| Hello to all.<br><br>I was an AX-2. I was there when Block 7 burnt down and watched the firefighter getting into fights as to who was going to do what in fighting the fire. Was also in Naha, Adak, Johnson Island, Midway and a lot of those long boring flights that went out to French Frigat Shoals. I was an ECM operator. I hung out with Jim Farris, Cecil Meadows and Lee Linebough. In Iwakuni I worked nights. I liked the night crew. There were times we were on liberty before the day crew got to town. However, there were also a great many times where we said good evening to the day crew and then welcomed them back the next morning.<br><br>I went to the University of Hawaii and got my degree in Psychology with a minor in Math and Physics. I have finally stopped going to school and have MA (Psy), MA (Criminal Justice Research) and a MS (Mathematical Statistics). I worked for the Department of the Army doing aviation weapons testing research. Taught mathematics at McNeese State University, Troy State University and the University of Southwest Louisiana. I have written 10 books and waiting for a contract for the 11the. Married a local girl while in Hawaii and we had 3 boys. That marriage finally failed and again remarried and am ever so happy.<br><br>I used to surf the North Shore, and over at Makaha. I owned a little blue MG B. I lived for the beach and spent all the time I could surfing and drinking Primo while in Hawaii. My drink of choice in Iwakuni was Asahi and had many wild nights in town while in Iwakuni. Does anyone remember those flights up to Vladosvostic (sp?) to look for the Russian Navy? Also do you remember the P2-V that ditched in some little inlet while we were in Iwakuni. I don't remember the date. The plane was just floating there.<br><br>I liked sitting in the overhead hatch as we would taxi out. I also liked to sit in the bow. On one flight we had a fire in the radar well and I remember everyone talking about smelling smoke over the intercom. I kept sniffing but didn't smell anything (DUH) All the smoke was going up into the aircraft and to the aft.<br><br>Remember the happy hour in Iwakuni where the drinks were 5 cents. I ended up getting in afight with some Marine in the shower area at the Block 7. I got the broken nose. You can't win them all.<br><br>At Johnson Island we hid a jeep from some group and the searched that island over and couldn't find it. I don't know who hid it but such a stink was made and it finally reappeared. Remember how hot it was there and many of us were often flying just with our skivies on to try and stay cool. I was there when they were searching for that AC that went down somewhere neat there. It was a huge air search but nothing was ever found. I used to play bingo at the club there. Remember the blackout bingo game where some itiot would yell Bingo when a Number was called. The first number is B-7 and then you would hear BINGO. They would check it and tell us it wasn't a bingo and the game would continue. Usuallly there was only one bingo game a night. Then there was to crap tables that were open at the end of the day.<br><br>Midway was interesting. We would launch the Goony Birds off the end of the pier. I loved seeing them get about four feet from the ground when they were going to land and then just fold their wings and crash. One time we caught on and threw it into the shower area. There were a lot of naked sailors trying to get away from that mad bird.<br><br>Naha was fun. Even though we worked hard we would play hard. I remember going to the Tea House of the August Moon which had its fame from the Korean era. We lived in those quancet huts that they had.<br><br>Well I have rambled enough. I have to go to UT in Austin in a little while as I have some research to do for an upcoming book.<br><br>I would enjoy hearing from anyone.<br><br>Carl Gaither
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