I remember my first squadron OpsO walking me out to my first flight at Cherry Point, saying “remember, this is $600,000 of taxpayer money in your hands.” Today, that money would scarcely buy a new radio.
TC
That is too funny! The P-51, which basically won the air-war in Europe in WWII, cost about $50,000 per copy. If you trust US Gov't inflation statistics, that is about $675,000 in today's money.
Were you in Marine Air Group Mag-20? Our phantom squadron had a sister squadron of A-4’s. They were so funny parked on the tarmac. It was hard to believe they actually flew with there tall landing gear and short stubby wings. I often wonder if Cherry Point during that era didn’t have more aircraft then the whole Air Force today.