NS13Jarhead

Lou, If you can find a USMC officer's blue tunic, you might be better off. That model doesn't have the red piping around the edges. And the lower pockets are larger, too. But you'll still have to deal with the buttons and the shape of the pocket flaps. Best of luck on your project.

Happy Birthday Marines! Semper Fi! ...Here's health to you and to our Corps... S. E. Yost LtCol, USMC (Ret) Sep 1980-Sep 2007 http://marines.togetherweserved.com/profile/101671

Like you, I sort of miss the Phase II pilot either joyfully celebrating victory, limping from his plane, running from the plane and diving for the ground before it explodes, or dropping to all fours and heaving his breakfast. All of those signaled the true ending of the mission.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On6M8IC1K-Q&feature=player_embedded

And in the US, you don't even need a firearms license to own one and use of these. They are now considered "farm impliments" BTW, I took that video. I also got to shoot it just prior to the guy in the clip.

Don't feel too bad about the bushes. In Phase II, at Bertangles West, there was a flagpole with a windsock on it RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY . Since we're all flying tail draggers in WW I, you don't see it until you start to lift the rear end and "AHHHH!!!" there it is for about a half a second before you run into it. I lost many a DH-2 on takeoff to that darn pole! No, officer, I swear I wasn't drinking at the time...

Currently a contractor working for the U.S. Department of Defense. Kind of dull, but someone's got to do it. Previously, as indicated by my handle, I served in the U.S. Marine Corps. I made it from Private to Lieutenant Colonel. My last job was to be Operations Officer, senior Marine, and 2nd in command of the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA (www.usmcmuseum.org). During my 27 years on active duty, I traveled to 27 different countries (and was only shot at in four of them). My profile on a Marine Facebook-like page is http://marines.togetherweserved.com/profile/101671

I don't know if he's descended from I and II or if he's in the line for the throne (or even if they still do that) so I don't know if he's got a number, but I met Prince Leopold d'Arenberg of Belgium a couple of years ago when he came to visit the U.S. Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Even posed for pictures with my kids. Bonus was my elementary school-aged daughter got to meet a real prince rather than the Disney kind.

Completely agree. During the U.S. Civil War, right after it was created, the north issued the Medal of Honor for almost everything, from heroism to reenlisting. The Medals that were not awarded for valor were later recinded and the Medal of Honor remains as the award that indicates a degree of bravery "above and beyond the call of duty". So far, since the end of the Vietnam War, no American has survived to receive his Medal of Honor. It is against U.S. law to buy or sell one or to wear one if you have not been awarded it.

Absolutely! That's why if you ever collect a "set" of medals, keep them together as a "set". It truly is somebody's history.

I found a website whre if you buy a replica Blue Max for $6,500.00, they'll throw in a Luger P.08 for free

Very nice. Now go back to making airplanes!

91 years ago, today Oct 8, 1918 – 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Talbot received the MEDAL OF HONOR for actions with Squadron "C", First Marine Aviation Force, in France. CITATION: For exceptional service and extraordinary heroism while attached to Squadron "C", First Marine Aviation Force, in France. He participated in numerous air raids into enemy territory, and on October 8th, 1918, while on such a raid, he was attacked by nine enemy scouts, and in the fight that followed shot down an enemy plane. Also, on October 14th, 1918, while on a raid over Pittman, Belgium, Lieutenant Talbot and one other plane became detached from the formation on account of motor trouble, and were attacked by twelve enemy scouts. During the severe fight that followed, his plane shot down one of the enemy scouts. His observer was shot through the elbow and his gun jammed. He cleared the jam with one hand while Talbot maneuvered to gain time, and then returned to the fight. The observer fought until shot twice in the stomach and once in the hip. When he collapsed Lieutenant Talbot attacked the nearest enemy scout with his front guns and shot him down. With his observer unconscious and his motor failing he dived to escape the balance of the enemy and crossed the German trenches at an altitude of fifty feet, landing at the nearest hospital and left his observer and returned to his aerodrome. Oct 8, 1918 – Gunnery Sergeant Robert G Robinson received the MEDAL OF HONOR for actions as an observer in the 1st Marine Aviation Force at the front in France. CITATION: For extraordinary heroism as observer in the 1st Marine Aviation Force at the front in France. In company with planes from Squadron 218, Royal Air Force, conducting an air raid on 8 October 1918, Gunnery Sergeant Robinson's plane was attacked by nine enemy scouts. In the fight which followed, he shot down one of the enemy planes. In a later air raid over Pitthan, Belgium, on 14 October 1918, his plane and one other became separated from their formation on account of motor trouble and were attacked by 12 enemy scouts. Acting with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in the fight which ensured, Gunnery Sergeant Robinson, after shooting down one of the enemy planes, was struck by a bullet which carried away most of his elbow. At the same time his gun jammed. While his pilot maneuvered for position, he cleared the jam with one hand and returned to the fight. Although his left arm was useless, he fought off the enemy scouts until he collapsed after receiving two more bullet wounds, one in the stomach and one in the thigh. First Lieutenant Robert G. Robinson, who earned the Medal of Honor as a gunnery sergeant in World War I, died 5 October 1974, at his home in St. Ignace, Michigan. Although seriously wounded during aerial action over Belgium, he continued to fight and successfully drove off attacking enemy scout planes before two additional bullet wounds forced his collapse. Gunnery Sergeant Robinson, shot 13 times in the abdomen, chest, and legs, and with his left arm virtually blown off at the elbow, helped bring the plane down in Belgian Territory. His arm, hanging by a single tendon, was grafted back on by the surgeon-general of the Belgian army. The pilot of his plane, Lt Ralph Talbot of Weymouth, Massachusetts, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this same action, was killed in a plane crash a few days later. The Michigan native was born in Wayne, 30 April 1896. In May 1917, he enlisted with the Marines and the action in France followed. He was honorably discharged in 1919 as a gunnery sergeant and was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. His retirement was effected in May 1923 and his promotion to the rank of first lieutenant, in September, 1936. Upon retirement, he made his home at St. Ignace, Michigan. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

I just got my GOG.com e-newsletter and the frontpage banner says that they have what they're calling "Red Baron Pack" on sale for $9.99 (US). It includes Red Baron 1, Red Baron: Mission Builder, and Red Baron 3D. It is fully WinXP and Vista (32 & 64 bit) compatable, with no DRM. The ad didn't say anything about it, so I don't think that the graphics have been upgraded beyond the original versions. From what I understand, there are a few folks on here who had something to do with making a mod or two for RB3D, just like they did with OFF for CFS3. It might be interesting to see where they got their inspiration.

The William Tell Overture, by Rossini. It was used as the theme song for the Lone Ranger TV and movie series

Last night I was flying a late-1916 Jasta 5 Albatross and came upon three pusher type aircraft below and left of me on a crossing course during the last leg of my patrol. Since I had full ammo belts, I couldn't pass it up. I figured that they wer DH-2s, because that's all I've been seeing lately. So I dove to attack, and imagine my surprise when they started shooting at me from their rears. Crud - FE2s! I was able to down two and sent my wingman to get the other. Unfortunately, one of them hit my engine numerous times and I no longer had the power to stay airborne. Lucky for me, there were several fields nearby and I took a long, sputtering, low-power decent to a perfect two point landing on one of them. Then I tried something new. Since my engine was still running (although it was kicking and coughing the whole way) I ended up taxiing about two miles to my aerodrome and shut her down in the middle of the field, in front of the hangars. Turns out it's a very nice way to see the countryside. Note to self, either brush up on aircraft identification or use and pay attention to the labels. I wonder how many other pilots have made that same near fatal error?

I run Avira as well as McAfee, AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy. I've gotten no hits on the OFF files whatsoever. Don't know what to tell you.

Don't worry, Pol. We still love ya!

You want stalls? Fly a SPAD VII, or try a low speed barrel roll in a DH-2. The deHavilland I can deal with, but the SPADs are another matter - not enough lift on the wings. Also, I don't like the SE5A, but that's just because the two different guns conflict with my sense of symmetry. I love the Dr.I and Camel. I guess I'm a natural turn fighter vice energy fighter. For what it's worth, one of the long absent board members, WF2, says she has actually flown a Dr.I replica and gave high marks to its FM.

CJ, they call it "the Lowcountry" for a reason - water's got no place to run downhill to. Personally, I preferred the name, "Coastal Empire", but that's just the imperialist in me.

No flyers, but my grandfather's oldest brother (there were 9 boys and a girl in his family) made it to France on the ground during the war.

And, if you fly for the allies, some of the planes (Nieuport and Camel, etc.) can have the load out changed to include rockets to take out the balloons. I don't know if all the planes can use them - I haven't tried them all. While the rockets seem to be un-historically accurate, they are great fun to use.

I downloaded the demo and played it a few times. It ran quite well on my 2 year old system. The demo includes a set piece battle at Little Big Horn with Custer - a no win situation. Then you get grabbed off the field and thrust into a futuristic lab where you're given a mission to save a particular soldier at the the Battle of Antietem/Sharpsburg during the American Civil War. It's for the most part a typical shooter, so long as you keep the period weapons. It doesn't seem very kosher to be blasing away with a submachine gun as the Confederates charge through the cornfield. The only think I would have liked is a "censor" button for the language in case I'm playing it when the kids are in the house. Let 'em learn those words from their classmates just like I did. I probably wouldn't buy it at full price, but maybe in a year when it makes it to the bargain bin for under $20 US I'll take another look at it.

Personally, I was hoping for some of these:

Great job on the painting. It almost makes me want to give the "Lucky Number XIII" a try again. I think I actually had one of my pilots survive TWO whole missions before getting killed. With these things I keep trying to get into a turn fight and then end up with "Ground Level > Altitude = Smoking Hole"