It Was Such An Honor When I met This WWII Fighter Pilot.

Photo by Matias Luge on Unsplash

I Was Inside the Pensacola Naval Museum.

Hello Medium. Please Roll My WWII Fighter Pilot Article.

It was around 1985 and I was travelling to Jacksonville Florida. I used to make this travel or more like a Pilgrimage about 2times every 3 years. But I had a pre-arranged route that I would take. I had no GPS system; I am not sure if anyone did back then. However, it was simple. Drive south in Louisiana and turn left at I-10 and head west to Mobile Alabama. Rather Mobile Bay Alabama. And there it is, you cannot miss it. In the Bay is the USS Alabama, a WWII Navy Destroyer. It Is a Floating memorial and a museum of the actual USS Alabama. Now the Destroyer has been brought back to its Great Glory.

How big is it? Just as a quick reference, it reminds me of a tall skyscraper laying sideways in the bay. In fact, you probably need to lay another skyscraper on top of the first one. I am guessing it is five or six stories tall, and probably another 5 or 7 stories, underneath the deck.

I used to take my son there before he joined the Navy. I have to be careful; I could stay there all day. Those sailors back then had to have nerves of Steele. As we were not concerned of our watches, but it was time to go. Afterall we still had a WWII US Navy Submarine on display in the water next to the USS ALABAMA.as well. I am glad to say the modern submarines are way bigger than what the NAVY had during WWII.

There is also a small indoor airplane museum, and several mainly static WWII airplanes on displays as well…. After all of that we can now start heading back to the car.

BY now we had to have some food, and I am glad we had some chips in the car. After a short stop it was off to Jacksonville Florida. Iside Pensacola Florida is the U. S, Naval Air Pensacola Florida, which has a free Museum of all things NAVY, and MARINES, I have been there so many times, I do not need t0 wait in line for a tour guide, I just go with the self-tour. I don’t have enough time to list or explain all the different exhibits in this museum. Safe to say, it is very big and very impressive.

But there is this one area of the museum, where the floor is an exact replica of the Deck of an actual WWII Aircraft Carrier. I forgot the aircraft Carrier’s

name. In fact, they made this area of the Deck so realistic, they made the deck out of the same shape, size, and the same type of wooden planks. There was even a WWII airplane on the deck. what is the airplane called? No other than my favorite airplane in WWII. The F4U Corsair. Safe to say this is no doubt my favorite planes from back in WWII. Actually, it was also used in England on their aircraft carriers, and even by the US MARINES as a land-based fighter.

But the F4U Corsair was not ready for retirement in the US. It was also used during the Korean War. I am also pretty sure, Red Bull have a Corsair they use in their competitions, and campaigns.

As we got closer as we got closer t the Corsair display, there, she was. A Big Beautiful Blue; F4UCorsair, bent wings and all sitting on the reproduction of a US Aircraft deck. By this time, I had caught up with the Group Tour. I was standing there like the rest of the crowd, listening, hoping I would hear something new. I can certainly Check The Box, on that one.

The young tour guide was doing a great job no doubt, until…., Until he started talking about an old “wives-tale.”

I will try to keep this short, however it was a popular opinion a carrier landing at one time was, in fact it was hard to land that particular plane on an aircraft carrier , straight and level. Several planes were destroyed trying to accomplish their landing. The plane manufactures solved this by adding baffle's, whicch was a small extra wing on bottom p of both wings with holes in the baffles, and assisted that. so the plane became more stable at landing. I knew that, but I had wished the young Tour Guide, had known it also.

Then The FUN BEGAN,

The Tour Guide kept on with his lecture how it was impossible for the pilots to land this long nose airplane, because the pilots could not see the deck runway clear, and how they needed more training on how to properly land the plane.

That was Untill…

In the middle of his lecture, this big tall man to my right just a foot or two away from me, WAS supporting himself with a tall wooden cane said loudly, Wait A Minute!

My Name is Retired NAVY Captain, John Smith. I actually flew a plane just like that in the war, in the Pacific. I took off and landed more times on an Aircraft Carrier, than I can remember. He said, I crash landed one time on a “Carrier.” But it was not because of the long nose on the plane, it wasn’t because it would not land properly, it was because the enemy pilot started shooting at me and my plane as I was landing. He shot up my left leg pretty bad, and yes I crash landed on the Carrier.. But like the Ship Doctor said, He was not about to stop Captain John. In fact, I walk with this cane today because of it. Everybody in that tour group was clapping, including the Tour Guide.

If you know anything about me. you already know I am making my way straight to Captain John. I approached him, he was much older than his former self. I stretched my hand, and said Sir, I am “Wire”, and it is such an Honner to meet you. And thank you for your service. The last I saw him, he was sitting in this one chair, as that tour group was stopping by, one by one just to meet him. After that I continued the tour of the Museum, but honestly, I could have left now, after meeting Captain John, I could left at any time.

Long Story Short.

That was and has been one of my favorite days. For so many Years I had heard the stories the good and the bad about the Corsair. Which the bad news was very little by the way. And then to hear the Tour Guide give his interpretation of the plane, to be followed up by an actual WWII Pilot of the same type of plane, and to hear his account. I never saw the Captain after that tour. I only wish now I had heard some more of your stories.

TTHIS JUST IN.

On several trips to Florida, while my son was still growing up I took him to the Pemsicola Museum a few times also. Now Fast Forward to the current time. One night I get a midnight call from my son. He said, Dad do you remember the Pensacola Naval Air Museum? Yes son of course. Why.? He told me he had just been there. He was so happy because when he first saw the Museum on his trip, He said Dad it is just like I remembered it. By the way Dad, thanks for bringing me here when I was young. My Son had just joined the US NAVY and Pensicola was one of his first stops they took hime.

A Great Son AGreat Sailor.

FROM THE DESK OF WIRE EDITOR NEWMAN II.

PS: The cover page to this article by Up Splash is a picture of a similar plane, The F4U Corsair in its sigunare blue color. always loved the blue paint. If you remember the TV show Ba Ba Blacksheep staring actor Robert Conrad and others. that show was a story of the F4UCorsair, and it Legendary pilot Major Greg Pappy Boyington.

Now to the Best Part:

As I get stronger eavh week, from my stroke, I am trying to reconnect with the Greeat Writers we have in our Medium Community. If Possible please add your new or favorite “Prompt” list of you would challenge us with. We all know I need a good challenge. Example who was your favorite Relitive and why? I think you get the point.

FROM THE DESK OF WIRE EDITOR NEWMAN II.

Thanks for stoppimg by, And thanks for the read.

WIRE,

Now for someFavorite of my Favvorite Writers Writers in Medium.

And a Huge Shout Out to the new followers to this page, and to Everyone to this page for sticking by me, as I was Gone from Medium for nearly 2 Months.

I will start reading and reviewing soon.…..A special shout out tos

Lu Skerdoo, Dawn Ulmer, Tonya S. Ware, Gerald Washington, James Scannell.

As always, if you do not wish for me to add or remove your name from my list… No Worries, Just send me a message please. But I will miss you. “Wire”

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