American History in Real Life
Movies in the past have often shown characters that were touched by historical events. Yet sometimes, the truth is often more fantastic than anything Hollywood can devise. These stories of real people show how the events of the past touched their lives. Some times the stories are dramatic, sometimes simple, but all in all they weave a tapesty of the richness of the American experience.American History in Real Life
Movies in the past have often shown characters that were touched by historical events. Yet sometimes, the truth is often more fantastic than anything Hollywood can devise. These stories of real people show how the events of the past touched their lives. Some times the stories are dramatic, sometimes simple, but all in all they weave a tapesty of the richness of the American experience.-
Recent Posts
- The Real Air Force January 4, 2022
- Thoughts from the Pit Part Deux December 7, 2021
- What the… November 25, 2021
- Hail to the Chiefs — Crew that is November 21, 2021
- Fighter ‘Gator Book Now Available October 7, 2021
Subjects
Copyright notice- An American Family, 2013- 2022
© John Norvell
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to John Norvell and an American Family with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Category Archives: American History
The Real Air Force
Way back in 1968, I was a very green second lieutenant with no real job assigned to a base in Washington, D.C. One day a crusty old chief warrant officer. who had served in WWII, said to me: “This is … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, F-4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, Luke AFB, Mather AFB, Thailand, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged The Real Air Force
2 Comments
Thoughts from the Pit Part Deux
More Thoughts from the Pit Flight Surgeons: The Docs were great, never met one that didn’t look out for the best interest of the jocks. Two things to remember though: you never told a Doc that you passed out. That … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, Air Force lingo, Alaska, Alaskan Air Command, American History, Anchorage, Anchorage Alaska, Arizona, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, Fighter pilot lingo, Fighter pilot slang, Navigator, Navigator Training, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged Fighter Pilot, GIB
Leave a comment
What the…
[The following blog post is rated M for mature audiences, it contains some language that may offend, but then again What the …] As June 1973 began, I attended my first fighter jock party in a combat zone. I wrote … Continue reading
Hail to the Chiefs — Crew that is
Some thoughts on a most important member of the Phantom II Team: The ground crews. When I was a non-rated officer, that is non-flying, I knew nothing about crew chiefs. Even when I was in navigator training, they did not … Continue reading
Fighter ‘Gator Book Now Available
This year marks 50 years since I arrived at Mather Air Force Base for undergraduate navigator training. To be honest, I had no idea what a navigator did. The dictionary definition wasn’t much help: Navigator — Definition — a person … Continue reading
Posted in American History
Leave a comment
Bridge and the Art of War
June 1973 turned to July. Most days, everything went as planned: TO-Take Off, rendezvous with the tank, take on gas—we loved the big gas station in the sky—get the target information. Contact the FAC; drop some surprises on the commies, … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans
Tagged agent orange exposure, Vietnam War
2 Comments
Some thoughts on combat
From the end of May to 15 August 1973, I flew combat missions over Cambodia. That was the focus of every day – combat: brief, refuel, bomb, and RTB. Now it was over. The air war had ended by direction … Continue reading
The Brotherhood of Warriors
For the past months, I have been going through all the letters I wrote to my wife from SEA. 16 June 1973: just when I was getting somewhat settled into my combat routine – we lost one. An F-4 took … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Mather AFB, Military history, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Vietnam War
Tagged 8th Air Force, B-17, Bombadier, WWII POW
5 Comments
My special love – The F-4 Phantom II
By 2016 I had not thought about flying fighters for a long time. My good friend from Alaska, the former Capt Jim (now Lt Col retired) suggested we meet in Dayton and go through the Air Force Museum. Jim was … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, Alaska, Alaskan Air Command, American History, Arizona, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Fighter Aircraft, Navigator, Vietnam War
Tagged Air Force Museum, Combat, Udorn
5 Comments
Homestead or Don’t Drown
In August 1972, immediately after basic survival my wife Bonnie and I were married. We then went on our honeymoon. She went to Arizona – my assignment and been changed to Luke AFB, outside Phoenix, and I… Well I … Continue reading
An American Family 