As we nudge our way toward the anniversary of D-Day, my thoughts are on the actions of my Uncle, Col. Hal Shook, USAF (ret.). Hal was a P-47 Pilot, (then) a 23 year old Major in the Army Air Corps, which was the foundation for the United States Air Force. Hal went on to fly under that new branch of the military as well, in Korea and then later in Vietnam. In Korea, he flew F-86's and in Vietnam, he was training Fighter Pilots in Dogfighting and Mission Tactics. After Vietnam, he went on to Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska and then to The Pentagon. He finished his Career as a "Bird" Colonel and is now 96 years old. Last year and a couple years previous, he "jumped out of Perfectly Good Airplanes" for the only two times he's done that. He made the jumps with a Golden Knight, Mike Elliot. Thanks, Mike!
The Soundtrack is REALLY LOUD here. Be careful...
"Shookie" (as the members of his WW2 Flight Crew called him) made his second jump last year, both to honor his Son, who literally, "had a massive heart attack and died while packing the 'chutes for a joint Birthday Jump" for both himself and his Dad, Hal. Uncle Hal jumped with the same Golden Eagle on that jump as well. He makes a nice "Butt Landing" on the second jump.
You may say to yourself: "What a Nut." Just don't say that around any of us in his Family, of which I am a proud member. I remember going to Air Shows at Andrews A.F.B. near Washington, D.C., with Hal and the rest of my Family while my Stepfather was at The United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, as part of the Navy National Band. We lived in The D.C. Triangle and Uncle Hal lived in Falls Church, Virginia. I remember playing with other Kids in his basement. I knocked another Kid's tooth out while playing Blind Man's Bluff, pushing him into a concrete Sonotube down there. Totally an accident and I recall feeling really bad about it. I was about 6 or 7 years old. one of a couple of vague memories of our time around D.C..
"What a Nut" goes way back for Uncle Hal. He flew; "Anything with an engine and wings" throughout his career. From Fighters to Bombers and everything in-between. He once "Point Rolled" a B-17 with a General in the back. When the General looked out of the fuselage, he "noticed" that the airplane was "upside down." His can of Coke was stationary on the tray in front of him but, he was VERY angry. Nobody had ever "rolled" a B-17 back then. Hal knew it could be done so, he did it. Note: A "point roll" is one that circles "around a fixed point on the horizon" as opposed to a "barrel roll" which circles "on a fixed point on the horizon." It is a repositioning maneuver. BIG difference. In a point roll, nothing inside of the aircraft "moves." In a barrel roll, everything not lashed down/held tight is floating around and is more of an evasive and/or "celebratory" maneuver.
The maneuver almost got Hal Court Martialed. But, his Boss, another General, knew that it "just wasn't done" to C.M. a highly decorated Pilot. He "fessed up" and took responsibility for the flight, which probably helped as well. He flew four sorties, out of his base at Winkton, U.K., on D-Day as "top cover" for his Squadron in a Republic P-47D, one of the best Fighter/Bombers ever designed and flown by the U.S.A.A.C.. He favored that plane over others, such as the P-51D, which seems to have Grabbed All The Glory among WW2 Pilots and since. My personal favorite aircraft that Hal flew was the P-38. It's a beautiful airplane. A: Night Operations Fighter/Bomber. Fast, maneuverable and packed a good punch. "The Fork-Tailed Devil" it was Nicknamed.
P-47D "Bubble Top", P-51D "Bubble Top" and P-38:
On D-Day and days afterward, Hal blew up a couple of trains and tanks, disrupted some Infantry and generally made a mess out of the Nazi's behnd the lines with his P-47, "Rae," named for his Wife, my Aunt. He also flew during The Battle Of The Bulge battles in Belgium, Holland and Germany, in addition to France. A couple years ago, the French Government awarded him the Croix de Guerre/Legion Of Honor Medal with two Palm Leaves. It's about the same thing as the Congressional Medal Of Honor, in France. Hal has numerous Friends in France and used to regularly make the journey to Normandy to pay his respects and visit with those that he'd net during WW2. Only being shot down once, he was indebted to a French farmer for saving his life after being bayoneted through both lungs and having his teeth kicked in. The Krauts left him for dead. It didn't pan out that way. He's still a Tough Old Bird at 96 years old.
A Farmer hid him in a barn, got his lungs patched up, re-inflated them and fed him soup until Patton's Armored came rolling up the road. He'd received his injuries after deciding to take out a Nazi M.G.-47 Machine Gun Nest, so the approaching Infantry behind Patton's Tanks wouldn't get shot up. He probably "felt O.K." about getting wounded. No doubt the Army sent him back Stateside for awhile to recuperate. I forget what exactly happened. He's written about it in one of his three published books. I own a copy of the Author's Draft for his book, "Fighter Pilot Jazz."
Then Major Hal G. Shook, U.S.A.A.C. in '44:
Hal at his Croix de Guerre/Legion Of Honor ceremony:
Between Memorial Day and the Anniversary of D-Day (My Buddy, Airman Stephen Brown, U.S.N. is one of the Birthday Brothers, June 6th. One of the "giftees" this morning. The other is my brother, Grant, who turns 60 on the 27th.. Grant served as a Platoon Sergeant in Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany, in the 70's. I tend to think allot about all those in My Family and All Service Families. We lost a Kid in Afghanistan. A U.S.A.F. JTAC. JTAC's, The Forward Recon Observers that "paint" targets for precision bombing and Drone hits. He, Senior Airman Bradley Smith, was out trying to rescue some guys that had been "cut off" from their unit when they were hit by an I.E.D. in their Humvee. Major bummer. He left a Wife and daughter. His Wife, my Kid Sister's Daughter was his Wife, whom had also served in the Air Force as a Cryptologist and Linguistics Specialist. Chloe, his Daughter, hadn't been born yet. There are allot of Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Women in my Family. I'm The Exception. I have "Served My Country" in other ways and am thankful for those who "Gave Some" and others that "Gave ALL."
Keep 'em flying, Pal!
With Deepest Appreciation for The All, in all of us,
-Doc
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