True Story…..

From Dick Leister  1949, 1951 C

Hard to not pass this on…

True  Story…..

Luke  AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being  surrounded by civilization that complains about  the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting thatit was there long before they  were..  A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.  Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere  near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.

When that  individual read the response from a Luke AFB  officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The  complaint:
‘Question of the day for Luke Air Force  Base:

Whom do we thank for the  morning air show?  Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing  west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet.  Imagine our good fortune!  Do the Tom  Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

The  response:

Regarding  ‘A wake-up call from Luke’s jets’ On June 15, at precisely 9:12  a.m . , a  perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-1 6s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.  Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was  previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial  Day.

At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.  Based on the letter writer’s  recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I’m sure you didn’t hear the 21-gun  salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son’s flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and  servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..

A  four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in  defense of freedom.  We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate  respects.

The letter writer asks,  ‘Whom do we thank for the morning air show’?  The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it  was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their  lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you….Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.  One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Lt.  Col. Grant L. Rosensteel,  Jr.

USAF

“Send ’em up, I’ll  wait!” 
 
Love it!  This has got to be one of the greatest quotes of all time.
I thought this might make you smile. 🙂 
 
  …conversation overheard on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai.

 
Iranian Air Defense Site: ‘Unknown aircraft you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.’
Aircraft: ‘This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.’
Air Defense Site: ‘You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!’
Aircraft: ‘This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter.  Send ’em up, I’ll wait!’
Air Defense Site: ( … total silence) 

God bless our troops.  There is something about aMarine that makes other countries listen to reason. 

How ALL phones SHOULD be answered!

GOOD  MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .
……….  



Please Press ‘1’ for English..

Press ‘2’ to disconnect until you learn to speak English.  



And remember only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,  Jesus  Christ


And the American Soldier.  


One died for your soul,  

The other for your freedom.

If you agree…….Keep it  going.

 

To General Medenbach

From Dick Leister  1949, 1951 C

Jul 27

 I found this letter stashed away with other treasures in a folder long forgotten, and after some thought, I thought that some of you may enjoy reading it. I wrote it to him on the occasion of his 90th birthday. 

 I know the private thoughts we had for General Medenbach during our cadet days when he seemed much like a dictator imposing impossible discipline upon us but when I got to know him with some intimacy as an adult my opinions began to change.  I saw him as the true backbone of Valley Forge….He had the vision as did General Baker of exactly what the institution should look like and what kind of man it should produce…If I had not had the privilege of attending Valley Forge, God only knows what would have happened to me….

 So here you have it…like it or not it is the way I will always remember the man who shaped  my life.

 Dick Leister….God Bless the Band.  7/2011

 25 January 1998

 I have known you for fifty of your ninety years.

 You were an absolutely awesome figure of a man when I first saw you in September of 1947. My early years were an experience of small town Pennsylvania. There were no individuals there that rivaled the magnitude and magnificence of men like John Black, Frank Kobes, Bill Koons, Al Sanelli, Mate Blank, Anthony Flores and the rest. All shinning with perfection from sunrise to sunset. I could not reason how these men could look so perfect every day. I will never forget the first words my Commandant uttered to me while crossing the main area in those hateful “Plebe skins”. You said, “stand up mister, shoulders back, and be proud of yourself.”  No one had ever spoken those words to me before and the thought of being proud of myself had never crossed my mind.

 In November of that year, on the day of recognition when we officially joined the Corps, my diary tells me that you informed us that we had just joined a lofty tradition established by former cadets that had fought their way through a great world war and that we would forever be part of the Valley Forge heritage. These were indeed words that should be tucked away in memory. It is my belief that thousands of cadets have tucked away those words that you uttered to us over many years and those words have caused many of us follow the continuing climb to succeed in life. In those days as a cadet, I knew you as 1 strict administrator of discipline and I thank you for it.

 In 1968, I had just returned from Vietnam and was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground MD. I flew a Cobra to Valley Forge, landed on the parade field and had a cup of coffee with the PMS. The next fall, 1969, I arrived at Valley Forge as the PMS. These years were truly a dismal period for Valley Forge. General Baker retired, you retired and General Strong appeared on the scene as Superintendent. Enrollment was at a minimum, Vietnam raged on, the hippies were burning the flag, bills continued to arrive and Johnny Mauk our comptroller confided with me that things were indeed at a panic situation. We constantly heard about the old prestigious military schools around the country disappearing in bankruptcy. Every week, General Strong would meet with Al Sanelli, Ralph Jones and myself to game innovational scenarios that would build enrollment. Organize a Boy Scout troop (we named the troop 171 because it was established in September of 1971) admit women on a limited basis, relax the military standards. There was even guarded talk of going to blue blazers and grey flannel slacks-things were really tough. Through all of this you steadfastly held to the established tradition of Valley Forge. You told me in your office, just before you retired, “We must not trade off our heritage”. “We must keep the Corps in tact”. “We have come too far to turn back or give up”. As an instructor of Aerospace Science, working for Al Sanelli, I spent time in the faculty lounge with the instructors between classes. The moral there was unmistakably in the doldrums. But remember, these were all men who had been through a war and witnessed appalling times before. They were always innovative with their classroom activities and constantly strived to provide an excellent education-never a thought of doom or failure.

 I look in my chapel book and see that you delivered a sermon on the eleventh of May 1971 in which you stated that the “Traits which are the backbone of the Valley Forge Military Academy are six in number:

 1. Integrity – a total acceptance of your actions.

2. Concern for ones elders, peers and subordinates. Loyalty is a two way street.

3. Professionalism – help others to generate confidence in themselves.

4. Involvement in life. Don’t be afraid to step up and take a chance.

5. Moral Courage- stick to tough decisions.

6. Initiative- be aggressive and self reliant.

 It seems to me that these traits that you so effectively outlined in 1971 are the ideals that the founder, General Baker envisioned in 1929 and still are totally creditable for the institution  in 1998. In these days as an adult, I knew you as a man who would not give up the vision of the future and we all thank you for it.

 On this, the occasion of a grand celebration of your ninetieth birthday, our best wishes are with you, but I would be remiss with this writing if I did not mention Jean’s and my thoughts of a wonderful woman who touched our lives deeply, your wife Helen. She is a lady of impeccable character, impressive intelligence and most of all a dear, dear friend. I dusted off my Guidon and therein found two things, a Valley Forge football schedule for 1949 and an invitation to attend tea at the Commandants Quarters on Fariston Road at 4 P.M. hosted by Mrs. Medenbach. The date was May of 1951. This is the house that I would occupy 18 years later with my family.

 I saw you last in 1996 at our 45th reunion. When I shook your hand and we had a brief time together, you still had that sparkle in the eye. I could instantly tell you were so proud of all those who attended, all those men who you had helped to mold. Well Milton, we somehow made it through the depressing years of the early 70’s and we have a Corps and an institution that you have always envisioned. We are all members of that lofty tradition and are part of the Valley Forge heritage that you talked about back in 1947. We are all proud of it and we thank you for it.

 I will see you next in the first year of our new century, 2001. It will be my fiftieth class reunion and I know as well as God made little green apples you will still have that sparkle in the eye. It will always be there. We will sit in the parade field stands and watch a sparkling Corps pass in review with the cadency of the best band ever. We will have our class pictures taken and I will wonder why so and so looks a little older and I don’t. We will watch Bert South try to organize the alumni classes for a pass in review without resembling the last dregs of the Civil War. Lastly, we will again sit in that beautiful chapel and become inspired, yea with a tear or two as we together sing our Alma Mater. “Hail, Alma Mater, dear. High wave thy colors clear”;

 Milton there is one thing that I never confided in with you. I timed everyone of the sermons delivered by those speakers for the four years that Jean and I attended chapel and here are the numbers:

       1969-70    6 hours 35 minutes.

      1970-71   7 hours. 16 minutes.

      1971-72    6 hours 17 minutes.

      1972-73    7 hours 42 minutes.

 Have a very happy birthday and I will see you in the next century.

 Ltc. Dick Leister   1949

JC 1951

PMS 1969-1973

 

 

The Green Thing

From Rick Bruno, 1971C

The Green Thing

 In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. 

The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today.  Your generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over.  So they really were recycled.

But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind.  We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.  Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. 

 In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. 

 When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. 

 Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.  We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.

 We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. 

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. 

 We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.  And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

 Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smartbutt young person.

 The Green Thing

Stunning cartoon from 1933

From Keith Stanton, 1969

Just think of what has been said in print, on TV, and on the radio as to what many people feel may be the Obama agenda, consider this cartoon, and them recognize that 51% of our fellow Americans pay no federal income tax and recieve some kind of government assistance or entitlement, illegals are supported by state and Federal Government funds (e.g CA Gov Brown just signed a bill giving tuition assistance to illegal immigrants) , and then ask yourself what result all of it will have on what was once the greatest economy in the world, but yet now is close top being insolvent.  See cartoon below!

Keith

________________________________________________________________________________

If we taxed everyone who makes over $250,000 a year 100% of their wages in
taxes (the so called rich Obama says aren’t paying their fair share) it would
only pay for 9 days of Federal spending! Obama is an idiot and the people who
demand more taxes in lieu of cutting the federal budget to reduce the deficit,
are even bigger ones!

Support our Troops!

This has been around before, but it is quite meaningful right now!

Stunning cartoon from 1933.

This cartoon was in the Chicago Tribune in
1933. Look carefully at the plan of action in the lower left corner.

Remember the adage:  “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”