Really need to wonder exactly what the French would have allowed day before yesterday to learn 3 were going to murder 12 people? Or USA to learn what 19 were planning to do by Sept 10, 2001? Early Monday after, anyone can win Sunday’s Super Bowl! Entirely true person will say anything to avoid pain/pressure so alone proves nothing BUT can confirm what you think you already know from another source and elsewhere.
USAF Air Crew Survival Training School 21 day TDY was something none ever forget. Mar ’64 was being run by Capt John McKone who’d been captured at sea from a shot down RB-47 well off Russian coast. Spent time in KGB Lubyanka prison and exchanged after 7 months facing trial with a death penalty. Met John and said hello at a class welcome reception for our week’s before Nav/ Bomb graduation class along with a group of new F-100 jocks up from George AFB. Funny was? Oct 1966 my B-57s were assigned with many of them in 2 Huns Sqdns in SEA at Phan Rang AB. Co-pilot and John, Nav/Bomb survived and he ran the prison camp 3 years later in KGB style. Capture in mock attack crawling across snow field, freezing solitary cell, harsh interrogation, stress positions and finally stuck in a hole in the ground, metal cover with a big rock in the bottom. Sun was rising over N Reno, Stead AFB where air races now held and was getting unfrozen some so curled around the rock and took a nap. Actually worst felt? was my questioner had my personel file and called my Mom a whore as had a different last name. I knew It would not be unbearable too long as we had snow survival all next week in the National Forest CA side after last weekend of 21 days off . Still was realistic enough to think this might stop if I just do what the fellow asks for. So to remain true to POW code of conduct not so difficult. All assembled in Prison Camp the ranking Major and Captains were pulled one by one for the treatment and I was senior 1st Lt so became Senior Ranking Officer at final point we were released. Final order I think was , “Let’s go get some place warm!”
In 1973 Lt Col John became my Deputy Base Commander when I was Spangdahlem Airfield Manager and as big a pain in the ass as ever wanting Colonel’s eagles so bad would do about anything. One day I was supervising unloading Nucs off a C-141 end of the runway whlle he ran a Command Post exercise I halted by closing the runway as the landing exercise F-4s were blowing rocks and drag chutes all over the Munitions crew. After roll out you drop the chute and blow it off the taxiway with exhaust. I got an irate call back at Base Ops after I finished and reopened the strip for the C-141 to depart and exercise could restart the scripted scenario. He began chewing my ass. I said, “Col McKone? If I’d had to call a Bent Spear ( Nuclear weapon damage incident less than Broken Arrow but immediate report as Pinnacle right up the DOD chain ) on your silly underground play acting? We’d both be looking at Leavenworth Kansas not Moscow and the trial would probably be held”! He sputtered off. We were not best buds!
As with a lot of people in command positions, I respected what he’d done, was thankful for what he’d taught me but found him an insufferable little tyrant seeking personal gain through those he could control. Probably harshest case of non-combat reactive PTSD among all I knew in a period where we nearly all suffered from the same un-named malady by constant danger . “Duck and cover era” ; End of runway crossing line, off to H-Bomb war past Fail Safe no recall. Came back to haunt anew in post Cold War , 9-11 era.
About Spring 1983, combat disabled retired since ’77, I was taking my college roommate , Dave Cox, to the San Antonio airport from a ceramics show in town going back to Weber St U, Ogden UT where he was Dept Head Ceramics Prof and resident artist. Turned a corner and there was John and we both dropped our jaws In surprise. Was wearing his eagles as Base Cmdr Ellsworth AFB KS as I found nearing 28 years Retired and I said, “Hi John, how ya been?” and we walked away. End of near 20 year story work out.
http://wordpress.mrreid.org/2014/01/19/bent-spears-broken-arrows-and-empty-quivers/
http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=33473
http://www.richmond.com/news/local/article_4573b58a-c931-5be0-9fec-4ee9044f46fb.html