KOREA
ON THE LIGHTER SIDEby Albert S. Kelly
Sabrejet Classics is becoming more interesting with each edidon. Personally knowing so many of the contributors brings the magazine closer to home with many fond memories. As a matter of fact, I remember several incidents that happened while I was C.O. of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Group in Korea.
We had Major Hap Harris, a former B-17 jockey in World War 2, who became a Captain for National Airlines before being recalled for the Korea fracas. Hap always wanted to fly fighters, even during World War 2. But fate had it the other way and he ended up in, of all things, a BOMBER! Anyway, when Korea came Hap volunteered and worked it so he could go to jet fighter school at Nellis. He came to Korea as a 'rookie', but turned Into a super great fighter jock. Hap was a Flight Leader and flew a bunch of combat missions. He was also an instructor pilot in our group. Well, now my story;With some of our new pilots came a young man named Mccarthy. I cannot recall his first name as he was always just Mac! Mac had beaucoup time flying AT-6s, but none in jets. Mac bugged the hell out of everyone to teach him to fly in the T-33. Each squadron at Suwon had a T-33 assigned. Mac would fly tow target or anything else to get in some jet time! And so it would be. He finally talked me Into letting him check out in an F- 86. Hap Harris agreed to work with him until he eventually checked out to fly combat in the 86. That was a day of Great Celebration for Mac!
He started flying combat on Major Harris' wing. It also seemed that whenever Mac got a sortie, the flight ran into MIGs. One day they got into a big hassle with a bunch of MIGs over the YaIu, and a few snagged onto Mac's tail and started shooting. Being ever the Mother Hen to his flight, Hap Harris started yelling to Mac over the radio - "Mac, Mac! Break right, break right!". Hap kept yelling at Mac over and over. Suddenly came a reply from Mac. The ever cool Mccarthy calmly said - "Heck Major, I can't! The stick is HUNG UP IN MY BEADS!!!" And he was laughing the whole time.
Mac was always a jolly, fun loving guy, loved and respected by all the jocks in the group. He was always joking and playing pranks on his fellow pilots. lt was not long until once again Mac was flying Hap Harris' wing and they were bounced by another bunch of MIGs near the River. One of the MIGs seemed to have Mac tattooed and was firing long bursts of cannon fire. Major Harris again could be heard screaming at Mac over the radio - "Suck it in Mac, suck it in!" After what seemed like an eternity, finally came that dry drawl from Mac - "Aw Major, don't worry. He's all fired out!" Now that's what I call really COOL
I don't know what happened to Mac after the war but I'm sure he was great fun with his friends and loved ones. Major Harris returned to National Airlines as a Captain and resumed his career. But not too many years later I learned that he had sufferred a heart attack and joined the other great fighter pilots In the sky.
There are a lot of other lighter stories about Korea. How many of you recall the Kemchi pots, the garlic smelling barbers, or a lovely Korean princess named Moonface, who served show at our mess hall at Suwon. I'd love to hear more of these great stories from the rest of you guys.
MY FAVORITE GOLDEN HAWKS STORY
by Alfred McDonald
HAWK 6
The year 1959 marked a significant anniversary for aviation in Canada. The Royal Canadian Air Force was celebrating its 35th Anniversary, and Canadian aviation was markings its 50th year of powered flight since the SILVER DART flew at Baddeck, Nova Scotia in 1909. To mark these milestones, the RCAF formed the GOLDEN HAWKS, an aerobatic team equipped with Canadair hard-winged Sabre Mk 5s. The HAWKs were scheduled to tour Canada for only this one year. But because of their popularity, they became a permanent team at the end of the 1959 tour.
By the time I joined the team in 1961, the Sabre Mk 5 had been replaced by the more powerful, and slatted winged Sabre Mk 6. After two years the HAWKs were performing a spectacular and very polished show. They drew huge crowds of aviation enthusiasts to watch their displays in both Canada and the United States.On one particular occasion the unforeseen happened. We were performing at Sydney, Nova Scotia during August 1961. During the 'bomb burst' maneuver before the spectators watching from the hangar line, , four of the HAWKs were doing a low altitude crossover. HAWK 3, Norm Garriock, while flying toward the hangar and the crowd, did not see a tall pole supporting an anemometer directly In front of him. His right wing hit the pole at a speed of 400 knots. The pole did considerable damage to the Sabre's leading edge. The other three aircraft quickly checked him over and monitored the Sabre during the immediate emergency approach to landing. Garriock landed the Sabre without further Incident.
I landed shortly afterward and investigated the area of the hangar Norm had just flown over. During this time I overheard the following conversation from a young woman who had been 'perched on the throne' inside the hangar during the incident with Garriock's Sabre - and directly beneath the support base for the anemometer pole "Well", she said excitedly to a friend, "I heard this great thundering noise as the aircraft passed over, then this loud bang directly above me. Just then some debris from the roof fell right beside me! You know, I darn near s--t!" The two of them suddenly realized where she was sitting and broke up into uncontrolled laughter. The accident had lost its seriousness for the moment and further investigation soon flushed out the cause!
SABRES IN MINATURE
by Tony Kameen
It has been 45 years since I built my first model airplane. Back in those days plastic kits were unheard of, and radio controlled models were only a dream! The radio controlled model era began for me in 1975 when I used a windfall tax refund to buy one of the first affordable radio control sets for $200.00. There were times over the next few years when I was sure I would never learn to fly radio controlled airplanes! I stayed with it though, and managed to climb high enough on the learning curve to at least bring my model home in one piece! Since then I have built more than 40 R/C models. I have even been fortunate enough to take 11 1st Place and 4 Best In Show trophies in 27 contest entries. A few of my models are in aviation museums around the area.
My latest model is an F-86F Sabre, and I'm about ready to test fly it. The F-86F spans 45" weighs about 8 pounds, and is powered by a one-half cubic inch model airplane engine that burns alcohol and castor oil! The engine drives a 5 inch diameter phenolic epoxy ducted fan at 24,000 rpm!! The thrust generated is seven pounds, enough to drive my F-86F through the air at well over 100 mph! All the flying controls work, i.e. ailerons, elevators, rudder, throttle, and flaps. Even the landing gear retracts after takeoff.The Sabre is my fifth ducted fan R/C ship. In the past I have built a Heinkel HE-162 (one of the first German jets), a T2J Buckeye, an Israeli C-2 KFIR, and another F-86. My first F-86 was another F model trimmed in the colors of the 84th FIS out of Hamilton AFB in the mid-50s. That model logged over 100 flights before becoming the victim of a drainage pipe. The pipe was sticking up in the air about 3 feet - I was flying the Dabre at 2 feet 6 Inches! My new Sabre model uses the tall surfaces, engine, radio, and accessories from the original.
I am now retired after a 20 year career in the Air Force. I spent all my time flying the SD-4D, Steel Desk, type 4 Drawer. In 1962, while on first assignment with the 498th FIS, the Geiger Tigers, at Spokane international Airport, I met Colonel Vermont 'Garry' Garrison. At the time he was the air advisor to the Washington Air National Guard. It was a great pleasure for a brand new Second 'Balloon' to associate with someone with such a distinguished combat record. Col Garrison served with the Eagle Squadron and 4th FG during WW2, shooting down 7 1/3 German fighters before being shot down and becoming a POW. In Korea Col Garrison added 10 MiG-15s to his total, while serving again with the 4th But First.
When I started building my second Sabre model last year I thought of Colonel Garrison. I contacted him through the Retired Offlcers Affairs Office. He was very helpful in verifying data about his F-86 and correcting errors that had been made by historians through the years. The markings on my new Sabre are a tribute to the memory of the late Col Vermont Garrison.
This past Spring my Sabre was shown at the Toledo, Ohio Scale Model Aircraft Trade Show. The kits manufacturer asked if he could display my F-86F. My prior F-86 model won 2nd Place in the Sport Scale category at the International Modelers Show in 1987.
Now with 300 hours involved in the construction of the F-86F behind me, I hope to complete another hundred flights and three years of contest and fun-fly time with the new Sabre. It is great to fly Vermont Garrison's 'Ol 953' again - even if only in miniature.