Funny that this just got posted...
Last week, I happened to be in San Diego on business and had some extra time last Tuesday afternoon, so I toured the USS Midway. Suspended from the ceiling above the hangar deck was a Bird Dog. I didn't think much of it - I was kind of in a hurry to try to make it through everything, or I might have realized that it was kind of funny to have a plane with Air Force markings on an aircraft carrier. Anyway, I made it most of the way through the ship and flight deck before they closed (I missed out on touring 'the island'). When I got back to my hotel that night and watched the news, it turns out that they had just taken delivery and hung that Bird Dog earlier on that very day! They told the story of Maj Ly Bung landing one on the Midway during the evacuation from Saigon, and showed this footage.
BTW - If you ever get the chance to tour the USS Midway, I highly recommend it. I've also been able to tour the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, TX (not too far from Jay's new hotel!), which was also very cool. I'd love to have the opportunity sometime to tour one of these vessels with a guy who actually served on-board. Seeing the spaces on the ship and learning about what their life was like kind of makes me regret that I never served my country in that fashion, but it makes me appreciate all the more the guys and gals who did or are.
So, to all the vets out there from any service, and to those who are currently serving, thank you very much!
