USO Canteen Freeper Style USAF Happy Birthday .... September 18,2002

Historic Air Force Songs

Itazuke Tower

(Tune of "Wabash Cannonball")

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm turning on the downwind leg, my prop has overrun;
My coolant's overheated, the gauge says 1-2-1,
You'd better get the crash crew out and get them on the run."

"Listen, Air Force 801, this is Itazuke Tower,
I cannot call the crash crew out, this is their coffee hour;
You're not cleared in the pattern, now that is plain to see,
So take it once around again, you're not a VIP."

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm turning on my final, I'm running on one lung,
I'm gonna land this Mustang no matter what you say,
I'm gonna get my charts squared up before that Judgment Day."

"Now listen Air Force 801, this is Itazuke Tower,
We'd like to let you in right now, but we haven't got the power,
We'll send a note through channels and wait for the reply,
Until we get permission back, just chase around the sky."

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm up in Pilot's Heaven and my flying days are done;
I'm sorry that I blew up, I couldn't make the grade,
I guess I should have waited till the landing was okayed."

Let's Have a Party

Parties make the world go round
World go round, world go round
Parties make the world go round
Let's have a party.

Now, we're gonna tear down the bar in the Officers' Club (Boo)
We're gona build us a new bar (Yay)
It's only gonna be one foot wide (Boo)
But it's gonna be a mile long (Yay)
There's gonna be no bartenders at our bar (Boo)
There's only gonna be barmaids (Yay)
Our barmaids will wear long dresses (Boo)
Made out of cellophane (Yay)
You can't take our barmaids to your bunks (Boo)
They take you to their bunks (Yay)
You can't sleep with our barmaids (Boo)
They don't let you sleep (Yay)
Soda's gonna be ten bucks a glass (Boo)
Whiskey free (Yay)
Only one to each pilot (Boo)
Served in buckets (Yay)
We're gonna throw all the beer in the river (Boo)
And then we'll all go swimming (Yay)
Now no girls are allowed in the USO hall (Boo)
With their clothes on (Yay)
There'll be no lovin' on the dance floor (Boo)
And no dancing on the lovin' floor (Yay)

Glory Flying Regulations

(Tune of "Glory, Glory Hallejulia")

Hap Arnold built a fighting team that sang a fighting song,
About the wild blue yonder and the days when men were strong.
But now we're regulated 'cause we don't know right from wrong,
The Force is shot to hell...

CHORUS:
Glory flying regulations
Have them read at all the stations
Burn the ass of those that break them
The Force is shot to hell.

Once they flew B-26s through a hell of flak,
and bloody dying pilots gave their lives to bring 'em back,
Now they're playing ping-pong in the operations shack,
The Force is shot to hell...

I've seen them in their T-Bolts when their eyes were dancing flame,
I've seen their screaming power drive that blasted Goering's name;
But now they fly like sissies and they hang their heads in shame;
The Force is shot to hell...

Now one day I buzzed an airfield with another happy chap,
We flew a hot formation with my wingtip on his lap,
So they passed a new directive and we'll have no more of that,
The Force is shot to hell...

So now mine eyes are dim with tears for happy days of old,
We loved to take our chances for our hearts were young and bold,
From now on we have no choice but live to be quite old,
The Force is shot to hell...

Hello Snow Bunny and all,

I hope those in Blue will forgive all this Army talk, but I wanted to explain my absence.

On the 29th of August I left for a long weekend to visit my #2 son at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was finishing his second week of the three-week Jump School. In other words, he had not yet made his five jumps. I didn’t want to hang around for all that. However, after a minor sprain in one ankle and some other bruises, he earned his jump wings the week after I left and is now back in school in Tacoma, WA.

Two things happened during and after my 2500 mile journey that need explanation. First, I didn’t expect it to be an emotional trip back in time and, second, I had not planned to be gone from FreeRepublic for more than four or five days. I’m not ashamed. I missed it and I missed some good cyber-friends..

The absence from FR is the easiest to explain. While I was gone a bolt of lightning, or something, killed my computer. I am now reconnected with my new Dell that my #1 son picked out and bought for me. Thanks son. I owe you - - big time!

Back to Benning. We did a lot of father/son bonding and guy stuff. He left for the Army after High School in 92 and has delivered the pizzas in all the Clinton Wag-the-Dog hot spots and then some: Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo and, Korea and Germany as regular tours. Now he is in a two-year ROTC program and, if all goes well, will be a 28-year-old 2LT in May. He has been through the Air Assault Course, is a mechanic by training and still wants to go to Ranger School when he graduates from college in the spring. It all adds up to me not seeing much of him since he left home at 17. We saw the beautiful Providence Canyon and Kolomoki Indian Mounds south of the post and we went to Plains to buy some peanuts. Almost ran into Jimmy. He had just been in the store in the center of town. I can tell you the town folks are proud of their favorite son but SE Georgia is not Clinton country. In fact, they have plenty of anti-clinton material in some of the gift shops.

We went to Atlanta for the Zoo, the Underground, the Cyclorama (Battle of Atlanta) and, of course, Stone Mountain. If you haven’t been to Stone Mountain in the last ten years, it is completely ‘disneyfied’, but in a nice sort of way.

Now for the trip back in time. A third of a century ago I left Ft Rucker, Alabama for my second tour in Nam. I had been there as part of flight school in 66 (WORWAC 66-11) and as an instructor pilot in 68-69. We drove the 150 miles so I could see what the place looked like and tell my son war stories. The Army Aviation Museum and all the new buildings made the place look so different. The post seemed deserted for the holiday weekend except for a WOC class involved in a car wash. Wow, did they ever look like kids. It looks like they still use the same parade field for ceremonies like our monthly graduation fly-bys of yesteryear. It was also the same field where my dad and sister pinned on my Aviator Wings and WO Bars. I found the BOQ where I lived between tours and where there had been a keg party almost every weekend. I think we had permanent MPs assigned to the place. As we were about to leave the post via the Ozark exit I saw a sign marked Hanchey Army Heliport. During the heighth of Nam it is where I worked and there must have been 150 to 200 TH-13T instrument training helicopters based there. (It’s a beefed up version of what you see on the MASH series.) As we drove up to the security gate the memories came rushing over me. Now there are other helicopters but it still looked the same. If you were a helicopter pilot back then you most likely had to endure Hanchey and then, if you were lucky, you got to inflict the pain on others when you came back for a Rucker tour of duty.

Son, when you read this post, you’ll know how much it meant to me when we went to Ft. Rucker together. Though I think I’ve already told you that.

An aside: This past Sunday my #3 son and I took the train from DC to NYC for the day. He wants to get hooked up in the movie industry and we were checking out some of the "how to" schools. We accomplished that mission after we did a little sightseeing. On top of the Empire State Building I actually had two very distinct emotions. Being around other Americans and many understanding foreign tourists I at once felt an almost embarrassing patriotism and a flash of anger at what ‘those fanatical bastards’ tried to do to us. I’ve felt this anger many times over the last year but it meant something more as I considered how that first WTC missile probably flew right by the observation deck of that beautiful old symbol of New York. Down below we went to Rockefeller Center to see the Faces of Ground Zero exhibit. We even got to meet Joe McNally who created the images with his giant camera and who had been on the Imus program earlier in the week. We ended our 12 hour NYC visit by going to Ground Zero. I’m glad it was raining. It’s how I felt.

The Air Force Song - Full Lyrics

by Robert Crawford, courtesy USAF Heritage of America Band

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Additional verses:

Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder,
Sent it high into the blue;
Hands of men blasted the world asunder;
How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!)
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer
Gave us wings, ever to soar!
With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Bridge: "A Toast to the Host"

Here's a toast to the host
Of those who love the vastness of the sky,
To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly.
We drink to those who gave their all of old,
Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold.
A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!

Zoom!

Off we go into the wild sky yonder,
Keep the wings level and true;
If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder
Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Flying men, guarding the nation's border,
We'll be there, followed by more!
In echelon we carry on. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Notes: Crawford didn't write "Hey!"; he actually wrote "SHOUT!" without specifying the word to be shouted. Wherever they appear, the words "U.S. Air Force" have been changed from the original "Army Air Corps." Words in parentheses are spoken, not sung.

Today's classic warship, USS Helena (CA-75)

Baltimore class heavy cruiser
Displacement: 13,600 t.
Length: 674’11”
Beam: 70’10”
Draft: 20’6”
Speed: 33 k.
Complement: 1,142
Armament: 9 8”; 12 5”; 48 40mm; 22 20mm

The USS HELENA was launched at Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass., 28 April 1945, sponsored by Mrs. John T. Haytin, wife of the mayor of Helena, and commissioned 4 September 1945, Captain A. H. McCollum in command.

HELENA completed her outfitting in the Boston area and sailed 24 October 1945, arriving New York City the next day to take part in the tremendous celebration of the Navy's role in World War II victory that marked Navy Day, 27 October 1945. After two shakedown/training periods at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, HELENA returned to Boston in February 1946 to prepare for her first deployment, a round-the-world cruise. HELENA sailed from Boston 12 February 1946 for England where Admiral H. Kent Hewitt boarded and broke his flag as Commander, Naval Forces, Europe, and Commander, 12th Fleet. During the next 3 months, HELENA conducted training exercises in Northern European waters and paid good will visits to major ports in England and Scotland.

Relieved as flagship 1 May 1946, HELENA sailed for the Far East via the Suez Canal, calling at major Mediterranean ports, Colombo, Ceylon, Singapore, and arriving Tsingtao 18 June 1946. During her tour in the Far East, HELENA took part in a wide variety of training exercises and fleet maneuvers until she finally departed Shanghai 22 March 1947 for home after more than a year in foreign waters.

After training operations in California waters, HELENA departed once more for the Far East 3 April 1948, arriving Shanghai 24 days later. Throughout the summer and fall of 1948, she operated primarily in Chinese waters returning to Long Beach December 1948.

HELENA spent much of the spring of 1949 in training a new crew and in May cruised to train Naval Reservists, returning to Long Beach for a conversion necessary to equip her to carry a helicopter. During July and August 1949, HELENA took part in a 6-week at sea training cruise for men of the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps to the Galapagos Islands and Panama. She then took part in Operation "Miki," a joint Army-Navy amphibious training exercise in the Hawaiian Islands conducted in November.

HELENA then proceeded via Yokosuka and Hong Kong to the Philippines where she conducted training exercises. She returned to Japan in January 1950, and soon after experienced the highlights of her service as flagship of the 7th Fleet when the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then touring the Far East, embarked 2 February 1950. During the remainder of her Far Eastern tour she carried out a schedule of large scale fleet exercises off Okinawa, and visits to Japanese ports. She departed for the United States 21 May 1950.

HELENA's schedule called for a summer spent in Long Beach, followed by overhaul at San Francisco. Suddenly came word of the communist aggression in Korea. Hurriedly, she prepared for sea, and, on 6 July 1950, sped westward. Stopping at Pearl Harbor only to take on ammunition, she plowed across the Pacific and into action on the east coast of Korea. On 7 August, she first unleashed her guns on an enemy target--the railroad marshaling yards, trains, and power plant near Tanchon.

Serving as flagship of the Bombardment Task Group, HELENA pounded enemy positions, aiding immeasurably in keeping the invaders off balance and preventing them from mounting a formidable drive, as United Nations forces prepared to take the offensive. Operations such as hers provided the diversion necessary to cover the powerful amphibious assault into Inchon, 15 September 1950. Later, HELENA provided gunfire support for Korean troops pushing the invaders north along the east coast, and it was HELENA's concentrated firepower that aided in creating a diversion at Samchok, and in the recapture of Pohang.

Valuable as she was in Korean waters, HELENA could no longer put off overhaul and in November 1950 she arrived at Long Beach to prepare for the now twice postponed yard period.

After her overhaul, she reported for duty at Sasebo 18 April 1951, and was assigned to Task Force 77, the fast carrier group making daily air strikes against the enemy. While operating as heavy support for the carriers, HELENA was often detached to pound shore targets. During June 1951, she was occupied almost continually in interdiction fire at targets along the east coast of Korea, then returned to the Task Force. At twilight on a day late in July, HELENA was straddled, then hit by shore gunfire. Damage was light, and swiftly twisting around the harbor in the maneuver which came to be called "the war dance," HELENA delivered rapid continuous fire that destroyed seven enemy gun positions and an ammunition dump. After a short respite at Yokosuka, she returned again to the Task Force, but was soon detached for special duty supporting a massive air strike on supply depots and railroad marshaling yards at Rashin, acting as radar picket.

HELENA's accurate gunnery was next sought by the 8th Army, for whom she fired at 13 targets along the bombline in aid of advancing infantry. Her support to ground forces continued with missions fired for United States Marines and Korean Army units. On 20 September 1951, she returned to Yokosuka. Here, at a ceremony on her decks, President Syngman Rhee of Korea presented to Task Force 95 the first Korean Presidential Unit Citation awarded to a naval unit. HELENA received the award for her operations in the fall of 1950.

After rejoining the Task Force, HELENA was ordered to duty as fire support vessel in the Hungnam-Hamhung area. With her helicopter providing its usual efficient spotting, she fired with great success on rail and highway bridges, marshaling yards and gun positions for the next 2 weeks.

HELENA returned to Long Beach 8 December 1951 and her entire battery of nine 8-inch guns was replaced. In February, she commenced training for return to the Far East. One of the highlights of this training period came 14 to 23 February 1952, when she took part in "Lex Baker One," the largest scale training exercise held since the outbreak of the Korean war. Over 70 ships and 15,000 sailors and Marines took active part in this operation.

HELENA arrived once again at Yokosuka 8 June 1952 and the next day was underway to rendezvous with Task Force 77 off the coast of Korea. For 5 1/2 months her mission again was to burn buildings, destroy gun positions, and smash transportation facilities; all were left in her wake after shore bombardments. She also performed air rescue of pilots, two of which were deep in enemy territory.

On 24 November 1952, HELENA was relieved of her normal duties at Yokosuka and 5 days later sailed on a special mission. She called first at Iwo Jima, where, on 1 December, Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, boarded the ship by helicopter to visit briefly. Two days later, she proceeded to Guam, where President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower, with several of his prospective cabinet members, and Admiral Radford embarked for passage to Pearl Harbor. Top level policy conferences were held on board. HELENA's distinguished passengers disembarked at Pearl Harbor 11 December 1952 and she returned to Long Beach 16 December.

HELENA departed for the Far East 4 August 1953 to join Task Force 77 on security patrol in the Sea of Japan and after another voyage to the United States for upkeep and training, rejoined the 7th Fleet at Yokosuka as flagship on 11 October 1954. HELENA spent much of her time in waters off Taiwan. The highlights of HELENA's service during this tour of duty came in February 1955 during the evacuation of the Tachen Islands. These off-shore islands posed a possible point of contention between the Nationalist and Communist Chinese; and it was determined to neutralize them by means of evacuation. On 6 February came the "execute" from President Eisenhower, and the fleet, led by HELENA, got underway. By 1500 on 9 February 1955, with HELENA on watchful patrol, all civilians had been removed to safety from the islands--a total of 18,000 people. Early on 12 February, the remaining 20,000 Nationalist troops were removed and, as HELENA steamed on rear guard patrol, the Task Force sailed south.

After 6 months' training in home waters, HELENA again sailed for Yokosuka, arriving 25 January 1956. During the 6 months of this tour of duty, she once more operated primarily in the Taiwan area and briefly in Philippine waters on exercises. She returned to Long Beach 8 July.

Exercises, which included firing of the Regulus I missile from HELENA's launching gear, continued for 9 months; then she headed for another Far East tour 10 April 1957. During the ensuing tour of duty, she played her flagship role fully, combining sea power and diplomacy.

HELENA returned to Long Beach 19 October. Following major overhaul, completed 31 March 1958, and intensive training, including missile launching, she again sailed west.

HELENA's 1958 cruise in the Far East began 3 August. Her first port of call was Keelung, Taiwan, arriving 21 August. Next day, students and faculty of the Taiwan National Defense College were received on board for a tour of the ship. Her schedule next called for a visit to Manila, but the crisis brought on by the Chinese Communist shelling of the off-shore islands governed by the Nationalists interrupted normal operations.

During the next weeks, HELENA patrolled the troubled area. On 7 September, she steamed to within 10 miles of the Chinese mainland, covering Chinese Nationalist supply ships replenishing Quemoy Island. While on this duty, she was illustrating once more the fact that the mere presence of the overwhelming naval strength of the United States is one of the most formidable protections the free world has in determining such aggression.

On 9 October 1958, while off the Philippines, word flashed to HELENA to proceed to the aid of a stricken Norwegian merchant vessel, HOI WONG, aground on Bombay Reef in the Paracel Islands. HELENA reached the scene at 1000, 10 October. Her helicopters rescued men, women and children, whom she transported to Hong Kong. Her men had skillfully and courageously carried out a difficult humanitarian mission, another contribution to strengthening American relationships with Asian nations. HELENA resumed patrol and readiness operations until her return to Long Beach 17 February 1959.

On 5 January 1960, HELENA departed for the Western Pacific in company with YORKTOWN (CVS-10) and her escort of Destroyer Squadron 23. Visits to Korea and to Taiwan prefaced her participation in Operation "Blue Star," one of the largest peacetime amphibious exercises in our history.

After a period in Japan, HELENA sailed with RANGER (CVA-61) and SAINT PAUL (CA-73) to Guam. On 24 April 1960, HELENA, in company with destroyers TAYLOR (DDE-468) and JENKINS (DDE-447), set sail for Australia. She then returned to Long Beach and from June until November underwent extensive overhaul. In mid-January 1961, she became the permanent flagship of Commander, 1st Fleet.

On 17 May 1961, led by the HELENA, 12 1st Fleet ships put on a firepower demonstration for more than 700 members of the American Ordnance Association. In June, HELENA, with eight guests of the Secretary of the Navy on board, cruised to Portland, Oreg., for the Rose Festival.

During the next months, HELENA joined in Exercise “Tail Wind,” rendezvousing with cruiser LOS ANGELES (CA-135), the guided missile frigate COONTZ (DLG-9) and their destroyer escort to form the largest "Fleet Sail" in 4 years. HELENA visited major ports of the Far East, rode out Typhoon Olga off Hong Kong, then returned to San Diego 6 October; soon to participate in Exercise "Covered Wagon." During the remainder of the year, HELENA participated in a major fleet demonstration observed by the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral George W Anderson. Her last operation of the year was Exercise "Black Bear."

During 1961 and 1962, HELENA operated in West Coast and western Pacific waters, taking part in several amphibious operations with ships of the 1st Fleet and elements of the 1st Marine Division and 3d Marine Air Wing. HELENA embarked foreign and staff officers from the Naval War College, March 1962, and two groups of Navy League members on orientation cruises in June and August.

As the year ended, HELENA was scheduled for inactivation at Long Beach Naval Shipyard. On 18 March 1963, Commander, 1st Fleet shifted his flag to SAINT PAUL. HELENA was placed out of commission in Reserve 29 June 1963. Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 January 1974, HELENA was sold for scrap 13 November that same year.

For her service in the Korean conflict, she was presented the Presidential Unit Citation of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Service Medal with four stars.

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