M-14 DMR in Afghanistan (pics)

[Jeff L]

I wonder how our boys over there like the new fangled stocks? Probably doesn't make much difference if you can hold a bead on a bad guy.

-Jeff L

[Rick]

When I was on the Cat Crew of the USS Independence in 1966 we almost put the A-3 in the drink. Didn't have enough steam on her. Went through the Cat Officer, Cat Captain, Console operator and I was the 17 year old recorder that caught the mistake. I aborted the take off but the Cat Captain fired the Cat anyway. To his credit , realising his mistake, the console operator dragged steam to the cat all the way down the track and it made it in the air.

Years later my wife was reading a book by Barbra Mandrel and she mentioned her husband flying the A3 off the Independence. She really did come close to sleeping single in a double bed.

If I remember correctly they had the cat set for a A-1 prop job which took about 30 Lbs of steam. Think the A-3 weighed in at 72,000lbs or 96,000 lbs can't remember anymore and might have taken as much as 600 lbs of steam. The console operator had to drag a lot of steam in that 258 ft of take off distance.

Anyway John if your ever at an A-3 reunion and you meet Mr. Mandrel tell him how lucky he really is besides having a nice looking wife.

[Dave Waits]

Hold on John,I'm retired USAF,I know the difference betwen a landing and a controlled crash!LOL!!!

[John HOLBROOK]

Hold on John,I'm retired USAF,I know the difference betwen a landing and a controlled crash!LOL!!!

Yeah Dave, anyone can land on a 10,000' runway!!!!!!

A Naval Aviator could land, take off and land again on a runway that long!!!

[Dave Waits]

Point well-taken John. But, at least we don't 'Fish' for a landing. Truth be known, that has to take guts to do. You guys oughtta invest in some decent brakes!!! BTW, my youngest son was an 'Airdale' on the Carl Vinson. Black sheep of the family an all that.

[John HOLBROOK]

When I was on the Cat Crew of the USS Independence in 1966 we almost put the A-3 in the drink. Didn't have enough steam on her. Went through the Cat Officer, Cat Captain, Console operator and I was the 17 year old recorder that caught the mistake. I aborted the take off but the Cat Captain fired the Cat anyway. To his credit , realising his mistake, the console operator dragged steam to the cat all the way down the track and it made it in the air.

Years later my wife was reading a book by Barbra Mandrel and she mentioned her husband flying the A3 off the Independence. She really did come close to sleeping single in a double bed.

If I remember correctly they had the cat set for a A-1 prop job which took about 30 Lbs of steam. Think the A-3 weighed in at 72,000lbs or 96,000 lbs can't remember anymore and might have taken as much as 600 lbs of steam. The console operator had to drag a lot of steam in that 258 ft of take off distance.

Anyway John if your ever at an A-3 reunion and you meet Mr. Mandrel tell him how lucky he really is besides having a nice looking wife.

One of my friends and fellow Enlisted Bombardier/Navigators, Sig Signorelli was on the cat and as they moved forward, one of the cat hooks in the fuselage of the A3 tore out. They were moving to fast to stop and to slow to fly so the A3 dribbled off the bow and entered the water directly in front of the carrier. Sig started unstraping to escape as the ship ran over the bird!

He said that he could see the bottom passing over the plane and just as he disconnected all his gear, one of the ship's propellors ripped the top of the cockpit off, He pulled the tabs on his Mae West and he popped to the surface just as the stern passed over. He was the only one that got out!!

HOLY COLD CAT SHOT, BATMAN!! I am fearless, but that scares the snot out of me!!!! I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS, BUT NOTHING LIKE THAT!!!!!

[John HOLBROOK]

Here is a photo of my crew taken in 1959 or 1960 aboard the USS F.D. ROOSEVELT CVA-42..

I am holding the helmet with the checkers on it. On the left is LCDR Jerry Patterson, our pilot, and in the middle is Tom Brown, AE3 our Third Crewman. Note the old style Mae Wests, shortly after, we were issued the new type Torso Harness with an integrated flotation device which they are still using today!



Here is a crew wearing the Torso Harness...

[Bill D]

I still have my old Mae West and the survival vest we had (actually a belt with a couple of bags with suspenders) and my old orange flight suit. The Navy issued us the old football type helmet with the ribs. We hated them so traded flight deck boots to the Air Force for flight helmets. The commo had to be rewired but we liked them a lot better.

[John HOLBROOK]

Like these?????

[Emoney]

Geuss what guys, this is my uncle. Just got outta combat few months ago, now hes gonna join Spec Ops wish him luck