Iwo Jima

Sixty seven years ago this week the Marines landed on Iwo Jima securing the island so it could be used an an emergency airfield for crippled B-29 Superfortress's flying back to the Marianas islands.
This photo taken day 3 of the operation by Joe Rosenthal went around the world and is the most duplicated picture form WWII. The six men Ira Hayes, Mike Strank, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, and U.S. Navy corpsman John Bradley raised the U.S. flag. Within days, three of the Marines raising the flag were killed: Strank, Block and Sousley.
This action during the war forever linked the 4th Marine Division and the 20th Air Force. Countles airman's lives were saved including my father in law by being able to divert to Iwo Jima.
Semper Fi

Air Force names top fighter squadron

The 67th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Okinawa has been awarded the prestigious Raytheon Trophy. The Trophy is awarded annually to the Air Force's Top Fighter Squadron. It's nice to see an F-15 unit win again. My hats off to the maintainer's keeping these 30 year old airframes in top notch flying order.

U-28A crash in Djibouti

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- Capt Ryan P. Hall from the 319th Special Operations Squadron, Capt Nicholas S. Whitlock and 1st Lt Justin J. Wilkens from the 34th Special Operations Squadron and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten from the 25th Intelligence Squadron died Feb. 18 when their U-28A was involved in an accident near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa. No other personnel were on board the aircraft.

The U-28 was returning from a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

God Bless these Airmen and thier families.

Time Flies

Time does fly and being busy all the time cuts down on any blogging. Lets get restarted with the first post of 2012 a pic of the day.This one is pretty funny since Obama has turned into the worst President in my life time by far.