memories great fighter pilots
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT JOHN KING, RAFby Charles Keil
Shortly before the end of World War II, in February, 1945, at the age of eleven, I was a pupil at St Bartholomew's Grammar School, an all-boys school in the county of Berkshire, England.
Only a few weeks into my first term, having broken the rules by talking to a fellow pupil during morning assembly, I was sent to the prefect for summary punishment. In those days, the prefects (senior boys appointed by the staff to discipline the younger brethren) in English grammar schools had enormous power over other pupils.
I stood trembling before the 18 year old senior prefect, John E.Y. King. He was my judge, jury and executioner. My "trial" lasted at least five seconds, and he found me (justifiably) guilty. I was required to bend over a desk while he beat me on the backside with a gym shoe. It was not excessively painful, but my pride suffered most.
John King left St Bartholomew's in April 1945 to embark on a short course at St Catherine's College, Cambridge, where he joined the University Air Squadron. At the end of the university course, he graduated with a "Distinguished First" for academic studies and was selected the best University Air Squadron cadet.
In early 1946, he entered the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell (the RAF's academy for career officers). He was soon promoted to Flight Cadet Sergeant and later to Flight Cadet Under Officer. When he graduated on 7 April 1948, he was first in Order of Merit, was awarded the Sword of Honour for being the best all-round cadet, the King's Medal (George VI was still on the throne at that time) for the highest aggregate grades in all subjects. He was also recognized for the highest marks in aeronautical science, engineering, and service subjects, and received the Imperial War Studies Prize and the Royal United Services Institute Award. At the Cranwell graduation parade, he was parade commander. It is unlikely that any other cadet graduating from the RAF College Cranwell, before or since, ever won so many high awards. In 1949, on the occasion of the first Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps (WW1) reunion, he was nominated to represent the Royal Air Force of the day as Guest of Honour.
Not surprisingly, St Bartholomew's was keen to associate itself with his success and I, now 15-years old, sat in awe of King when he appeared in his RAF uniform, complete with pilot's wings, at the school's annual prize-giving ceremony in 1948. I was more than a little impressed by John King's incredible success, and aspired to be an RAF tighter pilot.
In 1951, I too, left the school to join the RAF for pilot training. After flying the Harvard (USAF T-6) with the RCAF in Ontario, I went on to deHavilland Vampire jet fighters in the UK before being posted, in late 1953, to No 26 Fighter Squadron at RAF Oldenburg in Germany. Throughout most of my two years with No 26 Squadron I flew the wonderful Canadair-built Sabre Mk 4 (F-86E).
At RAF Oldenburg, I took my turn in 1954 to keep the squadron diary - a mix of operational and social events with photographs where appropriate. I found past entries fascinating and was surprised to find a 1950 picture of squadron pilots all lined up in the nude at a beach on the North Friesian island of Sylt, to which the squadron deployed periodically for air-to-air gunnery over the North Sea. And there, unmistakably, in the middle of the picture, was John King. It was after leaving Cranwell and completing conversion training in 1948 that John had been posted to No 26 Squadron, where he was promoted to Flight lieutenant and spent three years. I had followed in his footsteps to No 26 Squadron.
Returning to John King, he was briefly hack in the UK during 1949-50 for an air-to-ground attack course which he finished with the highest marks ever obtained there; and he became an instructor. In 1951, he was posted to the RAF's Central Fighter Establishment with special interest in night fighters. In January 1953, he was chosen to train with the USAF on F-86 Sabres, before serving in the Korean War.
in Korea, John flew with the 25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, from Suwon (K-13). On 3 June 1953, he participated in a fly-by to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The next day, 4 .June, he set out on his eighteenth operational mission - from which, sadly, he never returned.
At the time of his death, in 1953, I was undergoing jet conversion training at RAF Merry-field in the UK, and was unaware of his demise. Much later, at RAF Oldenburg, two of the No 26 Squadron F-86 pilots who had flown Sabres with the USAF in Korea (Spud Murphy and Andy Devine) confirmed that they had known John King and that he had simply disappeared on a mission.
Fast forward now - 50 years - to 2003. A letter of mine, published in The times newspaper, led me to put a brief request on the web site of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association inviting any former Sabre pilot who knew anything about John King to contact me.
On 2nd January 2004, the following e-mail arrived on my computer screen from Bob Lysgaard, 2717 Billy Casper Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada:
"John King was my roommate in "A' Flight. We were assigned to the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st FIW, USAF at Suwon in Korea in February 1953. What a great guy! John King came from the RAF as an all-weather pilot. On this mission I was flying No 4 through an awful thunderstorm over North Korea, north of the DMZ. John was No 3 and suddenly hauled back on his stick. I tried hard but could not keep up with him and that erratic maneuver. He did not respond to any radio transmissions and I was lucky to return with the formation to K-13, Suwon. No one could contact him from the formation or from the base. Ihe (accident) investigation considered severe vertigo, oxygen failure or a heart attack. Personally, I never considered the wildest rumor, which was possible defection to North Korea or Vladivostok in Russia." At the time of his death, in 1953, I was undergoing jet conversion training at RAF Merry-field in the UK, and was unaware of his demise. Much later, at RAF Oldenburg, two of the No 26 Squadron F-86 pilots who had flown Sabres with the USAF in Korea (Spud Murphy and Andy Devine) confirmed that they had known John King and that he had simply disappeared on a mission.Fast forward now - 50 years - to 2003. A letter of mine, published in The times newspaper, led me to put a brief request on the web site of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association inviting any former Sabre pilot who knew anything about John King to contact me.
On 2nd January 2004, the following e-mail arrived on my computer screen from Bob Lysgaard, 2717 Billy Casper Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada:
"John King was my roommate in "A' Flight. We were assigned to the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st FIW, USAF at Suwon in Korea in February 1953. What a great guy! John King came from the RAF as an all-weather pilot. On this mission I was flying No 4 through an awful thunderstorm over North Korea, north of the DM7. John was No 3 and suddenly hauled back on his stick. I tried hard but could not keep up with him and that erratic maneuver. He did not respond to any radio transmissions and I was lucky to return with the formation to K-13, Suwon. No one could contact him from the formation or from the base. 'Ihe (accident) investigation considered severe vertigo, oxygen failure or a heart attack. Personally, I never considered the wildest rumor, which was possible defection to North Korea or Vladivostok in Russia." At the time of his death, in 1953, I was undergoing jet conversion training at RAF Merry-field in the UK, and was unaware of his demise. Much later, at RAF Oldenburg, two of the No 26 Squadron F-86 pilots who had flown Sabres with the USAF in Korea (Spud Murphy and Andy Devine) confirmed that they had known John King and that he had simply disappeared on a mission.
Fast forward now - 50 years - to 2003. A letter of mine, published in The times newspaper, led me to put a brief request on the web site of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association inviting any former Sabre pilot who knew anything about John King to contact me.
On 2nd January 2004, the following e-mail arrived on my computer screen from Bob Lysgaard, 2717 Billy Casper Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada:
"John King was my roommate in "A' Flight. We were assigned to the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st FIW, USAF at Suwon in Korea in February 1953. What a great guy! John King came from the RAF as an all-weather pilot. On this mission I was flying No 4 through an awful thunderstorm over North Korea, north of the DM7. John was No 3 and suddenly hauled back on his stick. I tried hard but could not keep up with him and that erratic maneuver. He did not respond to any radio transmissions and I was lucky to return with the formation to K-13, Suwon. No one could contact him from the formation or from the base. 'Ihe (accident) investigation considered severe vertigo, oxygen failure or a heart attack. Personally, I never considered the wildest rumor, which was possible defection to North Korea or Vladivostok in Russia." At the time of his death, in 1953, I was undergoing jet conversion training at RAF Merry-field in the UK, and was unaware of his demise. Much later, at RAF Oldenburg, two of the No 26 Squadron F-86 pilots who had flown Sabres with the USAF in Korea (Spud Murphy and Andy Devine) confirmed that they had known John King and that he had simply disappeared on a mission.
Fast forward now - 50 years - to 2003. A letter of mine, published in The times newspaper, led me to put a brief request on the web site of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association inviting any former Sabre pilot who knew anything about John King to contact me.
On 2nd January 2004, the following e-mail arrived on my computer screen from Bob Lysgaard, 2717 Billy Casper Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada:
"John King was my roommate in "A' Flight. We were assigned to the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st FIW, USAF at Suwon in Korea in February 1953. What a great guy! John King came from the RAF as an all-weather pilot. On this mission I was flying No 4 through an awful thunderstorm over North Korea, north of the DM7. John was No 3 and suddenly hauled back on his stick. I tried hard but could not keep up with him and that erratic maneuver. He did not respond to any radio transmissions and I was lucky to return with the formation to K-13, Suwon. No one could contact him from the formation or from the base. 'Ihe (accident) investigation considered severe vertigo, oxygen failure or a heart attack. Personally, I never considered the wildest rumor, which was possible defection to North Korea or Vladivostok in Russia." At the time of his death, in 1953, I was undergoing jet conversion training at RAF Merry-field in the UK, and was unaware of his demise. Much later, at RAF Oldenburg, two of the No 26 Squadron F-86 pilots who had flown Sabres with the USAF in Korea (Spud Murphy and Andy Devine) confirmed that they had known John King and that he had simply disappeared on a mission.
Fast forward now - 50 years - to 2003. A letter of mine, published in The times newspaper, led me to put a brief request on the web site of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association inviting any former Sabre pilot who knew anything about John King to contact me.
On 2nd January 2004, the following e-mail arrived on my computer screen from Bob Lysgaard, 2717 Billy Casper Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada:
"John King was my roommate in "A' Flight. We were assigned to the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st FIW, USAF at Suwon in Korea in February 1953. What a great guy! John King came from the RAF as an all-weather pilot. On this mission I was flying No 4 through an awful thunderstorm over North Korea, north of the DM7. John was No 3 and suddenly hauled back on his stick. I tried hard but could not keep up with him and that erratic maneuver. He did not respond to any radio transmissions and I was lucky to return with the formation to K-13, Suwon. No one could contact him from the formation or from the base. 'Ihe (accident) investigation considered severe vertigo, oxygen failure or a heart attack. Personally, I never considered the wildest rumor, which was possible defection to North Korea or Vladivostok in Russia."
As a Las Vegas dentist, I had the opportunity to talk with Halal Fisher. He shot down 10 Mig-15s in Korea before getting shot down himself deep in China. Hal was held as a prisoner of war for three years. Naturally, the Russians also interrogated him. He did learn enough Russian to read a book that claimed that John King had been shot down by a Russian pilot. This I do not believe because John King's aircraft remains were recovered along with his dog tags from a mountain nearer the DIZ in North Korea. The area is south of the range of Russian fighter aircraft and near where we encountered that terrible thunderstorm.
I shall never forget John King. He, John Lovell, and jacko Maintland were wonderful compatriots from the United Kingdom during the Korean War of 1953."
So, 59 years after my first `encounter' as a schoolboy with John King, the circle has been closed. I am grateful to have been in contact with Bob Lysgaard: the last man to see John King alive. In my own short RAF flying career, I never remotely approached John's illustrious achievements and it is a cause of great sadness that such a brilliant young officer and pilot did not live to satisfy his full potential. But it is a matter of some small satisfaction that we did both share not only a common school and RAF Squadron but also the opportunity to `dance the skies' in the inimitable F-86 Sabre.
THE UNKNOWN ACE
Manuel J. "Pete Fernandezby Larry Davis
The Unknown Ace
Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez
by Larry DavisQuick now, name the top THREE aces in the Korean War. You probably got the first two right away - McConnell and Jabara. But the third is elusive to most people. This is the story of that man - to a point. There are questions about the circumstances surrounding his death which may be answered in the near future.
I met Pete back in the late 1970s when I was interviewing Korean War pilots for my book `MiG Alley'. He was always a joy to talk to and we spent many an hour on Ma Bell's phone lines talking about flying. I thought he was great. And in talking with many of you about this article, I found out that everyone that flew with him thought he was truly great. The author thanks the many people that helped in putting this quick biography together. These include; Mr. Robert Blurton, cousin of `Pete' Fernandez, members Jim Escalle, John Lowery, Charlie Cox, and many others that supplied tidbits about Pete's life.
Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez was born in Miami, Florida in 1925. He graduated from Miami Jackson High School and enlisted in the US Army in 1943, applying for and being taken into the Army Pilot Training program. The end of the war and his at teaching kept him out of combat and he remained in Texas as an instructor pilot. In February 1948, Charlie Cox and Pete were serving together in the 23rd Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group at Howard AB in the Panama Canal Zone. Later that same year, the 36th was transferred to Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Many of the pilots, including Pete, were transitioning from the F-47N Thunderbolt into the new jet-powered F-80B Shooting Star. The 36th Group was transported from the Canal Zone to Glasgow, Scotland, by Navy aircraft carrier, and on 13 August 1948 began the flight to Furstenfeldbruck. Charlie Cox recalls: "The first leg went to Manston where the RAF threw a big party, with each side trying to outdrink the other. Pete and I tried to blend in. The next leg went to Weishaden, Germany, where we got to see first hand the destruction that air power could bring. It was amazing to see all the large building that were gutted and all the streets were still piled with rubble."
"The last leg took us to Fursty and we arrived with no losses. Our overseas tour that had began in the Canal Zone, ended with eight months at Fursty. It was the Winter of 1948-49 and our mission was support for the Berlin Airlift. As much as possible, we became `combat qualified' and that was the first time that I witnessed how strong a pilot Pete was. Although without any combat experience, Pete could handle the F-80 with the best of them. And we were loaded with combat veterans."
"In May 1949, Pete and I rotated back to the States at the same time. We were bound for Las Vegas AFB, now Nellis AFB, we stopped at Williams AFB to upgrade into the F-51 D. At Las Vegas, we were split into different flights. Later, Las Vegas was converted from advanced flying training to a gunnery training base and became a pipeline that sent pilots to the war in Korea. It was clear to me and many others that the pilots trained by Pete were getting the best there was (Joe McConnell was one of Pete's trainees!)"
Lon Walter recalls; "Pete Fernandez was one of my advanced flying school instructors in the Spring of 1950. One moonlit night, towards the end of my T-6 phase, Pete was in the back seat of the T-6 and I was up front. My assignment was to navigate from las Vegas to Silver Lake, California, then to Needles, CA, before returning the Las Vegas. It was a piece of cake and we both knew it. But it was part of the course." "Between Silver Lake and Needles, I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that Pete was snoozing. The turn back to Las Vegas at Needles was a little more than 90°, so I thought I'd have some fun with him. When I made the turn, I racked it in, pulling about 3 g's. I watched in the mirror as Pete really came awake with a start. He laughed over the intercom, knowing exactly what I'd done, and said something to the effect, "....smart ass!" I got my wings in June and went directly to the 4th Wing at Andrews. I hoped our paths would cross again but it didn't happen."
Charlie Cox: "Pete not only could teach by talking, but he could demonstrate it in flight as well. (When Major Vermont Garrison formed his Nellis Acrobatic Team "The Mach Riders", he had Pete flying left Wing. Bill Wescott flew Right Wing, Wendell Brady was Slot, and Bill Craig was the Solo man.) In the late Summer of 1952, Pete and I went to Korea. Pete was assigned to the 334th Squadron at Kimpo, and I went to the 51st Wing at Suwon. We never served together again."
Pete arrived at Kimpo in September 1952, scoring his first victory on
4 October. He became an ace on 18 February 1953 when he shot down two MiGs for his 5th and 6th kills. Coincidently, his `student' Joe McConnell also made ace that same day. Pete was a natural fighter pilot.John Lowery recalls:" Pete got most of his kills at high altitude. Many of the old heads from World War Two had difficulty getting in range of the MiG-15 at high altitude. LtCol. Bill Cosby, our commander in the 334th Squadron, asked Pete what his secret was. Pete replied that he always cruised at 45-48,000 feet, running at .9 Mach."
"Then his flight would turn off the IFF and head directly into Manchuria for a few miles before making a carefully executed turn (never more than a 15 bank) back to the south. This would often put him at the 6 o'clock position on the MiG flights coming out of Antung as they were climbing and heading south. They wouldn't even know he was there until he hit them. Pete said that occasionally, he wound up IN the MiG formations. He emphasized that by cruising at .9 Mach, he had never had a MiG get on his tail. (The MiG was limited to .92 Mach)"
On 18 May 1953, Pete Fernandez had flown 124 missions. He was scheduled to fly one more mission. He'd put in a request to fly 25 more for a total of 150, but 5th Air Force had turned him down. On this day Pete looked at the schedule board. He wasn't on it, not even as 5 minute alert. Lt. Gen. Glenn Barcus, commander of 5th AF, invited Pete down to Headquarters to listen in on the action - if there was any.
Pete watched as the plotters moved the little airplanes up into MiG Alley. Flight reports started coming in. The air was full of MiGs and Pete had to bite his lip and wait. Suddenly the phone rang and General Barcus answered. He listened for awhile and then said: "I can't tell him that! If I do I won't be able to keep him on the ground." Then the general hung up.
"Pete", General Barcus said, " McConnell got two this morning." They were Mac's 14th and 15th victories, putting him one ahead of Pete. Pete smiled but his smile was thin. When he spoke he could hardly be heard. "Good show!" Before the ideal flying of 18 May was finished, McConnell had downed a third MiG, putting his total at 16 victories.
It was bitter medicine for Pete as General Barcus had already told him that both he and Mac were grounded and were going to go home. What made it worse was that he had to share one of his victories with Foster Lee Smith, which left him at 14 1/2 victories. Pete sullenly packed his bags and both he and Mac flew out of Korea on the 19th.
On 27 May, Pete and Mac were invited to the White House for a special luncheon with President Dwight Eisenhower. Ike wanted to hear all about the fighting in MiG Alley from his top two aces. During the Summer of 1953, Pete and several other aces from Korea, made a tour of various Air Force bases to inspire the folks back home. Following the tour, Pete went to George AFB, where he was assigned to the 479th Fighter Day Group.
It was during his tour at George that several important things occurred. First was his marriage in November 1953. Joe McConnell was one of the special guests at the wedding. In early 1954, Pete was invited to be Techinical Aavisor on a Hollywood movie being made about M Connell's life. He met and became lifelong friends with Jane Allyson and her husband Dick Powell. In 1958, Powell would produce and direct another Hollywood film about the Sabre pilots in Korea. The movie was "The Hunters", starring Bob Mitchum and Bob Wagner. Pete flew in many of the aerial scenes.
In 1956, following the transition of the 479th FDG from F-O86Fs to F-1OOA/C Super Sabres, Pete got another crack at military history. He was going to be the first Air Force pilot to fly a supersonic aircraft in the Bendix Trophy Race. Pete would fly an F-100 from George AFB to Oklahoma City. Air Force wanted a supersonic flight but strong headwinds prevented Pete from averaging more than 666.66 mph. Yet Pete still won the Bendix Trohpy, landing his F-1000 at Oklahoma City with barely two minutes of fuel left in his tanks.
Pete, now a Major, left George and went to the Test pilot School at Edwards. One would think that with his experience and skills that he would have been a natural with the test pilot mission. But such was not the case and Pete spent 1958 to 1960 as the Chief Recruiter for the Air Force in South Florida. In 1960, Pete was a Military Advisor to the Argentine Air Force as they converted to F-86 Sabres. Based at Mendoza AFB, Pete was both an instructor pilot and advisor. He even formed the first Argentine AF gunnery team in F-86 aircraft, which won the Top Gun trophy at Nellis AFB that same year.
Pete retired from the Air Force in 1963 with the rank of Major. But his flying days were far from over. At Miami International Airport he flew old rust bucket cargo aircraft from what became known as "Corrosion Corner", pioneering many new routes throughout Latin America. He was quite adept in this as his Latin heretige and language skills allowed him to go places other pilots could not.
In 1972, these same skills became the basis of a CIA operation. The CIA came to "Corrosion Corner" looking for a pilot to "borrow" a specific aircraft that the Peruvian Air Force had just obtained from the Soviet Union, an Antonov 26 with a special guidance system and Pete said that he could.
He spoke fluent Spanish, had the `Latin look', and had made many friends during his flights with Corrosion Corner. The Antonov was located on the military side of Lima International Airport. Pete simply strolled over to the airplane like he owned it. He got in, fired it up, and flew off to the north with no flight plan. Peruvian interceptors gave chase but Pete evaded them and flew hack to Florida. The escape maneuvers had burst all the blood vessels in his eyes and he had to be hospitalized for a short time.
The CIA paid him enough to buy a new home in the Miami area, and Pete went back to Corrosian Corner. This is where the story gets dark murky. What is known is that Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez died in the crash of a Piper Geronomo on Grand Bahama Island on 17 October 1980. The facts surrounding the crash have never been fully documented and are being investigated.
FLYING THE RCAF SABRE: MARK 6by George L. Schulstad
Some experiences you never forget. Such was the case in 1956 when I reported for a NATO exchange tour with 414 Fighter Squadron, #4 Fighter Wing, RCAF Station Baden Soellingen, FRG. Because some military pilots may find my indoctrination into that great organization some-what unusual, I'd like to share the story with fellow F-86 Sabre pilots.
ARRIVAL: My orders stated: Arrival 1200 hours - via [USAF L-20 Beaver from Landstuhl Air Base. I was met planeside by the OOD (Orderly Officer of the Day), who "jeeped" me to the Officers' Mess. There I was welcomed at curbside by 4 Wing C.O., Group Captain B.C. Christmas, C-OPS-O (Wing Chief Ops Officer); the 414, 422, and 444 squadron commanders, and pilots of the group who lined the path to the bar and dining room for lunch and introductions. After this, my new squadron commander ("OC", or Officer Commanding in Canadian par-lance), Squadron Leader Lloyd Liggett, took me in his jeep on a scenic base tour en route to 414 Fighter Squadron. He pointed out "important" places such as Wing Headquarters, the procedures training building, and so forth, commenting that my checkout in the Sabre 6 would be in strict compliance with NATO and 4th Allied Tactical Air Force (4ATAF) regulations and directives! My thoughts turned to dreary days of ground school and a long delay before I would fly the vaunted Mark 6 Sabre, which dominated the "busy" skies over western Europe during those tension-filled times of the Cold War.
CHECKOUT: As we continued our tour, we came upon the sleek camouflage-painted Sabres of 414 Squadron, dispersed among the trees. Suddenly we heard the powerful crescendo of Orenda 14 engines. We looked up to see the flashing shapes of sixteen Sabres in close formation directly overhead. I was thrilled! Then - speed brakes open! - and the sky was filled with falling, unfurling rolls of white toilet tissue which wafted toward the ground' - some snagging on tall pines. What a sight!
The OC went to "war emergency power" on the jeep and called to all within earshot, "Scramble the squadron!" As we approached the door of the squadron ops building (And I must say I wasn't sure if the jeep would stop or we'd drive right in.), pilot Bob Little emerged - just in time to duck away from the charging jeep. "Scramble the squadron" the OC shouted again, "and take him (meaning "moi") with you!"
Fly that one", Bob said, pointing to the nearest Sabre! Grabbing my helmet and g-suit from the jeep I raced to the Sabre, asking the ground crew to start the engine and help me with the unfamiliar cockpit harness. Sabres were already taxiing, and Bob and I became numbers 15 and 16. Engine fumes and wake turbulence hung on the runway, but we joined up smartly, and minutes later we were 50,000 feet above the vineyards of western Europe. What beautiful Sabres and terrific fighter pilots! A perfect checkout. Take that, 4ATAF!
"Two sorties later a sort of "quid pro quo" had been visited upon the "toilet paper raider's" from #2 Air Wing, and rumor held that a "Cease and Desist" order from Air Division resulted from a few shattered window panes and some cracked concrete accompanying the sonic booms and "white stuff" showered on their base at Gros Tenquin, France.
DEBRIEFING: Later, the O'Club buzzed with chatter about the day's events. I, "The Lieutenant from Landstuhl", was totally unaware that my REAL initiation to #4 Fighter Wing and the RCAF was about to begin. The chaps from Wing, 4-14 and 422 introduced themselves amid a noticeable accumulation of drinks on the bar in front of me. Suddenly, "Squirrel" Davidson leaped onto the bar shouting "Magic HHour!..Magic Hour!" and the doors to the courtyard burst open. All the chaps hurriedly assembled around the lily pond, and began trying to raise the water level while taking careful aim at one of the decor swans, painted in the colors of another squadron.
As we reassembled in the bar minutes after this precision exercise, a new friend, Ed Lowery, coached me to an end position near the courtyard doors. He directed my attention to a chap who was allegedly buying a round of drinks for the entire wing because he had been "last out". My new friends cautioned me to avoid this fate - and thereby suckered me in for part two of the little drama.
Because I was in a high state of readiness, when the next "Magic Hour" sounded, I was first into the courtyard, taking a position so as to spray the swans! Moments later, the press of dashing fighter pilots eased me into center pool! The swans remained unscathed this time because I was the sole target!! Finally, I was pulled from the pool and cleansed with a garden hose. The subsequent brandy toasts let it he known that I had truly been initiated into a rarefied and select group of fighter pilots - The Sabres of Canada's superb contribution to NATO's air umbrella, whose mission statement was "TOP COVER FOR NATO!". The very best of the best! And to this day I remain truly impressed and deeply honored!
Ed: Brig. Gen George Schulstad. USAF (Ret), logged 6250 hours during twenty-three years on active flying status. Ile was a flight commander, squadron commander, and wing commander.