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
- What the… November 25, 2021
- Hail to the Chiefs — Crew that is November 21, 2021
- Fighter ‘Gator Book Now Available October 7, 2021
- Bridge and the Art of War August 19, 2021
- Some thoughts on combat July 31, 2021
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Copyright notice- An American Family, 2013- 2021
© John Norvell
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Tag Archives: F4 Phantom II
Thoughts from the Pit
As I completed my time at Luke upgrading into the backseat some thoughts crossed my mind: 1. The Ejection seat was my friend and I took great care to make sure that everything was right. When I stepped in the … Continue reading
Flying the F4 in the North – Alaska
From 1974-1978 I flew intercepts of Soviet bombers off the coast of Alaska in the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter. I had arrived in Alaska fresh from a combat tour in Thailand, where I flew missions over Vietnam, Laos, … Continue reading
Welcoming the POWs Home 1973
46 years ago, in 1973, the American POWs that were held captive in North Vietnam were repatriated to the United States. On January 27, 1973, the United States and North Vietnam agreed to the release American prisoners of war. Operation … Continue reading
Posted in American History
Tagged 1973, 310 TFTS, F4 Phantom II, Luke AFB, Operation Homecoming, POWS, Sky Harbor
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Racing Back to Vietnam – A Good Read
There are few books that have really captured the world of the F4 backseater or GIB (Guy in Back) in combat. For Dr. John Pendergrass flying in the F-4 Phantom II in combat during the Vietnam War changed his life … Continue reading
You can go Home Again
Recently, I spent a great day at the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. It was amazing to see all those aircraft — every version of Air Force One from President Franklin Roosevelt’s plane to the 707 aircraft that took … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, American History, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans
Tagged 13 TFS, Air Force, Air Force 1, Air Force Museum, Alaska, Combat, Elmendorf AFB, F4 Phantom, F4 Phantom II, Fighters, Norvell, Norvell History, Robin Olds, Vietnam War
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Warming your car….
In Alaska it was a challenge to drive in the winter. Although snow was not a major issue in Anchorage, cold weather often was the downfall of many vehicles. 40 years ago, long before it became common in the … Continue reading
Posted in 43 TFS, Air Force, Alaska, Alaskan Air Command, American History, Anchorage, Anchorage Alaska, F4 Phantom II
Tagged Air Force, Alaska, Anchorage, Eielson AFB, F4 Phantom II, Fairbanks
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How does it feel…?
So there I was flying combat missions daily in the F4 over Cambodia in 1973 and a letter comes from my late sister and she asked “How does it feel to kill someone?” To say it pissed me off at the … Continue reading
On Top of McKinley
Flying in Alaska was always amazing. The scenery was spectacular, but also challenging. Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage was located off the end of the Knik Arm, one of the two branches of the Cook Inlet. The other branch, the Turnagain … Continue reading
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