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Hi, tuliptree:

Thirty-three years ago today
I decided to go away
To Lackland Air Force Base of all places
Don the uniform and serve my country well

Basic Training was a blur
Of early days and long, muggy nights
Humid heat and sun accompanies by booted feet
Thank God only a few of us wore pelts of fur!

From Lackland to Chanute as a "Ping"
To learn Jet Engines and the Magic Of Flight
They pushed us through Hard & Fast
We hoped to get deep into the fight!

Instead of Thailand and the RVN
Those much wiser decided to send
Me to Little Rock Air Force Base
The biggest C-130 patch on the planet's face!

Where Short Tour TDYs were Second Nature
Rhine Main, Mildenhall, Ankara, Panama's Big Ditch
Go Out. Come Home. Get Settled. Go Back Out
Just like Falling Off A Log or Turning On A Switch

ETS from The Rock to Andrews and the Reserves
1976 was a bad year for my nerves
With many trips back to Honduras and Panama
Kind of like Saigon and '75. With half the drama.

Lockheed's Herkies came and went
I guess it was money well spent
When our C-141s made the scene in Eighty One
Though, maintenance wise, they weren't much fun!

Twelve years of fat budgets and good times under Reagan
To places all over the world, religious and pagan
Then eight years of Misery under Bill
Left our Unit nearly Dead and in need of a Magic Pill.

Supporting the Secret Service on all their jaunts
With lots of tax dollars they did flaunt
All over the globe on "Fact Finding Tours" and Trips
While our budget was strangled from a stream to a drip!

That time's over. Saints Be Praised!
The Old Hands are gone and the youngsters are amazed
Going from C-141s to KC-135s
With money left over is a miracle in this day and age!

Jack Deth~ 08/21/05.

Thank you, Jack!

OHH Jack, that was a little of getting to know you in a wonderful way.

Thanks for the Ping :-)