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
- Call Me a Fighter ‘Gator October 7, 2021
- Bridge and the Art of War August 19, 2021
- Some thoughts on combat July 31, 2021
- The Brotherhood of Warriors January 20, 2021
- My special love – The F-4 Phantom II October 7, 2020
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© John Norvell
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Category Archives: Cambodia bombing 1973
Down to the “South 40”
In May 1973, I checked in, as a new GIB, assigned to the 13 TFS at Udorn RTAFB. I had come to the war late as a non rated officer who entered Nav School in the fall of 1971. Now … Continue reading
Freedom Bird
45 years ago, this week in April, I boarded a “Freedom Bird” heading home from Thailand after a year-long remote combat tour. It was a year filled with many things: honing my flying skills as a backseater in the F4, … Continue reading
Little Orphan Annie and the end of the Air War in SEA August 1973
Lest we forget: F-4 Phantom II—445 total lost in the SEA Air War, 382 in combat more than any other fixed wing aircraft First combat loss F-4C 64-0685 (45th TFS, 15th TFW) shot down Ta Chan, NW NVN on 20 June 1965. Final … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Cambodia bombing 1973, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Fighter Aircraft, Military history, Norvell Family History, SEA, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged Air War SEA, air war vietnam, Cambodia, Cambodia Bombing, Letters home SEA, Recollections of combat, Vietnam memories
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Of Fireworks and other things
There is no way around it. The 4th of July makes me think of fireworks. When we were small there were always fireworks in Fair Haven, a town located on Lake Ontario about 8 miles away. We lived on the … Continue reading
Watch out for the flying Bucket of Water
Each spring in Thailand, there is a festival called Songkran. This is the traditional Thai water festival celebrated with the Thai new year in April. According to Wikipedia: The Songkran celebration represents purification and the washing away all of … Continue reading
Leaving Home
I have been reading a great memoir of the Second World War: Quartered Safe Out Here, by George MacDonald Fraser. It details his experiences in the Burma Campaign as a 19-year old private in the Border Regiment fighting the Japanese … Continue reading
Letters from the War – Thailand 8
The following excerpts are from letters that were written to my wife and others during the Vietnam War, while I was stationed in Thailand. Because of the nature of the events, the letters seldom told the entire story to loved … Continue reading
