87th FIS in the Philippines! (Read 731 times)

Things do get around! The Ops guys applied a bunch of 11th FIS stickers to B-57s while TDY to Tyndall. Most of them were found before they returned home, but several survived until the B-57s returned to their home base. As I remember, there was a nastygram sent to Duluth over the prank.

When I was at Ubon, 1967/68, there was an Aussie Air Defense Squadron.

They flew the export F-86F, w/20 mm cannons.

When Col. Olds was there, they left very few Kangaroo markings, actually a stencil was used and a spray can of paint.

However, when Olds left, the new wing commander, Col Robert V. Spencer. later B/G, he wanted all the Kangaroo stenciling stopped.

He called the Aussie commander, who basically told him where to go.

It is reported that he aborted one flight because of Kangaroos in the intakes. I don't know how true that one is.

He posted guards around the O Club, when Kangaroos blossomed on the windows.

He went ballistic when he got up one morning and found his staff car had been Kangarooed.

I was his crew chief for one day.

He came out to the F-4D, began his pre-flight, and got to the nose wheel well.

All of his personal birds were named "Mormon Meteor" number whatever.

He spotted some fluid and questioned it.

When I told him we had done a hot turn on the bird, and just had time to refuel and load bombs, he said the leak should have been repaired.

No problem, I told him.

I took the forms and put a big Red X in the box and wrote up a hydraulic leak.

Needless to say, he wasn't happy that he had to use a spare.

It took about 5 minutes to fix the leak, after he left.

The next day I was back at the Phase Dock, and stayed there until I rotated to George.

Jim Too

:god_bless_usa