The Mighty Eighth

Last year, I screened The Cold Blue, which was an amazing film. In WW2, 5 famous Hollywood directors, William Wyler, John Huston, John Ford, George Stevens, and Frank Capra went into harm’s way with small film crews and documented the war. John Ford, for example shot – I believe- the only footage of Midway as it was being attacked.

I’m in danger of swaying into this fascinating story, but I will say one thing. The war affected them all, and it can be reflected in their post war work. George Stevens, for example, having seen so much death and destruction in Europe, in making Shane, thought gunfire and being shot should be portrayed realistically, a first for a Hollywood Western.

A Short Cold War Story

During my time in the Army, I had 2 stations. The first, I was assigned to and the 2nd, I requested a transfer.

My first station was a radar station on a hill overlooking Ramstein AFB, near Landstuhl. You have probably heard of Landstuhl from time to time, as it contains the Army’s – if not main hospital in Europe, certainly one of the top hospitals.

It Wasn’t The Most Beautiful Plane…

in WW2, but its pilots loved it – considering it to be a flying tank. Of course, I’m talking about the P-47 Thunderbolt.

I’ve just come across a fantastic video – on order from General Hap Arnold it was shot in color during the closing months of WW2 in the ETO with the 362nd Fighter Group.

Coupled with the color film are interviews with former squadron members many years later, on what it was like in those days.

A few things I learned:

Some Beautiful Aerial Cinematography

I don’t know how they did it, but check out this   1957 film of the Air Force F-86s. It only has a 2:08 duration, but what scenes. Someone on the Facebook group wondered if Paul Mantz filmed this.

Dunno.

 

Update 12-27-2018 – From the Vimeo Site: 

JET PILOT (1957) produced by Howard Hughes was shot between 1949-1951. Beautiful aerial cinematography in this Cold War film. The  US Air Force allowed the use of: F-86 / B-36B / F-94A / EB50A / T-33A and the Bell X-1 that first broke the sound barrier. Shot on Kodak’s first color negative film 5247.

‘Splosive Bolts

By lex, on April 23rd, 2011

Still actuating on naval command-at-sea pins:

TRAP

By lex, on March 23rd, 2011

The US Marines embarked aboard an amphibious ready group us a “rapid response planning process”, or R2P2 to prepare for each of the 22 roles and missions that a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) is expected to be able to accomplish. They can go from warning order to execution using a cookbook process shaped by real-time intel in three hours. Watching the unit leaders go through a confirmation brief with the MEU commander prior to execution is an amazingly detailed experience – the first time.

TALES FROM MY YOUTH: The Adventure of the Green Iguana

When I arrived at Wurtsmith AFB on December 8, 1978, I remember expecting a crack bomber unit embodying steely-eyed discipline, Spanish Inquisition-level devotion to regulations, and a certain sunglasses-silk-scarf-and-grin panache that would indeed tell you that you were an elite, entrusted with the Nation’s Survival In It’s Darkest Hour.

SERE

 By lex, on July 27th, 2010

Meet ARM 1/c Oliver Rasmussen, native of Wisconsin, who lived off the land in Hokkaido, Japan after his plane crashed during an air strike:

Back to the future

Posted by Lex, on March 22nd, 2008

Air Force wants to see coal fuel take off  **

Disaster

Posted August 8th, 2007 by lex

 

I’ve been around long enough to understand that you take what you read in major media with at least a grain of salt, especially if it concerns the military, and most especially if a defense lawyer is a source for the story. But if this tale is even 10% true, you have to wonder who’s driving the bus over in bus driver land.