Donald Rumsfeld is a former Naval aviator. Did you know this?

site ^ | 2002?

[dennisw]

He is an alumnus of Princeton University and former Naval aviator who first went to Washington, DC, in 1957 to serve as administrative assistant to a congressman. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois in 1962 and was re-elected in 1964, 1966 and 1968. He resigned from Congress in 1969 to serve in the Nixon administration. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Belgium, for a year before returning to Washington in 1974 to serve in the Ford administration. Under Ford, he was named the 13th secretary of defense, the youngest person to serve in that position in this country’s history.

[DensaMensa]

How about some photos?

[Puppage]

Another reason why my wife loves Rummage.

[Solamente]

I feel like a real P.O.S. when I get wind of some people's pedigree. Still, I admire and aspire great people.

[martin_fierro]

Oh, YEAH???????

Well, Charlie Sheen is a Navy Seal!!!!!

And his father is PRESIDENT! < snicker >

[anniegetyourgun]

You are a great American.....and don't forget it!

[anniegetyourgun]

[Reagan Man]

I caught part of a recent Biography on Rumsfeld. He even took the B-1 bomber up for a test spin, when he was SoD the first time, under PresFord. A very able man, indeed. A man for all seasons.

[Miss Marple]

Those of us who frequent the thread "A Day in the Life of President Bush" know this.

rintense, do you have the picture of Rummy when he was a Navy pilot?

[StevieB]

Anyone know what he flew? If he was carrier qualified, that might explain why he seems to have nerves of steel.

[duckman]

Just heard this on the Savage Nation. I think Michael is going to have photos of Rummy on his T.V show Saturday.

[dennisw]

do you have the picture of Rummy when he was a Navy pilot?

That would be great!

[dennisw]

Just heard this on the Savage Nation.

Same here. That's what got me to post this.

[Young Werther]

Well the Demoncraps don't know it. In one of their diatribes regarding the Bush "Hawks" he was made out to be someone who "dodged" the Viet Nam War. Of course, none of those boobs mentiuoned the Xlintoon!

[GladesGuru]

And what pilot wouldn't have, given the opportunity.

[anniegetyourgun]

Aparently, he comes from a line of Navy pilots! I guess a 12-yr old reporter from Time for Kids did an interview with him last year. Rumsfeld told her that when he was around her age in 1944, he wanted to be a Navy pilot like his father.

The young lady was quoted as saying the following after the interview:
"Secretary Rumsfeld is so nice," she said. "He really seemed concerned and thought about his answers to my questions a lot, so I was really happy about this."

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

[El Gato]

Anyone know what he flew? If he was carrier qualified, that might explain why he seems to have nerves of steel.

(From his official bio at the DoD webite (www.dod.mil): Mr. Rumsfeld attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC scholarships (A.B., 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. In 1957, he transferred to the Ready Reserve and continued his Naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist until 1975. He transferred to the Standby Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989 He was commisioned towards the end of the Korean war. By the time he got through flight training, the war was proably over or nearly so. Since he was a flight instructor in 3 years of active duty, he probably was never in an operational squadron, while on active duty. However he spent 18 years in the active reserve, some of that in flying slots, so he may well have flown something operational and been carrier qualified. Of course to be an IP you have pretty good nerves or you'd never let the students fly the plane. You most especially wouldn't let them land on a carrier with you on board. The Navy does carrier landings in flight training (Using the Goshawk these days) and probably did so in the mid 50s too)

Personally I think we are very fortunate in this hour to have military trained pilots for President and SecDef. They can have heads the size of, well Texas, but they tend to be steady and able to stay the course.

[Free the USA]

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[Archdean]

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