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AFTER ACTION REPORT
In the Shadow of the Blade
LZ Pasadena & LZ Houston
Thursday 11/7/02
Left Franklin, La at 0900 driving to Pasadena, Tx. Kept well within the
speed limit and drove
super defensively, no way was I going to get delayed or waylaid. Arrived
Pasadena and was in my
hotel room for 1400. Went out, bought a map and did a recon of the area,
found Ellington Field and
the Pasadena LZ, Wasn't about to fight the Houston traffic to check out
the Houston LZ.
Met up with Jerry later that evening and was treated to an outstanding meal and
good conversation
at a Mexican restaurant he frequents. Thanks Jerry, it was great.
Learned that permission had
been granted, courtesy of the Texas National Guard, for the Shadow bird to have
an Apache escort.
Friday 11/8/02
Woke up at 0600 and had 4 hours to kill before our planned meeting time at Ellington
Field. Kept
looking at my watch, but the damned hour hand just didn't seem to be moving.
Finally it was time,
hopped in the truck and drove out to Ellington. Jerry was there with Connie
Mac Pearson and his
wife, who curiously enough is also named Connie (Sue). Connie is the guy
that Keith Bodine saved,
setting the stage for this reunion. The Pasadena Chief of Police arrived
shortly after to let us
in. I believe his name is Paul Cobb, (Jerry will correct me if I'm
wrong). He was an ex-snake
driver who had gotten shot up pretty bad flying front seat one day.
Jerry's wife Lucille arrived
along with their son and their three granddaughters. One could not help
but see the pride in their
eyes.
At 1030, right on schedule the Shadow bird arrived, but was directed to land at
the wrong place.
After about 15 minutes or so she was finally repositioned and I could finally
get my hand on her.
WOW!!
Met Bruce LeMoine (pilot), Jim Palmershiem, (regular co-pilot),
and the Rev. Bill McDonald (project
chaplain). There were so many other there as well I just can't recall
their names, (here's where
you can step in Jerry). The Rev Bill is a character.
Two of the Apache drivers showed up for the pre-mission briefing, Jerry went
over the charts he had
so carefully put together and the film crew started their preliminary filming
with Connie.
Afterwards I was able to place a Comanchero decal on the left side door
post. It was 1130 before
we knew it and all of a sudden there was a burst of activity, Pat Fries,
(aka Spielberg) wanted us
at the Pasadena LZ immediately. (Found out later that one of the Apache
front seaters thought he
was actually going to meet Steven Spielberg) We got Connie and his wife loaded,
Jerry climbed in
the left seat. Ron, myself and a couple of others hopped in the back and
Bruce cranked her up.
Remember Jerry's charts, well in all the haste he forgot them and his helmet.
Hee hee hee, sorry
Jerry, I just couldn't pass it up.
After cranking we repositioned over to the National Guard area and waited on the
Apaches', man they
take a long time to crank. In the meantime, Ray Asgar was flying
the photo bird around and was not
making any friends with anyone in the tower, while doing it. He was warned
away from different
areas a couple of times. After what seemed like an eternity, the Apaches'
were cranked and we
lifted off in a Vee formation with us in the lead and headed to the first LZ.
What a rush!! Ray,
much to the consternation of the Apache drivers, was all over the place trying
to get pictures.
This would be played out many times during the afternoon.
Right at 1200, after a couple of flyovers, we landed in a field right next to
the church. The
Apaches' did a couple more flyovers and set down next to us. Connie and
Keith, after all these
years, finally got to see each other again. It was quite emotional as one
would imagine. Got to
meet Cheryl and Pat Fries, both were very happy to hear that Comanchero's
were present and that
there would be more at the VA Hospital.
As emotional as the meeting between Connie and Keith was; the highlight of the
day for me, besides
being able to play CE for one more day, happened at this LZ. A 60 some
year old woman was walking
around the Shadow bird with her 16 year old granddaughter, someone noticed she
was wearing a Red
Cross pin and started asking her questions. It turns out that she was a
Donut Dolly, I believe she
had done two tours. Anyway, while she was telling her story, I was
watching the granddaughter. I
guess that this lady had not spoken much to her family about what she had seen
and done in Nam.
Well as she spoke, the changes in the granddaughter's expression and demeanor as
she learned about
her grandmother, was truly amazing. It was one of those proverbial
priceless moments to watch this
young woman learn what her Grandmother had done, and come to the realization
that her Grandmother
was as much a hero as anyone there. Before we departed for the VA
Hospital, a few people were
invited to take a short hop, both the Grandmother and granddaughter were
included and I had the
honor of escorting them from the aircraft afterwards.
Around 1430 we loaded Connie and Keith back up and departed the Pasadena LZ en
route to the Houston
LZ at the VA Hospital. Again we were in a tight Vee formation with the
Apaches', Ray was back to
flitting all over the sky much to the concern of the Apache drivers and we had
picked up a news
helicopter. While flying to the Houston LZ, Bruce turned the controls over
to Jerry. We were
directed by Hobby ATC to cross right over the top of Hobby International at
midfield and to
maintain 500 ft at 60 knots, I think someone on the ground wanted a photo op.
Arrived at the Houston and did a couple of flyovers with the Apaches', and
landed. The Apaches'
did a few more flybys and because there was no room for them, returned to
Ellington.
Saw Michael Gouch immediately, and after a few frantic minutes of looking
around, I finally found
Curt Bodin, (aka "The Ragin Cajun"). Even though we have
lived only about 50 miles apart for the
past 4 years, this was the first time we have been able to hook up. It was
super to be able to
meet up with another one of my old chauffeurs. Michael kind of stayed on
the sidelines, but Curt
hopped right up into the right seat. Well not exactly hopped, but he got
up there. Curt's brother
was there and got some good pictures of him and I was going to get some video,
but before I could,
Curt had a mic in his face and some reporter was interviewing him. Later
Curt got to place a
Screaming Eagle patch in the left gunwell and when Pat Fries asked him
why, Curt pulled out some
rubbings from the wall with the names of George Berg's and Craig
Farlow's crews on them. He simply
told Pat, "This is why".
While at the Houston LZ, Sarah Beal, who handles the still photography
for the project took a good
picture of Michael, Curt and myself standing in front of the bird. I don't
know where Jerry was.
Also while at the hospital, an elderly gentleman walks up to Curt, starts poking
at his CCN patch
and then points to himself. Turns out this guy was one of the original SF
FOB-1 group and had just
had a bullet he'd carried around for 40 some years removed.
1630, time to pull pitch again and head back to Ellington. Before we
departed the Houston area we
made a couple of turns around downtown, it was just before sunset and the view
was incredible. Of
course I was on the wrong side of the aircraft, we made right hand orbits and I
was on the left
side. We did though while leaving, fly right over downtown at 500 ft, it
was totally awesome.
After departing Houston, Jerry once again took the controls and flew us back to
Ellington where he
shot a perfect approach to a 3 ft hover and sat her down like he was landing on
a pile of pillows.
Way to go Jerry!!
After arriving back at Ellington and putting the birds to bed it was time to
retire to Keith
Bodine's house and unwind. Keith and his wife were wonderful hosts.
The company was great. The
crew has a song sung to the Beetles Yellow Submarine song, I don't remember the
verses but the
chorus goes:
"We all live in the shadow of the blade,
the shadow of the blade,
the shadow of the blade"
When you think about it, we do all live in the shadow of the blade.
The food was great, Keith's wife has a bean dip and an apple crisp to die for.
The drink was
great, Gary Lee was there in spirit, literally. A couple of weeks
before he had sent me a special
delivery of peach, I poured off a quart and took it with me. It was
received with great
appreciation and admiration that something as ordinary as a peach could be so
transformed. Gary
Lee, if your ears were burning Friday night, now you know why.
2130, all good things must come to an end. It might have lasted longer had
it not been for the
peach. The crew had an early morning departure so they could get to Angel
Fire, NM, for the Veterans
Day celebration there. Before leaving, I looked around and saw Connie and
Keith sitting at the
table holding hands while in a deep discussion, all I could think of was a line
from a song by
Louis Armstong "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world".
Both Pat and Cheryl Fries are wonderful people, Pat went about his
job of interviewing people in a
very unobtrusive and respectful fashion. And Cheryl, well she was just
everywhere, doing
everything. I really think that she is the glue holding everything
together. The crew, I can't
say enough about them. All are very professional and very respectful of
the people who's story
they are trying to tell. My thanks and eternal appreciation go out to all
of them for allowing an
aging old CE once again perform his duties.
If the Shadow bird is going to be anywhere near any of you, go see it. The
one mistake I made was
to go by myself. When you go see her, bring your family.
May God keep them safe on their journey,
Tom Halligan
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