Nostalgia...

[Devildoc]

In the 'random (but real) picture thread', something @Ocoka said flipped a trigger. He talked about how aircraft that was in service when he was in the Marines are now used as lawn ornaments. I prefer the term "monuments to one of the greatest generations," but concede his view may be different.

It really got me thinking, though. I grew up at Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune; my dad retired from the Marines in 1975. I remember seeing A4s. And A6s, and OV-10 Broncos, and Hueys as far as the eye can see. The guard shack at the main gate at Lejeune was just that, a shack.

I do understand Ocoka's frustration. Although I was a wee lad, it was very much a different generation.

I imagine a lot of y'all have similar experiences, please share.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but growing up in the 80's we lived just a few miles from an Air Force base. It was a regular occasion to sit on our deck and watch the F4 Phantoms fly low over our houses and about once a year the Thunderbirds would show up in their T38's and eventually F-16's.

Some great memories.

 

[SaintKP]

I remember as a kid going to some military museum and seeing a F4 cockpit in the Vietnam section, I still remember how amazed I was to see so many buttons, dials, and screens and being amazed that something so complex could be made to fly by just two people. Another memory was at an air show I believe and they had a full restored B-17 on display that you could climb into and were allowed to sit in the ball turrets, I could only imagine basically floating out in what felt like the open and having fighter aircraft zooming past you.

But the one I think I'll always remember is when we went to see the USS Missouri and I remember my 8 year old self thinking it wouldn't be that big, that I had seen plenty of history shows and movies and battleships never appeared super big. Sweet mother of god I was so wrong that day, it felt like the ship went on forever and dont even get me started on its main guns!