Had the blessed good fortune to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, near Dulles International this past Sunday. I had the extreme pleasure of meeting and chatting with Curtis Robinson, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. He flew P-47s with the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy during WWII and was part of the legendary "Red-Tails", feared by the enemy and wanted as escort by every bomber crew in theater. The gentleman is some 90 years old now and probably will not be around much longer, but he still can shoot his own watch with his hands demonstrating air maneuvers. Subsequent to WWII, he became a pharmacist, raised a fine family, and has lived the American dream. He is truely a role model for those to look to when considering drug bums and dudes as an alternative. What luck!
Speaking of luck, I also met Major (then Captain)"Chic" Stratton, F-15 jock, who is the reluctant star of the outstanding IMAX movie "Fighter Pilot". You know right away that this guy was all that you might want in a real fighter pilot, low key, unassuming, and clearly confident. Glad he is on our side.
Also ran into Buzz Carpenter, SR-71 pilot that I knew when I was stationed down the hall at Beale AFB. We're both older, and fatter, but I've still got more hair than he does. He walked me around the SR-71 at the museum and, I've got to say, that beast is beautiful up close just as much as it is from a distance. It is amazing after all this time that we both fell into insulting each other like it was yesterday when we were 10 feet tall, bulletproof, and fearless. He told me how much faster and prettier his jet was and I told him that my jet was flying operational missions when his jet arrived on the scene and flying operational missions long after his jet had been tossed in the boneyard. We shared a grin, a knowing eye, and lots of memories.
As good a Sunday as you can get.