The non-car related pictures thread

Post by **matthew1** » 07 May 2011, 18:24

Love it, Justin! Hilarious.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 12 May 2011, 17:33

On April 29th I buried more pieces of my father in Wichita, KS (He was killed in Vietnam in 1966) . What was really cool was the outpouring from the Kansas Patriot Guard that stood at attention, holding really large flags for over an hour, in 40 MPH winds, as the service went on. One of the Patriot Guard Biker gals took a bunch of pictures, she also sang a really great rendition of Amazing Grace for the service.

: The 21 gun salute.

The really weird part was how the pieces came home. It was apparently a cottage industry to raid US Military crash sites and pilfer what you could to use as a way to trade your way to the USA. These bones came via a refugee camp in Malaysia and were parked in a lab at Hickam AFB in Hawaii for over 20 years until technology caught up with the ability to identify them. These folks at JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accountability Command) are charged with bringing everyone home - it may take a while (45 years) but they seem to get it done.

Photo Credits to Dakota Cobb of the Kansas Patriot Guards.

...Lee

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 14 May 2011, 03:11

WOW, it really is amazing how far we have come in the way of technology. How did you find out that they found more of your father's bones?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 14 May 2011, 17:16

How did you find out that they found more of your father's bones?

That was the easy part, I answered the phone.

A dozen years ago I kinda freaked out when I got the first call from the Air Force Mortuary Services guy that told me that they had my father's driver's license, dog tags, Air Force ID card, and some script that they used for money while on base. That led to a meeting with brothers and a sister that I never knew existed. From the report and through some records in the Library of Congress (heavily redacted) I think the bones either came from or the location was disclosed by the same refugee in Malaysia that stole my dads wallet at the crash site in Vietnam. My father was one of 4 guys on a C-130 heading home to base when they planted the plane into the side of a mountain. The mission was classified (I'm guessing it was a beer run) so I don't know it they got shot down or it was a mechanical failure that caused the crash.

This time when Mortuary Services called it was easy to deal with mentally but it was a bear logistically. As the eldest son, all final decisions were mine but I really didn't want to P.O. the rest of the family so we went through several variations - via many emails and phone calls - of what was going to happen at the grave site to re-associate the bones with his original burial.

In the end it all worked out great.

My greatest fear was that the Fred Phelps bunch would show up to try to ruin the day. I swore the local media to secrecy prior to the service and they respected that wish as they did the pre-publication interviews.

...Lee

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 14 May 2011, 20:14

I really could not imagine what it must have been like years ago when you got the first phone call. That must have been the hardest thing you have had to go through, or at least one of the hardest. No one should have to bury there parents like that. I'm sorry.

Post by **jblackburn** » 19 May 2011, 11:28

Beautiful, Tiana!

Ahh, Spring is awesome.

: Walking around campus

: Philpott Lake

: Little stinker. That's his "Who, me? No, I wasn't rolling around in mud!" look

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 19 May 2011, 16:43

@94turbomom: Your flowers are very nice. Spring is the best time of year because I know summer is right around the corner.

@jblackburn: Your pictures are great too. Your dog is soooo cute.

Post by **jblackburn** » 08 Jun 2011, 12:59

I love summer in Blacksburg