Veterans...Get the hell in here now!

"Veterans Affairs officials announced Monday they will remove a series of of grave markers bearing Nazi swastikas and tributes to Adolf Hitler from department cemeteries after lawmakers and veterans advocates complained the markers were offensive and disrespectful. The move represents a turnaround from last week, when VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said he was looking for ways to put the problematic grave markers “in historical context” rather than remove them from the cemeteries."

"Between 26 May and 4 June 1940, in the course of what was known as Operation Dynamo, more than 300,000 British and French soldiers were evacuated by an armada made up of Royal Navy destroyers and warships, pleasure steamers and hundreds of those famous little ships manned by civilian sailors.

The evacuation was publicized as a miracle to boost public morale. The successful rescue, across seas that stayed unusually calm for nine days, was thereafter referred to as ‘the miracle of Dunkirk’. But as well as this, the terrifying prospect that the depleted British armed forces might have to fight the Germans on home soil caused the nation, galvanized under Winston Churchill, to devote itself entirely to war. It did so not only effectively but, perhaps surprisingly, with total confidence in eventual victory.

The ‘Dunkirk spirit’, reflecting a nation united and working against apparently impossible odds to thwart Hitler’s ambitions, was born."

BarnBuster said:

"Veterans Affairs officials announced Monday they will remove a series of of grave markers bearing Nazi swastikas and tributes to Adolf Hitler from department cemeteries after lawmakers and veterans advocates complained the markers were offensive and disrespectful. The move represents a turnaround from last week, when VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said he was looking for ways to put the problematic grave markers “in historical context” rather than remove them from the cemeteries."

Nazi headstones will be removed from US veterans cemeteries, VA leaders say

The headstones are engraved with a swastika, an iron cross and inscription in German that reads “He died far from his home for the Führer, people and fatherland.”

www.militarytimes.com

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Isn't it time we repatriated their remains to Germany? They were POWs.

There was probably a War Graves Agreement at the time that covered leaving soldiers buried overseas. Perhaps if relatives requested return of the remains, repatriation might happen. At the least the U.S. should come to some arrangement with the Volksbund about relocation or re-interment into a separate plot of land like we have done in France.

raratt said:

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I've noticed the chase cars before but didn't know a lot about them.

BarnBuster said:

I've noticed the chase cars before but didn't know a lot about them.

99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron U-2 Chase Car

The U-2 Dragon Lady requires help on the ground in the form of a high-performance chase car, radioing landing instructions on its final approach. The 99th ERS walks us through this challenging process.

www.acc.af.mil

U-2 Chase Cars Guide Pilots and Plane to Safety | Air & Space Forces Magazine

A U-2 pilot sits in a white Camaro at the edge of the runway, peering into the hazy desert sky. A jet appears in the distance, and as it nears, the car’s driver hits the gas, testing the sports car’s acceleration capabilities as he chases the Dragon Lady.

www.airforcemag.com

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With all the modifications to the payload on her I'm surprised they haven't come up with a low level altimeter so they don't need the chase cars. I guess it gives the buddy crew something cool to do.

raratt said:

With all the modifications to the payload on her I'm surprised they haven't come up with a low level altimeter so they don't need the chase cars. I guess it gives the buddy crew something cool to do.

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If we can land a drone remotely we can certainly land a U-2. But I'd miss the lovely ballet you see.

curious2garden said:

If we can land a drone remotely we can certainly land a U-2. But I'd miss the lovely ballet you see.

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The NASA birds don't use the chase cars.

raratt said:

The NASA birds don't use the chase cars.

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Although we have both NASA and AF U-2's here I've only seen the AF b1rds land. Although lately there've been more NASA missions.

These auctions (Heritage) are interesting in that the individual items have a lot of history in the description detail.

BarnBuster said:

View attachment 4587167​

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Private footage with narration of Normandy Invasion; Channel crossing; utah Beach; Paris liberation; entry Aachen, Germany.

BarnBuster said:

Private footage with narration of Normandy Invasion; Channel crossing; utah Beach; Paris liberation; entry Aachen, Germany.

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In WWII my father, serving as a combat engineer with General Patton's 3rd Army, survived 3 beach invasions, Africa, Sicily, and Italy.....RIP Pop

U.S. Navy to bar Confederate flags from ships, aircraft, bases

BarnBuster said:

Famed U-2 Spy Plane Takes on a New Surveillance Mission

Designed with slide rules in the 1950s, the stealthy high flier still has a lot to offer

www.scientificamerican.com

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Yet she will still use cables and pulleys to operate the rudder and elevators.
Damn, I'll be retired 18 years in August.

raratt said:

Yet she will still use cables and pulleys to operate the rudder and elevators.
Damn, I'll be retired 18 years in August.

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I hit 20 retired this year - I know that because I've been doing this job that long.
Bout ready to pull the plug though - down sizing as we speak.

GreatwhiteNorth said:

I hit 20 retired this year - I know that because I've been doing this job that long.
Bout ready to pull the plug though - down sizing as we speak.

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When? I'll send you my email at least so we can keep in touch.