Can you do a bowline ;)?

No kidding! Which base Korat or Takhli? What years?

At the early stages of taking civilian flying lessons the instructor asked me where I learned to fly. I told him, honestly, I had never touched the controls of a plane before this. Great compliment, but since I had previously SIE’d (Self Induced Elimination) on day 1 from the USAF pilot training due to to my mother’s severe illness it was a compliment that burned inside of me for many years - even now I struggle to reconcile. I’ve accomplished many things , but the only thing I ever wanted to do was to fly for the U.S. Military. Life is a twisty road. Hopefully, I was a good son to a challenged, but wonderful mom.

This post is very powerful. I wish you well my friend. I ran a second echelon hospital in the SWA theater. I have similar stories that I will be remembering till the end of my days. I wish I didn’t

I had breakfast with Donald Healey. I cannot really remember much of what we talked about as I was only 13 at the time but he did sign my Healey T shirt.

I body surfed Sandy's and got pounded into the sand. I think I had a concussion.

No claim to fame, just the opposite, more like a consistent cloak of invisibility.

Was on the cover of TIME Magazine, but it was just my hands.....and it was only the international version.
The photo is me pointing a 9mm at a woman's head, the cover story was about "Car-Jacking in the US."

I took ( an uncredited ) photo which ended up on the back of a #1 selling album, but the photo got censored for for some corporate copyright-thing and the album was censored ( long story ) & pulled from circulation. I wasn't credited anyway, nor was I fond of the band, dumped the only copy I had before it became a rare and sought after collectible. Damn.

Met a lot of semi-semi-famous people. Had my picture taken w/ Nicky Hilton and her sister Paris. No one really knows, or cares who I am, so the picture didn't get published, which is maybe a good thing, but it would be funny to have a copy of that, circa 2004.
a few years ago, I ran into the photographer who took the photo and he said it would cost about $300 'just to look for the picture' and I would need the exact date and place.

A book about my 'work' was made in Europe, the publisher went out of business, the book never got a distributer, cases and cases were pulped. My business partner on that, who kind of messed up then, years later ripped me off $ 125,000 and safely absconded by declaring bankruptcy. He is now
( hopefully ) smoking himself to death in the south of France. Strangely, I sometimes see copies of the book for sale on the internet for either $2.99 or $97.00.

Luckily for me, fame remains elusive and mercurial.

Like this?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7rFWZCEYxyU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Liv Tyler came to my house most days over a two year period.

Technically correct... It was my house but I didn't actually live here at the time and my tenants didn't tell me in case I "happened to be hanging around fixing the bathroom tap." She was best friends with one of the girls in the flat while she was here doing lord of the rings. I wish I'd known as I adored her at the time.

Holtville Winter Series Formula Ford champion, 1975/76.

I did all my own stuff, motors, chassis set up, repairs, towing, everything. When I came off the track to post grid everybody was looking at me. Thought I was in some kind of trouble. It was all over in 5 minutes, but I knew nothing like that would ever happen to me again. Never more than a competent club racer.

Years later I was involved in building Buttonwillow Raceway, design, engineering, construction, but the big moment was when we closed the deal for financing one evening in Bob Kirby's office in downtown L.A. I had written the private placement and got the guys with money into the same room to close the deal. I managed the track for the first six months.

Both events have receded in the stern wake and remain meaningful only to me.

Your first story was likely the inspiration for more than a few fledgling racers out there watching. The second story you tell is of playing part in making real a race track that has probably done that a thousand fold over.
So great post, but I take issue with your final words.

I have handed the PLO-leader Yasser Arafat flowers, working as a piccolo at the Grand Hotel i Stockholm at his visit to Sweden in 1983.

Other than that I got nothing.

^^^^ Pfft ... you sir are being quite modest .... or my name isn't Fluffy :D

Second echelon MTF in SWA? Yep, I rather suspect there is much you would like to forget. Even with all the assets we have for supporting the " Golden Hour", sometimes it just isn't enough.
They don't make a Porsche fast enough to get away from those images.

Semper fi,

I forgot, I wrote some books too.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1612272293.jpg

My truck was in the movie "A Painted House."


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1612272636.jpg

As related to our Porsches, my company introduced a number of racing innovations for GT3R transaxles (including the 2-piece mainshaft, straight-cut gears, and Pro-Shift dogbox design). Prior to these innovations, the "raciest" part in a GT3R transaxle was a steel synchro ring.

RNajarian..

Utapao. B52's and the U2. 1971/72.
He asked me if I was going to his show and I said yes. Had duty and missed it.

The show would have been great, but I would rather have had your experience and meet him.

Best I ever got was a visit from the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders. They came by before their show to tour the hospital. Somewhere I have a photo.

Doubled in the winning run in the American Legion World series (third place :() game in 1973.

_

Yep.... at least around here, the American Legion team consisted of the very best players pulled from all the area high schools, and played in a former minor league baseball park against similar teams from all around. First rate...