COMMENTS FROM DICK SCHAFFERT

Admiral Taylor:

Can’t seem to make the “comments” portion of your web site work for me, so I’ve grouped a few of them together and put them in this format:

13 June “Moon does BenThuy.”  “Moon” Moreau and I enjoyed the hospitality of the El Sombrero and other Med hotspots on a few occasions.  Never realized he was flying off the Intrepid on Yankee in ’67.  On more than one occasion, I flew TARCAP for their Alpha strikes.  We had a Sundowner Det of 3 Crusaders on the “Little I,” but some of their work around Haiphong required more supporting firepower.  Wonder if I went feet dry with “Moon” and didn’t even know it!s

A sad comment along that same line:  LTJG John Glanville taught me to fly the JD-1 (B-26) during my first squadron tour at Gitmo.  We had more fun than should be allowed during those days.  He once “handed me my lunch” when I took him on in his F7F Tiger Cat with my F9F-6 Cougar.  I knew he went into A-3’s but I didn’t know he was KIA over North Vietnam.  God rest you, John, you were a good friend, teacher, and a hell of a Naval Aviator!

15 June “Going Downtown”:  Fast forward to 2004 and the Civic Theater in San Diego.  Erzse and I had “meet and greet” tickets to a performance by Petula Clark.  After a great show, I asked her if she knew that us irreverent Navy guys had sometimes whistled or played the harmonica to her hit song “Downtown” as we crossed the beach headed for Hanoi.  She seemed deeply moved!  I got a warm hug, and a teary-eyed kiss, then she did a very emotional encore of Downtown for us.  “We’ll have these moments to remember.”

V/R  Dick Schaffert