So with the election and Veteran's Day nearing I was fortunate to run into a little aviation history over the weekend. The Georgetown, SC, airport (KGGE) had an event honoring the Redtails and two of the remaining 40 were on hand. We all have signatures in our logbooks but I was able to get both gentlemen to sign mine, probably the two most important signatures that in a small part allow me (and us) to fly. Listening to their stories was, in short, amazing. Their names were Lt. Col. George Hardy and Lt. Col Hiram Mann. You can Google them but in short, Lt. Col Hardy flew over 130 combat missions in WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars in everything from P-51s to B29s and lots of other planes in between on top of earning a Masters Degree in Engineering. Not to take anything away from Lt. Col Mann but I didn't catch all of his bio but I found something on the Internet where he's quoted about making a straffing run in a dive and noticing the tracer bullets he thought he was outflying his own bullets until he realized that someone was on his butt shooting at him, and then he says they never taught us how to fight back. When I asked him to sign my logbook, he asked how many hours I had. I showed him and he stated you have a lot more than me so I yield to you. Which I countered, you have a lot more experience so I yield to you, and then he said you don't want my experience. Pretty cool stuff.

Working at Santa Fe BMW a few years back I met Robert W. Lawrence, a Tuskegee pilot who passed away not to long ago. I was going through some stuff last week and came across his card that he gave me and decided to hold on to it. Since then my landings have been spot on. Maybe just a coincedence but I'm keeping that card on me from now on.

Those guys have amazing stories, and IMO, are national treasures. It seems like we should be doing more to remember what those guys, and all World War Two veterans, for that matter, endured. I had the opportunity to hear some of them speak at Maxwell AFB a few years ago. True patriots, great pilots, and men we should all aspire to emulate.

They really are special. I had the opportunity to listen to few Tuskegee airmen at the Columbus Mustang gathering back in 2007.

You're equally right that all these Vets are special. Just last week I was working in the hangar to go fly and an older gentleman walks in and we strike up a conversation.

Turns out it was Lee Travis, a P-51 pilot with the 361st FG. We had a great chat about the P-51 and some of his missions. Neat guy, and sharp as a tack at 92! He was at the airport getting a glider ride for his birthday.