American and Japanese in the Tora Tora Tora group, an F 86 Saber Jet, Puff, The Magic Dragon and other interesting Vietnam era aircraft. An F 17A Stealth Fighter Bomber sat on the flight line, and the United States Air Force Thunderbirds were there to put on an exhibition of precision flying. To quote Ben Anderson, "Those guys are very good!" The show ran both Saturday and Sunday, and we did our part with a fine selection of Little British Cars on display each day. So it was that I saw MGs Triumphs, Austin Healeys, Jaguars and a Rolls Royce on Drive your British Car Sunday. OK, the Rolls Royce was a Merlin about 100 feet above us in the Gunslinger, a P-51 Mustang. I do not know if the other two P-51s powered by Merlins or Allisons, but either way they make very nice noises!
As the Thunderbirds were getting ready to fly I started to get ready to leave. I like air shows, but leaving had something to do with the MGA's temperature gauge reading 70 lbs. of pressure if I got in stop-and-go traffic. I was saying good-bye to Leo Thietje, Kenny Grant, who was out from Iowa, and John Rued, who was in civvies, when a fellow in an Air Force uniform walked up. John appeared to stand a little taller, and Leo sort of snapped-to as well. The fellow looked at the A, looked at me and asked if he could get a ride over to the Chalet. I said sure, I'd get the cleaning supplies, the chair and the cooler out and put them in the trunk.
He was just beginning to say something like don't bother when John said, "General we will take you anywhere you want to go." By golly those were stars on his shoulders. A person can miss a lot of things being only 5'10" tall.
John and Leo volunteered to hold my stuff while I took General Mark Musik to the Wing Commander's Chalet. As I left, Leo whispered that I should drive straight and true. No doughnuts. John added this was not General LeMay. So
I drove away, General in the passenger seat with John of the Air Force and Leo, late of the Nebraska National Guard, standing at attention holding a bucket of cleaning supplies, a tube chair, a cooler and a large supply of polishing towels.
We got to the Chalet without incident. As we arrived General Musik thanked me and disembarked from the A (is that the proper Air Force term?) as the security detail at the Chalet pointed and laughed in delight. Then one pointed at me and shook his head. I recognized him as a foster parent whose children I have worked with on occasion. He came over and asked why he wasn't surprised to see me there under those conditions, and then asked me if I'd like for him to get me in the Chalet.
I declined. I was sure there was some protocol or another for such a situation, and having just finished being as close to military duty as I have been since I flunked my draft physical, I was certain I would violate it. I thought it wiser to return to my friends where, as Ben Anderson stated, "Our protocol is simple. We have none and that is how it should be." Besides, Leo was waiting to give me one of his "special cards." I'll show it to you next time we meet.
Gerry Conant's TR 7 at an autocross.
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