See you in the fall.
I remember my first roommate in BCT. The draft lottery was
held a day or so after we arrived. With a high number, he
resigned immediately. The only price he paid was getting the
haircut.
I tried to talk him out of it, but he made it clear that
evading the draft was the only reason he was there.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Gudmundson [mailto:mgudmund@frontiernet.net]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 10:44 AM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: FW: 5 July 71
I think Jim remembers more than I
do about those first days. I was in shock for much longer.
(Traumatic Stress Disorder?)
One memory I had of those early
times was about how crazy it seemed that young men wanting
to fly were shooting pop bottle rockets at each other in the
hotel parking lot the day before they entered the AFA.
Goody
-----Original Message-----
From: ckerby@mwe.com [mailto:ckerby@mwe.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 11:00 AM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: Re: 5 July 71
Well said Jim, and I have similar fond (and terrifying)
memories.
Chip Kerby
-----Original Message-----
From: Osterheld, Curt @ WASHOPS [mailto:curt.osterheld@L-3com.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 10:29 AM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: RE: 5 July 71
Sir,
Well said! I share the
sentiments exactly. Truthfully, a lot of the Wisconsin
cadets stayed in the less-than-glamorous small motels on
Nevada Avenue. Three of us hitch-hiked in, and got a
ride with a Staff Sergeant who worked in Harmon Hall.
But the larger question of: "What
if we hadn't gotten off at the BOR?" really hits
home. I shudder to think of the alternative. Probably a
lackluster college life at the University of
Wisconsin...
True, our school wasn't for
everybody. Thank God.
Thanks for reinvigorating those
memories of the day my life changed.
With Warmest Regards,
Curt
-----Original Message-----
From: Lamy Perry L MajGen AFRL/CC
[mailto:Perry.Lamy@wpafb.af.mil]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 1:05 PM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: RE: 5 July 71
Jim,
Your email provides a great reminder of that Monday
morning in Colorado. Of all the important dates, memories,
and milestones that come with a 30 year career in the
military -- only two dates with respect to my time in the
military stay forever etched in my conscious: 5 Jul
71 and 4 Jun 75.
None of the other 363 days of any year evokes a second
consideration . . . not for Promotions, First Solo, Change
of Commands -- no other! These dates will forever be special
until that final trip back to the Academy.
Waking up this morning, my first thought (I am at home on
2 weeks leave which gives me plenty of time to reflect) was,
"Today is the 5th of July." Followed immediately
by memories of my last night as a civilian at the Ramada
Inn, the bus ride to the BOR, the haircut, getting and
carrying all that stuff around in two laundry bags, and
those hamburgers for lunch, the courtesy of the upper class.
. . and the start of a personal epic!
No words can adequately describe this 34-year ride . . .
except perhaps Augustus McCrae's dying words to Woodrow Call
from Lonesome Dove: "Doggone Woodrow, it's been quite a
party."
I will forever feel that Woodrow Call's allegiance to his
word, by carrying out the wishes of his best friend (to be
buried back in Texas), is the attitude that permeates our
class and this special bunch of guys who shared that
initiation into a great adventure.
See you at the reunion!
Happy anniversary and "75 Best Alive",
Perry Lamy
-----Original Message-----
From: Lyerly, William
[mailto:William.Lyerly@DHS.GOV]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 1:45 PM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: RE: 5 July 71
Jim
Your reminiscing about our
first days at the Zoo has also brought back memories for
me, but some not so positive as yours.
Not until after graduating from
high school in June 1971, did I finally find out that I
had received an appointment to USAFA, and was ordered to
report on 5 July 1971.
Therefore, in mid-June, I flew
out to Seattle to visit an old girlfriend whose father
had been transferred out to Seattle during my senior
year. I had an absolutely great next 2 weeks -- boating
on the Puget Sound and just enjoying being with my "old
flame" ("the calm before the storm.")
Then, on the evening of 3 July,
I had to tear myself away from the great times in
Seattle to fly down to C-Springs. However, within just a
few hours of landing in C-Springs and checking into my
hotel to get some sleep, I began getting extremely ill.
As it turned out, I had received a really bad case of
food poisoning on the plane to C-Springs.
On the early morning of the
4th, I was rushed to the Academy, where they pumped my
stomach at the "Cadet Clinic" (down by the Bring Me Men
ramp.)
Thus, I had the distinction of
being the VERY FIRST member of the Class of 1975 to "use"
the USAFA Cadet Clinic -- less than 24 hours before we
were scheduled to report at o'dark-thirty on July the
5th. IT WAS AN OMEN.
I was so dehydrated on the 5th
that I could hardly walk, but I was still one of the
very first members of the Class of 1975 to report in
around 6am on July the 5th.
I still often wonder what my
life would have been like had I heeded "the OMEN" -- and
I always come up with both very strong pros and cons.
But as you state -- the pros always include the great
group of people, like yourself, that I had the pleasure
to meet and bond with during our 4 years at the Zoo.
I enjoyed spending the evening
of the 4th with you yesterday and assisting you, Al, and
Pogo to celebrate our INDEPENDENCE DAY together. We
often tend to forget how so fortunate we are to be able
to do so -- I have seen so many people around the world
who are unable to claim any degree of independence from
corrupt and/or homicidal regimes. We actually do have so
much to be thankful for.
Cheers and best wishes,
//Bill//
PS: Maybe that is ultimately
when "Ebola Bill"
became interested in becoming an "epidemic-buster."
William H. Lyerly, Jr.
Director, WMD Operations & Incident Management,
and Science Advisor to the Under Secretary
for Science & Technology,
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
E-mail:
William.Lyerly@DHS.gov
Phone: (202) 254-5646
Fax: (202) 254-6094
Cell: (202) 441-6944
Exec Asst: (202) 254-6089
-----Original Message-----
From: David A. Clough, MD [mailto:daclough@cox.net]
Sent: Tue 7/5/2005 9:53 PM
To: Carlson, Jim; 'Jim Carlson'
Subject: RE: 5 July 71
Jim,
You and I are like bookends. I think I had more military
experience prior to 5 Jul 1971 than you -- and yet you have
had one hell of a lot more genuine, for-real "lock
and load, rock and roll" military experience after 4
Jun 1975 than I.
I had 5 years of Civil Air Patrol to learn about the Air
Force and its
history -- how to wear a uniform, salute, march (parade
ground and long multi-day road marches), participate in
search-and-rescue in the field, attend numerous leadership
schools and encampments at AF Bases, fly (private pilot in
high school), and so forth. A year at University of Nebraska
gave me a head start on academics. Air Force ROTC and
Pershing Rifles there taught me manual of arms, drill team,
unarmed combat, patrolling and more importantly, day-to-day
interaction with real, live active duty troops.
All that, and even knowing that the boom would drop sooner
or later, when:
A few days later,
after the M-80 round went off and the world as I knew it
turned upside down, I wanted more than anything else to
curl up into a tiny ball and be as far away from that
place as physically possible! Why was everybody
shouting? And why at me?
I knew why. I knew what to do. It was still a huge
experience.
Others, like Sam Edgar and Bill Stich in CS-14, had prior
active duty experience. Bill was even an SP in the missile
field. It didn't look any easier for them in BCT than for
the rest of us.
The BCT experience was personalized and customized to
make sure we all hit bottom emotionally. Someone far
smarter than me said that "when
you fall off a cliff it doesn't matter how far you fall --
you will be at terminal velocity when you hit the ground".
Back then, we were allowed to mentally rebuild ourselves
under stress.
Just as forging or tempering steel produces a stronger
alloy, we became more durable and capable, after 1 to 4
years, than before. Classmates like John Sims show how
effective, and permanent, the BCT experience was.
If I could do it over again, I would at the drop (or
toss) of a hat.
Indeed, '75 Best Alive!
Dave Clough
----Original Message-----
From:
JJQUATTROCKI@aol.com [mailto:JJQUATTROCKI@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 8:13
PM
To: Carlson, Jim
Subject: Re: 5 July 71
Jim, thanks for the trip ...
John Q
755101K