In 1966, I was sent to the Pensacola Naval Air Station for officer training.
Every morning in the chow hall, I noticed a large number of fellow officers who were short in stature.
I realized they were young Navy pilots in training because they had to be short in order to fit into the cockpit of their A1E attack planes,
When the rest of us went off to classrooms, they climbed into the cockpit of their planes.
There was an aircraft carrier cruising in the Gulf of Mexico each day.
The young pilots had to fly out to that carrier and practice landing and taking off (touch and go) in all kinds of weather conditions.
After training, they were stationed on carriers in the Tonkin Gulf off Vietnam.
Senator John McCain (Pictured above, lower right) was one of those “Short Guys” who was shot down and held captive for many years.
Many of those “Short Guys” didn’t return.
True patriots, each and every one!
ifnottodaywhen.blog 