ROSE TRAVELS
DOOLITTLE RAIDER EGLIN TRIP: MAY 29-JUNE 1
By Grant Lannon
The weather was good for the whole weekend and the Rose is well familiar with the route to the Florida panhandle. We arrived at Crestview (a civilian field North of Eglin AFB) late Thursday afternoon, then to our cars and hotel rooms in Ft. Walton Beach. We were met at Crestview by the tour guides who adopted us for the weekend: Barry and Beth Anne Woods. They had been with the Rose at Sun-n-Fun also. The hotel is the same hotel that I stayed in for the Forward Air Controllers reunion in 2000. Next day, we checked on the airplane and determined there were no rides so started our tour with Barry as guide to the various locations. We went to the Eglin Armament Museum, where we got a special tour of the AC-130, as well as viewing armament that made Liles drool.
Next, we visited the Air Special Forces aircraft display at Hurlburt Field. There were B-25s at both locations and I revisited the plaque to FACs killed in Vietnam that the association put up in 2000 (and got some new pictures of me by the O-1 and O-2—only one thing had changed). That afternoon, we went to Duke Field for a briefing on the flight to Duke from Crestview to take place the following morning. Three B-25s were to take part: Special Delivery, Killer B (another camo B-25), and the Rose. We went out to dinner at a great Destin restaurant with Barry and Beth Anne that night.
The next day, we were delayed to Duke by scud which burned off in time for us to make the short flight and arrive before the scheduled event. We flew wing on Killer B and arrived before Special Delivery. SD was bringing two of the Raiders in to start the event. The stands set up in front of the ramp were 2/3 full by the time the event started. The crowd was allowed to the aircraft after we arrived and one gentleman walked up to me with a shirt that said “Eglin Environmental Control Unit.” I looked at the pool of oil below the worn out left engine and thought we were in deep doo-doo. It turns out we performed a flyover for his fathers funeral last year in New Braunfels when the Air Force turned the family down at the last minute. His father was a B-25 IP and he wanted to thank us. We had flown down the West side of I-35 with Jim Liles in the nose looking for the small New Braunfels cemetery, spotted it at the last minute and after flying North to South did a 270 degree turn and flew over again West to East. He told us that the Priest told the people at the gravesite that the B-25 had made the sign of the cross over the grave and that there was not a dry eye at the ceremony at that point.
There were six Raiders on the ramp at Duke, where they had trained for the raid. It was oppressively hot and they started out with the Raider sport coats on but mercifully, the escorts removed the coats as the temperature climbed. I asked Dick Cole at Karam’s how they were able to keep doing ceremonies in conditions that other people their age would never consider. He had a simple answer, “We do it to honor Jimmy.”
It was time to simulate the short field takeoffs that the
Raiders made during training. The AF had put white flags on the runway to measure distance and had Navy personnel waving flags as they did in 1942. I think we did the best short field simulation but I am prejudice. After takeoff, we joined up and flew a three ship (with Special Delivery in the lead) for a couple of passes over the crowd and then returned to Crestview. We flew three loads of Ride for Hire that afternoon. After our return to the hotel, we cleaned up and headed for the reception for the Raiders at a local restaurant.
The next day we flew one more load of paid riders and then took off for the four hour return to San Marcos. As we turned off the runway at San Marcos, the left engine, which ran fine all the way home, started backfiring. We decided it was telling us, “I hung in there for your precious schedule and now I am ready to go to the canister!” God truly has blessed the Rose and all who fly her.
Raiders on the ramp at Duke Field
“Rose” short field takeoff at Duke Field
KARAM’S RESTAURANT
June 13, 2008
By Bob Gardner
While attending the Doolittle reenactment last May at Ft. Walton Beach, Squadron members learned that Karem’s Restaurant in San Antonio had been purchased as the site for a future Walgreen’s and would close at the end of June. Those who attended the 2007 Doolittle Reunion Event at Karam’s know that it holds a special place in the Raider history. Not only was it the location for a special event during the 1971 Doolittle Reunion, but Ralph Karam and his family painstakingly developed a Wall of Honor, featuring photos,
letters and other memorabilia to honor the Raiders.
Squadron members immediately contacted Kaream’s to arrange for one last farewell event, and invited Raiders and their family members to attend. “As it turned out, Friday June 13 was a very special day for members of the Yellow Rose Squadron and their special guests” said Ron Dietes, Squadron Leader. Approximately 25 members attended, along with Dick Cole (Jimmie
Doolittle’s co-pilot on Crew #1), his daughter and son-in-law Cindy and Jim Chal and their son Elliot. Also attending was the daughter of Hank Potter and her husband and son. (Hank was Doolittle’s navigator and a member of the CenTex Wing.) Judy Sandoval, sales manager at San Antonio’s Doubletree Hotel, who worked so hard to make the 2007 Reunion such a great event, also attended with her daughter (and brought a
bag of the hotel’s delicious chocolate chip cookies). Everyone had a wonderful time visiting and reminiscing about the Raider history at Karam’s and the staff went out of their way to make this a very special evening.
Plans are under way to contact the Institute of Texan Cultures in hopes that it will be the permanent location for the Doolittle memorabilia wall at Karam’s. “This is an important part of San Antonio aviation history”, said Dietes. “It should be included in the institute’s collection so that everyone can appreciate the contributions these heroes made to our nation”.
Dick Cole (front center), along with others attending the dinner at Karam’s Restaurant.
Photo from Bob Gardner
TINKER AFB 22-25 MAY, 2008
By Scott Campbell
At 1400 on Thursday, the 22 of May we lifted off from San Marcos and headed for Tinker AFB right outside of Oklahoma City. After and uneventful trip, (I say uneventful in the context of mechanical difficulties in my perspective it was the most exiting thing I have ever done) we landed around 1630 to moderate cross winds on the runway. On board were Ron Dietes, Ken Udcoff, Jack Reeves, Greg Young, Buzz Perez, Jim Stahl and myself. When we arrived at the flight services center on base, there was and Air Force liaison waiting for us. After we were brought in to a back room we were told to stand by and that they would be with us shortly. While waiting we were obliged to take part in the cold beverages that the folks at Tinker had set up for us, and to take a seat and relax. When the liaison
returned they had a hat and shirt with the 2008 Tinker air show insignia on them as well as tickets to the aviators party and our wrist bands for
unrestricted entry at the air show. After this unbelievably warm reception we were given our rental vehicles, which turned out to be brand new vehicles donated from the dealership (mine only had 30 miles on it when I got it!). We arrived at the BOQ on base, and being and active duty Marine, I told the receptionist that I was a Staff Sergeant, knowing that it would get me a lesser quality room, but I didn’t want to be confused to an officer. To the Air Force it did not matter and I received the same three-room suite that the rest of the crew and the Air Force Colonels that were our roommates received. I have stayed in a lot of on base hotels, and I come from a place in the military where first class accommodations consist of an entrenching tool and a poncho, but when I tell you that these rooms were the best I had ever seen, they were. Each of the rooms had a flat screen television, the kitchen and bathrooms were very spacious, each room had 2 refrigerators, and they were divided as a front living room, office, and bedroom. Simply unbelievable.
After getting some chow, and checking out some of the local social gathering spots, we retired to our rooms to get start our rack ops. On Friday morning we all got up and met outside to get some morning chow. After IHOP we went to the on base museum and looked at all the static display aircraft in front of the main gate. We went to the PX and after that got some lunch. When lunch was over we went to the flight line in anticipation of the Make a Wish Foundation kids coming to see the aircraft. We saw their bus drive around us plenty, but no one stopped to look at the rose. Using this time to rag down the bird and get here ready to show the next
day, we were informed that we could move from our spot on the ramp to another more advantageous spot if we were not flying in the show. We took this opportunity and netted a lot more interest/ money in the process. That night there was an aviator’s party at the Hilton in town, and we all received an awesome welcome. Plenty of attention was directed towards us as we were one of the few groups that looked like a professional crew. (not that we weren’t but appearances are everything) We all had on our white
Yellow Rose flight crew shirts, (I had to borrow one from Greg as this was my first air show) and everyone was real interested in our B-25.
The next morning we showed up on the flight line ready for the show. The Air force put on an awesome show starting with the Air Force cadets and their skydiving team and ending with the thunderbirds, with Tora, Tora, Tora in the middle. The air show cycle repeated itself 3 times throughout the day, but it was hard to see it all as the Rose was the hottest thing on the tarmac. We had so much business in cockpit tours that taking a break from it all was extremely difficult to do. Greg was running the PX under the right wing and he was selling out of stuff at the cyclic rate. With the flight line as windy as it was and the heat of the Oklahoma plains, we had to rotate out pretty often
from the Cockpit, lest one of us become a heat casualty. Jim Stahl was his normal self, sitting in front of the nose and telling stories and attracting
business. Ron, Buzz, Ken and Jack were everywhere and I helped wherever I could. Towards the end of the day, the Air force came by with their fuel truck and oil truck. Ron was putting oil in the left engine, and Jack and I were playing Houdini, trying to hide gas in the air plane. As it happened we did not burn as much gas as we anticipated getting to Oklahoma, so the 640 gallons promised to us by the Air Force was having a hard time trying to find a home on the Rose. We did everything that we could think of, but in the end we barley got 500 gallons on board, it’s really had to leave free gas on the tarmac. You know what they say, altitude above you, runway behind you, and fuel in the truck are all useless to flyers. At 1700 we called it a day and when to the palace to shower up and get some food. On our way to get something to eat, we were told there was a party being held for the air show participants in the O’ club on base. After checking out the party (which started off pretty week) we were getting ready to leave when the bartender announced he had ordered quite a few pizzas and that we should wait, Chow problem solved! We stayed for a while, everyone trickling out and going to our suites, (which were 30 yards away) I stayed to the last, having made friends with the other Marines that were at the show. On Sunday morning we got up, ate some chow and headed home.
After securing the bird, we all went our separate ways. Thus ending my first Air show with the Rose and ending my “newbie” status with the old salts on board. Just an unbelievable time!
