From Canada, With Love

eldeguello · 01-10-2006, 11:33 AM

I don't know who wrote the piece but he's a good wordsmith.
It was noon on a Sunday as I recall, the day a Mustang P-51 was to take to the air. They said it had flown in during the night from some US airport, the pilot had been tired.
I marveled at the size of the plane dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her, it was much larger than in the movies. She glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by.
The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, then stepped into the flight lounge. He was an older man, his wavy hair was grey and tossed . . looked like it might have been combed, . . . say, around the turn of the century. His bomber jacket was checked, creased, and worn, it smelled old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride but devoid of arrogance. He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal (Expo-67, Air Show) then walked across the tarmac.
After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check the pilot returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he "flashed the old bird up . . just to be safe." Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction on its use -- "If you see a fire point then pull this lever!" (I later became a firefighter, but that's another story.)
The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from fuel fumes as the huge prop started to rotate. One manifold, then another, and yet another barked -- I stepped back with the others. In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar, blue flames knifed from her manifolds. I looked at the others' faces, there was no concern. I lowered the bell of my extinguisher. One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge. We did.
Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre flight run-up. He'd taxied to the end of runway 19, out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds, we raced from the lounge to the second story deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started down the runway, but we could not. There we stood, eyes fixed to a spot half way down 19. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder than before, like a furious hell spawn set loose---something mighty this way was coming.
"Listen to that thing!" Said the controller. In seconds the Mustang burst into our line of sight. Its tail was already off and it was moving faster than anything I'd ever seen by that point on 19. Two-thirds the way down 19, the Mustang was airborne with her gear going up. The prop tips were supersonic; we clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellish fast into the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze.
We stood for a few moments in stunned silence trying to digest what we'd just seen. The radio controller rushed by me to the radio. "Kingston radio calling Mustang?" He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment. The radio crackled, "Kingston radio, go ahead." "Roger Mustang. Kingston radio would like to advise the circuit is clear for a low level pass." I stood in shock because the controller had, more or less, just asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show!
The controller looked at us. "What?" He asked. "I can't let that guy go without asking . . . I couldn't forgive myself!" The radio crackled once again, "Kingston radio, do I have permission for a low level pass, east to west, across the field?" "Roger Mustang, the circuit is clear for an east to west pass." "Roger, Kingston radio, we're coming out of 3000 feet, stand by."
We rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes fixed toward the eastern haze. The sound was subtle at first, a high-pitched whine, a muffled screech, a distant scream. Moments later the P-51 burst through the haze . . her airframe straining against positive Gs and gravity, wing tips spilling contrails of condensed air, prop-tips again supersonic as the burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air. At about 400 Mph and 150 yards from where we stood she passed with an old American pilot saluting . . . imagine . . . a salute. I felt like laughing, I felt like crying, she glistened, she screamed, the building shook, my heart pounded . . . then the old pilot pulled her up . . . and rolled and rolled and rolled out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory.
I've never wanted to be an American more than on that day. It was a time when many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother, a steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style; not unlike the pilot who'd just flown into my memory. He was proud, not arrogant, humble, not a braggart, old and honest projecting an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day, I know it will. America is still there, and one day the perception will return, I know it will. Until that time, I'll just send off a story; call it a reciprocal salute, to the old American pilot who wove a memory for a young Canadian that's stayed a lifetime.
(Author Unknown)

CalHunter · 01-10-2006, 12:35 PM

Now that was an excellent article and a much appreciated salute to America! kudos!!

kenton6 · 01-10-2006, 02:41 PM

Thanks! Good read!

Knightia · 01-11-2006, 07:09 AM

Great story Elde.

(i know it wasnt my cuzin who wrote that, he only liked spitfires etc)

tangozulu · 01-11-2006, 07:57 AM

but is the message clear enough?
GWB has killed the America that the world once respected.

Knightia · 01-11-2006, 08:03 AM

Nope not very clear- to bad the world dosnt get to electOUR prez hmm - we do.
geez& here we miss the chance to be more loved like Canada- now if we just elected more liberal/gun grabbing non confrontational polticans like them or france maybe & everyone would love us too.

Next election we will move more that way i think.

tangozulu · 01-11-2006, 09:25 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Knightia

Nope not very clear- to bad the world dosnt get to electOUR prez hmm - we do.
geez& here we miss the chance to be more loved like Canada- now if we just elected more liberal/gun grabbing non confrontational polticans like them or france maybe & everyone would love us too.

Next election we will move more that way i think.

"Your either with us or your with the terrorists"
Not a lot of room for grace or style there. And no one likes a bully. And the "proof" used to justify the war in Iraq,hardly projected the honesty once dissplayed by the greatest generation.
Do not mistake disslike for GWB for anti-americanism. This is the same as calling fellow Americans unpatriotic for their own dissaproval of this adminstration, which looks like is unraveling in a hurry.

Knightia · 01-11-2006, 09:30 AM

I dont careif you like GWB or not. He is just another poltican who will be gone soon - Arent you the one who said - the world has lost respect for America because of 1 of its polticans? Id say that is judgingALL on the acts of one-

Knightia · 01-11-2006, 09:36 AM

As for our overseas poltics i dont care if you or the world like them either - or if you respect me my son in the miltary, my military or my countyor not.

Your opinions mean nothing to me- sorry if that sounds harsh but thats the way i see it.

tangozulu · 01-11-2006, 09:47 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Knightia

As for our overseas poltics i dont care if you or the world like them either - or if you respect me my son in the miltary, my military or my countyor not.

Your opinions mean nothing to me- sorry if that sounds harsh but thats the way i see it.

Funny.............So why bother joining an internet Hunting club. A group of like minded people with a shared interest, in this case hunting/shooting.