Captain McIntyre, a pilot for Pan American Airlines for over 30 years is my new friend! Today, this nonagenarian of 92 years, is a docent at the New England Air Museum at Bradley Field, Windsor Locks. CT. The Captain was walking away from a Ford Jeep.. maybe a M151 as we met. I recalled my Vietnam Buddy, Thom Cox of Santa Anna 'stealing a Jeep and having it brought to Vung Tau where he repaired the wreck. I then told of Coxes escapades with a Red Cross worker, Eleanor Coop. Coop was riding with Cox when he did a U-Turn and the old lady fell out of the Jeep! LOL.
Captain McGuire and I sat on a museum bench overlooking a P-47 fighter plane of WWII on display in front of us. 'Over 15,000 of the P-47 planes were manufactured on a plant on Long Island. It seated just the pilot and moved along at 500 MPH.A 500 lb bomb was attached beneath each wing. The P-47 was used in every theater of the war.. Europe, the Pacific, etc.
As our conversation grew I asked Capt.McIntyre "who was the most important person he transported/" His face beamed. 'CHARLES A. LINDBERGH - 4 TIMES." Lindbergh was humble and always sat towards the rear of the plane!" The two exchanged notes. This one statement was a highlight of my 10 years as a blogger. "Lucky Lindbergh" became renown over night when he flew the Atlantic to France in 1927 landing at Le Bourget Field.
McIntyre knows his aviation history! He also knows the English language as he is a graduate of Emory and Henry College majoring in English! Better yet, Mr. McIntyre admits " As a boy he desired to be a pilot someday."
This peripatetic pilot tells a wonderful accounting of his long, very long!
To be continues/
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