|
I was growing up in San Diego in 1952 and as a five year old tagged along with the parent to a neighborhood barbeque. All the old guys (prolly age 35) were telling stories & drinking beer. The "coin of the realm" back then was, "What did you do in the war?
Our next door neighbor flew Corsair's off a carrier in the Pacific. One night on take off (no catapult) his motor quit just as he lifted off the deck. He nosed over and crashed upside-down in the dark. He was knocked senseless, but the cold water got him going and he fought his way out as the plane sank. He inflated the May-West and bobbed to the surface just in time to get pretty much runned over by the aircraft carrier. A rescue team out the stern had him in a motorized launch prepared for such occasion.
He was back flying the next day. He was 22.
|