Retired? Say it Ain't So!

The first plane I was ever on was a retired B-24. It was parked on a small country grass airport next to a drive-in movie. My father, who flew 25 combat missions in a B-24 took us for a Sunday drive in his 1949 Packard. He bought me an aviator's cap to celebrate the day and hoisted me up into the belly of the retired bomber. I did not want to disappoint my father but the 50 cal machine guns were missing, He didn't seem surprised that they were not there but it did change my plans. Unconcerned by the missing guns, he was pleased to tell me and my brothers about the plane and what he did on the plane. He would not talk about combat but did tell us English ladies served hot chocolate to the returning airman and US medics served pure alcohol to "clean the oxygen masks". I got the impression my father and his crew were more interested in cleaning the oxygen masks than the hot chocolate.

It seems that the B-24 should have been retired and a couple of other birds in my experience, the F-105 and more reluctantly the F-4 Phantom, but the F-117A? I have to get out more.
A little on the retirement party:

Holloman Hosts Stealth Tattoo

By Elva K. Österreich, News Editor
Article Launched:10/28/2006 12:00:00 AM MDT

COMMEMORATING THE FLIGHT — Holloman Air Force Base Commander... (J.R. Oppenheim/Daily News)
The last bandit stood Friday to celebrate the success of the Air Force wonder, the stealth F-117A Nighthawk.
In the air for 25 years, the stealth F-117A was recognized for its place in history with a 25 plane flyover during a ceremony at Holloman Air force Base.

Holloman's 49th Fighter Wing Commander Brig. Gen. David "Fingers" Goldfein is Bandit 703, or "the last bandit," because when he completes his F-117A training check-in, he will be the final pilot to sign off on the training.

"It's an honor," he said.

During the ceremony, Goldfein spoke about the future and the past. He gave a brief history of the plane as it began in the Lockheed Skunk Works in 1943 with an idea.

In 1982 the first stealth, earlier dubbed "the Hopeless Diamond," rolled out on the runway.

Goldfein introduced visiting Ret. Gen. Lloyd "Fig" Newton who was at Holloman in 1988 when the F-117-A rolled into history by being unveiled to the public from its top secret status.

"This is clearly an important day," Newton said. "The Nighthawk has played a vital role since November 1988. It has been a key part in all of our war plans, one of the first to be called on as a weapon of choice."

The large Holloman crowd and guests heard a roll-call of the F-117 personnel who have died over the years and then, 25 of the Nighthawks appeared in the distance, noisily approached the little park, and were gone in the southern sky. It was a gathering of Nighthawks never seen and one which will never be seen again.

Cheers, laughs and tears rippled across the attendees at the sight of the planes and the event was over.

Epilogue

Shortly after 911, I took an early morning flight from Atlantic City Airport, a dual use facility with the NJANG. Walking from my car to the terminal, I was welcomed with an instant neck hair raising rush by the unmistakable air-ripping, ass-hauling, afterburner-lit, sound of two F-16s roaring down the runway. "Son of bitch, son of a bitch", I said to no one, tears in my eyes, I love the smell of JP-8 in the morning. Adios amigo.