Saturday night (late)
13 Dec. 1969

This is the first time I’ve spent more than 10 minutes in my hooch since 0900 yesterday morning!

The past three days have been the most hectic days of my life! They sort of compare to the days when we were working on plays! I didn’t even have time to shower, shave, or eat!

It all started Thursday night at 1800. I had the hot pad that night and got launched on a B-52 escort. I wrote my last letter after that mission. I got about three hours sleep after that, then got up and went to breakfast. I then got about a hour and a half of sleep yesterday morning before being called back down to the hot pad at 0900.

I then was scrambled for a CAS [close air support] mission. I got back from that and went directly to a group ground safety meeting (missing lunch). From the meeting, I went to a brief for a “manual” mission, my third hop of the day. We launched on the manual misssion, and had to divert to Danang because of bad weather here. We could, and should, have gone to Ubon, but didn’t. As it was we had to declare an emergency because of low fuel and landed at Danang.

Our plane was "down" [not safe to fly] because we had no navigational aids. So we spent last night in Danang. We got up this morning and got back to here about 1100. Then I got to shave and brush my teeth for the first time since Thursday morning at 0445! I was really looking bad with the growth of whiskers I had.

Then I went back to the pad (after eating a quick lunch) and was on the pad until 2200. We were launched on another B-52 escort mission and they let me have the rest of the night off to get some rest. I was supposed to be on the pad until tomorrow morning.

The squadron gets off the pad in the morning, so maybe things will let up. All total, I flew three flights yesterday, and two today for a total of eight points. That’s nearly half of an air medal in two days!!

I got four letters and a tape today.

I didn’t get to listen to President Nixon’s news conference. We weren’t to excited about it over here. However, we are very interested in his announcement Tuesday concerning more troop withdrawals!

This job I have as ground safety officer can keep me as busy as I want to be. It’s the kind of job that can be given a lot of attention, conducting inspections for safety, thinking up safety campaigns, etc. or, I could make nothing out of the job and go on loafing.

We had a ground safety council meeting yesterday (group council) of which I am a member by reason of being the GSO of 122. We meet quarterly and discuss all the safety hazards we have problems with. It’s all very interesting. Most big companies spend a fortune on safety campaigns.

This area is not as well stressed as aviation safety, and the group wants to change that!

I think I’ll be going to Tam Ky on Monday, if I can get off the flight schedule. Maj. Allinder, our aircraft maintenance officer, is the one pushing this orphanage, and he asked me if I would go and I said I would.

We are having a squadron party the 15th and a stand down on the 16th. We have a rumor that Bob Hope is to be here on the 16th! If he is I’ll go - I hope!

It’s midnight and I’m beat!

Photo - this is not Bob Hope performing at our officer's club.