Well, it is throwback Thursday and something came to mind while I was sitting with Shirley and listening to one fellow that did not feel up to chemo and was told that he must or notify his kids. It took me back to a summer morning in 57 when my Sunday school teacher called me to his office to take a call from my brother. He was my commander and my friend in Alaska. Phoning was not so easy in those days so I knew it had to be important. My oldest brothers were with my Dad at the Houston VA Hospital where he was asking for me. The doctors told my brother that he had about three days as they did not expect anything to improve. My commander, Major Montie Davis, had already told him, before I got to the phone, to go to the Red Cross office and have them certify the VA diagnosis with the USAF and gave him the number to call. He informed me of this before I got on the phone and said that as soon as the Red Cross calls the USAF number, he would dispatch me by T-33 to Ellington field and that he was getting a pilot while on the phone. After talking with one brother while the other went to the Red Cross Office (it was about 4:30 on a Friday afternoon in Houston) I got a B-4 bag packed and went to Base Finance with the Adjutant where they gave me my pay records in case I had to meet next payday at Ellington. As it turned out, my commander called the Houston Red Cross three times as they had told my brother that they were closing the office until Monday morning and he would have to come back then. At mid night, he gave up on the Red Tape that kept him from jetting me to Texas. He drove me to the Anchorage Airport and got me on a Connie with an Airline that connected to Delta for a one change flight to Houston. Due to the slow Constellation aircraft, Dad died before I got to Houston on Monday. One phone call would have got me there by Saturday Night, but no, the Red Cross could not be bothered. Just like they could not be bothered when my oldest brother was finishing up gunnery in the Rio Grande Valley when my Grand father was dieing. I have never since given to any organization that shares with the Red Cross with there 80% administrative cost. But to the point, this is to the best commander I had in 9 years service. He passed away in Mississippi a few years back. These pictures are of MJR Davis from his flight school days to his command of the 65FIS.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:13:08 +0000
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