which was "Monopoly money" and fell apart when it got wet.
(I was still dirty)
Most guys had to hitch home but my wife and family drove me the 80 or so miles home.
The guys that had to hitch hike had a hard time because Vietnam veterans were for the most part "disliked" then and some were spit on and cursed at. (I think that's why they took away our weapons and grenades) We didn't tell anyone we were in that war as it was looked down upon so there was no recognition and was kept quiet. College kids especially were mostly rioting, sort of like now.
Anyway now to present day. On Saturday an organization called The Honor Flight took 50 Veterans from WW2, Korea and Vietnam to Washington DC all expenses paid. We had to be at the airport at 3:00am. I was the first one there as I usually am because I am never late.
I have no idea how they got my name.
They said they were giving each Veteran a companion and wheelchair for the trip. The person they assigned to me was a Supermodel and extremely nice person. I didn't need the wheelchair but many of the guys were older and did. You could use it to carry any of your stuff. I didn't need it so I left it on the bus.
(notice my spit shined boots)
We walked through the empty airport until I heard this loud band with bag pipes. There were about a hundred people there at 5:00am thanking us, giving us cards, screaming and welcoming us. It was amazing and we didn't know anything about it. We took off at 6:00am for DC.
We landed in Washington and had a full day of touring the monuments like the WW2, Korera and Vietnam
WW2 Memorial
(picture didn't load here)
Korea
This pictrure didn't load either so make believe there is a Korean war memorial here
And of course Viet Nam
At the Vietnam Memorial (where I have been to before) I took a picture of the part of the panel where about 40 the guys I was with died in a battle we were in called Fire Support Base Ilingworth which was in on April 1st 1970. I lost it a little there.
This picture either. I will try to load these later
We also went to the national Archives building where important documents like my book are kept. Oh, The Constitution and other documents are also housed there. The Constitution is housed in a 24 karat gold case with thick glass that is hermetically sealed with argon gas and has two armed guards around it with big gun
I asked one of the guards if I could take it outside in the daylight to see it better. He didn't think that was a good idea.
We all got on the bus to the almost hour long trip to the airport and they yelled out "Mail Call". They gave all of us a big bag of letters. Many were from grammar school kids with drawings and crossword puzzles, really, really nice. The rest of them were from friends
And we have many life long friends. Before this trip my wife told our friends to send letters to the Honor Flight people just for this occasion. I got so many heartwarming letters many from lifelong friends plus my kids and Grand Kids.
On the flight back one guy stood up. He was one of the Companions and yelled out. "HEY VETERANS" I need help and started to sing in a beautiful baritone voice "God Bless America" where we all chimed in.
We landed about midnight at the airport near here. The airport was dead silent and empty. No one in sight so we figured that was the end of the trip and we would go find our cars in the pitch dark airport.
As we walked towards the exit, I heard in the distance bag pipe music and figured it was piped in airport music.
We walked through the glass doors one by one and OMG, this blasting bag pipe and drums filled the airport. There were at least 200 people there screaming thank Yous, giving us cards and cookies, old people. young people, grammar school kids and adults.
They had a band plus about 25 bag pipe players in full regalia. AT MIDNIGHT
They were taking pictures and as the music was blaring, flashlights were flashing, drums were drumming, Honor guards holding flags were saluting it was the best thing I ever experienced in my life. Now I feel I had my home coming and I am so grateful.
I have no idea where they got all these people at that hour but it was fantastic.
I ETSed (Got out of the Army) in April 1971. I left the jungle in Vietnam on the Cambodian border and got on a helicopter to go to another helicopter, then to a makeshift airfield, still in the jungle for the flight on a fixed wing airplane to a Tonsunut (spelling?) Air Force base in southern South Vietnam. I was still muddy.
I had to remove all my clothes and walk through a "tunnel" naked (so I wasn't carrying grenades or a duck) leave my weapons and got clean clothes (but no shower) to get on the TWA plane home. (I was better looking then)
In those days the flight attendants were all Supermodels but the return flight Home we didn't have any of them. The flight was 24 hours with a stop in Japan and Alaska where I called home and reversed the charges (no cell phones then so this was the first call home in a year)
The plane took off and went almost straight up so we didn't get shot down. I thought we were crashing and didn't realize commuter planes could take off on such an angle. We all gave a standing ovation. No movie, and we had a bologna sandwich on white bread, no mustard, lettuce mayonnaise LRS food, mysis or anything else for the 24 hours. They couldn't even spring for a movie, not even a Bugs Bunny Cartoon.
We landed in McGuire Air Force base in New Jersey at 2:00 am with no fanfare. I got out of the plane, got on my knees and kissed the ground.
They wouldn't wake up the clerks to sign us out so they thought we would quietly sit there for 5 hours. Of course we started yelling and tearing the place apart until they woke up some people.
My girlfriend, now wife, filled out many discharge papers so most of my information, including my 2 Bronze Stars and other medals on my DD 214 (discharge papers) was missing until about 25 years ago.
They gave us all a 15 cent subway token and we were out of the Army. There are no subways in New Jersey and none of us had any money because we didn't use real money in Nam. We had MPC which was "Monopoly money" and fell apart when it got wet.
(I was still dirty)
Most guys had to hitch home but my wife and family drove me the 80 or so miles home.
The guys that had to hitch hike had a hard time because Vietnam veterans were for the most part "disliked" then and some were spit on and cursed at. (I think that's why they took away our weapons and grenades) We didn't tell anyone we were in that war as it was looked down upon so there was no recognition and was kept quiet. College kids especially were mostly rioting, sort of like now.
Anyway now to present day. On Saturday an organization called The Honor Flight took 50 Veterans from WW2, Korea and Vietnam to Washington DC all expenses paid. We had to be at the airport at 3:00am. I was the first one there as I usually am because I am never late.
I have no idea how they got my name.
They said they were giving each Veteran a companion and wheelchair for the trip. The person they assigned to me was a Supermodel and extremely nice person. I didn't need the wheelchair but many of the guys were older and did. You could use it to carry any of your stuff. I didn't need it so I left it on the bus.
(notice my spit shined boots)
We walked through the empty airport until I heard this loud band with bag pipes. There were about a hundred people there at 5:00am thanking us, giving us cards, screaming and welcoming us. It was amazing and we didn't know anything about it. We took off at 6:00am for DC.
We landed in Washington and had a full day of touring the monuments like the WW2, Korera and Vietnam
WW2 Memorial
(picture didn't load here)
Korea
This pictrure didn't load either so make believe there is a Korean war memorial here
And of course Viet Nam
At the Vietnam Memorial (where I have been to before) I took a picture of the part of the panel where about 40 the guys I was with died in a battle we were in called Fire Support Base Ilingworth which was in on April 1st 1970. I lost it a little there.
This picture either. I will try to load these later
We also went to the national Archives building where important documents like my book are kept. Oh, The Constitution and other documents are also housed there. The Constitution is housed in a 24 karat gold case with thick glass that is hermetically sealed with argon gas and has two armed guards around it with big gun
I asked one of the guards if I could take it outside in the daylight to see it better. He didn't think that was a good idea.
We all got on the bus to the almost hour long trip to the airport and they yelled out "Mail Call". They gave all of us a big bag of letters. Many were from grammar school kids with drawings and crossword puzzles, really, really nice. The rest of them were from friends
And we have many life long friends. Before this trip my wife told our friends to send letters to the Honor Flight people just for this occasion. I got so many heartwarming letters many from lifelong friends plus my kids and Grand Kids.
On the flight back one guy stood up. He was one of the Companions and yelled out. "HEY VETERANS" I need help and started to sing in a beautiful baritone voice "God Bless America" where we all chimed in.
We landed about midnight at the airport near here. The airport was dead silent and empty. No one in sight so we figured that was the end of the trip and we would go find our cars in the pitch dark airport.
As we walked towards the exit, I heard in the distance bag pipe music and figured it was piped in airport music.
We walked through the glass doors one by one and OMG, this blasting bag pipe and drums filled the airport. There were at least 200 people there screaming thank Yous, giving us cards and cookies, old people. young people, grammar school kids and adults.
They had a band plus about 25 bag pipe players in full regalia. AT MIDNIGHT
They were taking pictures and as the music was blaring, flashlights were flashing, drums were drumming, Honor guards holding flags were saluting it was the best thing I ever experienced in my life. Now I feel I had my home coming and I am so grateful.
I have no idea where they got all these people at that hour but it was fantastic.
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These are very much like the stories my former father in law would tell me. Despite coming back to such a greeting, and struggling with job hunting in the midst of affirmative action, I've always known him to be a patriot, still to this day, flying his flag on the farm. He's a good grandfather to my son (and a hell of a mechanic).
that one always gets me.
Reminds me of when I was able to visit Pearl Harbor, on my first honeymoon actually when I was about 20yrs old. I lost it. 21 years later I still get teary eyed even when they do the star spangled banner at baseball games.
Thanks and congrats to you, Paul.
Your story brought a memory to me of my uncle… he was an Army Paratrooper before Vietnam, and then became a pilot. In 1969-70, he was hired by TWA and his first flights were cargo flights, delivering empty coffins to Vietnam and returning with full coffins to the US. (He hated that job)
Fortunately, he was later ‘promoted’ to returning live soldiers back home.
Unfortunately, he’s long gone, but he’d probably remember if a character like you was on his flight!
He loved flying so much, that he purchased a ‘family plot’ at a local cemetery that has a direct view of a local OMNI tower.
Your story brought a memory to me of my uncle… he was an Army Paratrooper before Vietnam, and then became a pilot. In 1969-70, he was hired by TWA and his first flights were cargo flights, delivering empty coffins to Vietnam and returning with full coffins to the US. (He hated that job)
Fortunately, he was later ‘promoted’ to returning live soldiers back home.
Unfortunately, he’s long gone, but he’d probably remember if a character like you was on his flight!
He loved flying so much, that he purchased a ‘family plot’ at a local cemetery that has a direct view of a local OMNI tower.
Paul B
Premium Member
Here in New York we have to get our cars inspected every year. Of course as I was going to have it done, my "Check Engine" light came on and it won't pass inspection like that.
I have the Code Reader that you plug into the computer port in the car and it tells you whats wrong and what turned on that light. It's normally a pollution thing so it won't pass inspection. The tool told me it is an outdoor temperature sensor that the computer needs to know for a couple of functions and it also tells you the outdoor temperature. On my Jeep Renegade it is in the passenger side mirror and Jeep wants about $500.00 to repair it, the repair shop about $450.00.
150 years ago I was a General Motors Mechanic and I basically won't let anyone touch my car unless it is warranty work or I just can't physically do it any more (I am not a young chicken any longer) But I will do most things myself. I am not a snowflake and know how to fix most things except maybe a nuclear submarine. I may have a little trouble with that.
Anyway, the bad part is a thing called a thermistor and is a tiny thing about half the size of an LED bulb. They are also very cheap, much less than a Copperband Butterfly. For $10.00 bucks they sent me about a hundred of them.
It changes resistance as the temperature changes and normally you would replace the entire mirror to fix this problem. But I am not a Jiboni so I just took apart the mirror and soldered in a new thermistor.
Here is the opened mirror.
And with the new thermistor soldered in. It sticks out on the bottom of the mirror in a little rubber boot. Problem solved.
I have the Code Reader that you plug into the computer port in the car and it tells you whats wrong and what turned on that light. It's normally a pollution thing so it won't pass inspection. The tool told me it is an outdoor temperature sensor that the computer needs to know for a couple of functions and it also tells you the outdoor temperature. On my Jeep Renegade it is in the passenger side mirror and Jeep wants about $500.00 to repair it, the repair shop about $450.00.
150 years ago I was a General Motors Mechanic and I basically won't let anyone touch my car unless it is warranty work or I just can't physically do it any more (I am not a young chicken any longer) But I will do most things myself. I am not a snowflake and know how to fix most things except maybe a nuclear submarine. I may have a little trouble with that.
Anyway, the bad part is a thing called a thermistor and is a tiny thing about half the size of an LED bulb. They are also very cheap, much less than a Copperband Butterfly. For $10.00 bucks they sent me about a hundred of them.
It changes resistance as the temperature changes and normally you would replace the entire mirror to fix this problem. But I am not a Jiboni so I just took apart the mirror and soldered in a new thermistor.
Here is the opened mirror.
And with the new thermistor soldered in. It sticks out on the bottom of the mirror in a little rubber boot. Problem solved.
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
MMM--Paul's Auto Repair.
I'll have to remember that!
I'll have to remember that!
Paul B
Premium Member
Vinny, I made a lot of money doing side jobs with mechanics, plumbing, carpentry and electric not to mention snow plowing in the days when it used to snow.
Most young people today are to lazy to do anything to make money. There is money all over the place, you just have to be a little faster, nicer, neater and of course know what you are doing.
Most young people today are to lazy to do anything to make money. There is money all over the place, you just have to be a little faster, nicer, neater and of course know what you are doing.
Paul B
Premium Member
So I got this new computer a few weeks ago and I love the thing. It looks and runs exactly like my 18 year old Windows 7 which was my criteria. Of course this new one has 6 times more computing power which is why I bought the thing. I may get my wife the same one today. She has a newish one but I can't even figure out how to save a picture of a clown gobi on it as it is way over my bald head.
Anyway, as I was transferring the old photos and articles from the old computer to this one I noticed that I wrote about 90 articles or stories, most of which had nothing to do with fish. I can't believe I wasted so much "ink" in these years since they invented computers.
If I get time, I will read those stories to see if I still agree with them.
Anyway, as I was transferring the old photos and articles from the old computer to this one I noticed that I wrote about 90 articles or stories, most of which had nothing to do with fish. I can't believe I wasted so much "ink" in these years since they invented computers.
If I get time, I will read those stories to see if I still agree with them.
