Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Rest In Peace General Yeager

 Today, our nation has lost a fine man and a "real American". Besides being the first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager was a WW2 Ace plus (he made ace in one day), saw combat in Korea, and even flew as a crewman in some missions over Vietnam. He came from humble beginnings and rose to greatness. One of my favorite Yeager quotes was from a History Channel documentary where the person conducting the interview was asking Gen. Yeager about going up against the Me 262 German jet fighter. Yeager explained the speed and agility of his P-51 he was flying at the time. He went on to say the Messerschmitt 262 was most vulnerable during take offs and landings. Yeager became one of the first pilots to score a jet "kill" while flying near a German air base. When the interviewer asked him about his combat air time in Europe, Yeager replied, "I was a 21 year old kid flying a  1500 h.p. plane that would fly at 500 m.p.h. It had six Browning .50 caliber machineguns. I was on top of the world". I'm sure this photo (I saw it earlier this week over at The View From Lady Lake ) was his "crowning glory". LOL  I will not cite any sources as there are literally thousands out there that are very credible.


1965 ... Jeannie and Chuck! | Dream of jeannie, I dream of jeannie, Barbara eden

Yeager on breaking the sound barrier





at

13 comments:

  1. skybillDecember 8, 2020 at 12:40 AM

    Hi Irish!!,
    'Hard to gather the words I want to say... I was just a young 2 1/2 year old when Chuck and "Glamorous Glennis" flew faster than Sound!! My Brother Alex, 13 years my senior was in the "Sun parlor" (a room on the south/east side of the house with French windows that caught the morning sun!!) he was trying to start his Olson .23 ignition model airplane engine mounted on the work bench... he kept saying something about "The Sound Barrier!!" I "Remember!!!!!!"
    Fly On Chuck!!!!!!!!
    skybill

    ReplyDelete
  2. skybillDecember 8, 2020 at 1:22 AM

    Hi Irish!!,
    'Hard to gather the words I want to say... I was just a young 2 1/2 year old when Chuck and "Glamorous Glennis" flew faster than Sound!! My Brother Alex, 13 years my senior was in the "Sun parlor" (a room on the south/east side of the house with French windows that caught the morning sun!!) he was trying to start his Olson .23 ignition model airplane engine mounted on the work bench..... "Flip',.."pop"..flip, flip,"pop!!!" .. he kept saying something about "The Sound Barrier!!" ...... I "Remember!!!!!!"
    Fly On Chuck!!!!!!!!
    skybill

    ReplyDelete
  3. ScooterManDecember 8, 2020 at 3:07 AM

    I'm proud of him not looking down her cleavage. Spencer Tracy said ( talking about Katherine Hepburn's character) "There's not much there but what there is is choice!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. rickn8orDecember 8, 2020 at 11:09 AM

      You mean "He didn't get caught looking down her cleavage."

      Given the opportunity, I'd try to get a peek today.

      If the young lady has gone to the trouble of growing them and arranging them in an attractive display, I feel a certain obligation to stare at them. I mean, it's the only polite thing to do...

      Delete
  4. libertymanDecember 8, 2020 at 6:55 AM

    The real deal, a true American hero. RIP General Yeager

    ReplyDelete
  5. RHT447December 8, 2020 at 9:45 AM

    We are truly diminished.

    Back around 2012, I worked at Huntington's in Oroville, CA (as in Fred Huntington, who founded RCBS). Yeager would come in now and again to visit with Buzz Huntington. He drove a white Dodge Dakota with the plates that read "Bell X-1".

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dave JilesDecember 8, 2020 at 10:06 AM

    What an incredible man and incredible life. Balls the size of church bells to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  7. edutcherDecember 8, 2020 at 10:43 AM

    He done good.

    ReplyDelete
  8. DanneDecember 8, 2020 at 11:40 AM

    RIP Col. Yeager! This is a passing breed of man, and the dying of a golden age of American greatness. Thanks to our liberal politicians who stole our vision of a space age in favor of funding a better future on earth, we now have a generation of stupid bastards that cannot even build a kitchen toaster. Fuck politicians!

    ReplyDelete
  9. BrewvetDecember 8, 2020 at 12:00 PM

    A great American. We need more like him. This is a tremendous loss. As Dave said, truly, balls the size of church bells.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AesopDecember 8, 2020 at 12:54 PM

    He suffered a massive stroke a few weeks back, never recovered, and spent the last month-plus in a coma.
    (Don't ask me how I know.)
    I've been waiting for this final news for some time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Christian MountaineerDecember 8, 2020 at 6:42 PM

    A good old West Virginia man...as well as General Frank (Pete) Everest of Fairmont, WV. He broke Yeager's record flying in the X-2 rocket plane established him as "the fastest man alive" when he attained a new unofficial speed record of 1,957 mph or Mach 2.9. Our family knew Pete for over 30 years. Pete's book was titled "The Fastest Man Alive". I read it back in high school. He was even a Chinese POW for a short time. True heroes.

    ReplyDelete

Leave us a comment if you like...