quote:

Originally posted by DMF:
I have a hardcover copy of the book, "The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In America's Secret War In Laos," by Christopher Robbins, that is signed, by not only by the author, but also dozens of the heroic Ravens, some with personalized messages to me.

Very cool. I enjoyed the paperback copy. I can only imagine the unpublished stories.

Probably the tailhook (full length, not just the hook point) from an A-4 Skyhawk I flew.

This trophy was from a "Benefit Race" held after my father was killed in a drag race at Paradise Mesa Dragstrip. The strip closed not long after that. (I have always called it "My Father's Trophy, even though it was presented after his death)

The trophy was presented to my mother, and it was given to when I was young. It was the only thing I had of my father.

During a move in 1968, it "disappeared" and I thought it was gone forever. I always thought about it, and it was one of those things the "bothered me" for years.

In December of 2012, after re-establishing communication with my older sister (after 40 years) during a discussion I was telling her about the trophy, but she said she did not recall what it looked like. So I was searching images on the Internet to find something that looked like it and stumbled upon this image. It was my father's trophy. So I did some work to find the link back to the image, and then to where it was linked to a forum and an article from my cousin, whom I had grown up with when we were small children.

He had posted the pictures to a racing car forum and was looking for me, as he wanted to return them to me.

He obtained them after his father, (my uncle) was murdered the weekend after Thanksgiving in 2012.

I found the posting on Passover/Easter, and did some digging to find his phone number and call him. (He stated he got the trophies after his father passed, but I did not know how, and figured it may have been natural cause as he was about 76 years old.) When I called my cousin, he was just going out the door to dinner with his family when the phone rang, so he said he would call me when he got back. So, I started looking and found the story about my uncle, and was not expecting what I found.

My cousin called, we talked, and later he sent me the trophy along with others that were kept for me.

So, I figured that my step father, (who had issues about my "loyalty" to my father) may have had a problem with the trophy, and during the move back to Wichita due to my grandfather's stroke and hardship reassignment so my mother could help my grandmother, the trophy was likely given to my uncle to keep.

That was in 1969, and I figured it was simply gone.

In the discussion with my cousin, he mentioned my grandmother in the present tense, and I said; "She is still alive?!" and he said "yes".

That put her at 102 years old, so I called my sister, and she and I flew out there to be with my grandmother on Mother's Day. (My grandmother was a big part of anchoring me for more of my first 25 years, than I realized. (it was in looking back, that I put things together). Mother's Day was fitting.

I did get to see her one more time before she passed just shy of 105.

The Trophy, like me has seen better days, but the things that have come to mean more to me than words can ever do justice, and both of us, worn, are from the interaction with the most meaningful of things.

So, it is one of the, if not the "Coolist Thing" I own.

quote:

Originally posted by enidpd804:
Not just the most expensive, but don't be shy about posting pics of cars and guns.

This is my friend, Elvira. I'm 6'2" for reference. She's a Russian cop and literally wrote this book on the AK. We got to be friends between '07 and '10. Until the politics changed, she'd come every summer for vacation and we'd hang out. This is the coolest thing I own.

We did one of these threads several years ago and we saw some really cool stuff!

So just to be clear, it is the book you own, and not the Major? Like "I've got her in a pit in my basement and I tell her to put the lotion on its skin"?

Great story, monkey. Thanks for sharing.

1873 Winchester, been in the family since first purchased (IIRC) around 1901.

I must say, the property and house I grew up in. So many memories! Currently rented to one of my mother's best friends (I kept use of my Dad's shop on property) But it will also be my final resting place, not too many years away.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by DMF:
Is one of the guys who signed it a fella named George Taylor? He was with them in Laos and used to be my Chief Pilot.

quote:

I don't recall that name. The book is currently in safekeeping at my parents' house, along with a couple other almost as cool items, so I can't look right now. The next time I'm there I will dig it out of the safe and look.

There was a fella nicknamed Buddha (can't remember his real name) who used to fly with them (and us) as well. He was quite the character. Man, the stories those guys could tell....

I only got to spend a few hours with some of them, it must have been great to spend lots of time picking their brains for all their wild stories.

quote:

Originally posted by Herknav:

quote:

Originally posted by DMF:
I have a hardcover copy of the book, "The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In America's Secret War In Laos," by Christopher Robbins, that is signed, by not only by the author, but also dozens of the heroic Ravens, some with personalized messages to me.

Very cool. I enjoyed the paperback copy. I can only imagine the unpublished stories.

It was a great to talk to those guys, and a four young Nav students, including me, were honored they were willing to spend time with us. I was never so glad I took a minute to strike up a conversation while waiting for the bartender at the "Auger Inn."

Lovely story, @monkey.

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
Great story, monkey. Thanks for sharing.

Indeed! +1!

The coolest thing I have is actually 2 things. An Anchor cut from the Mine damaged hull of the USS Princeton CG-59. Everyone on board that day got one.

The 2nd thing is "My Piece of Princeton" it's a small piece of the deck glued onto a piece of the shoring we used that day that was given to the members of the Air Det when we were off loaded in Bahrain. We didn't know we would end up riding the ship back after she was "Repaired"

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
In Feb. 1945 my Dad's B-17 made a wheels up landing in a field in France . A piece of the plexiglass nose was broken off and Dad thought it was shaped like the state of Louisiana ( his home ) so he picked it up . Later he took a marker and wrote the date and the names of the crew on it . I have it wrapped in tissue and locked in my safe . He only saved a couple of items from the war and this one is special to me .

Do you happen to know the name of the plane?

Firearms wise, signed first edition of the M1 Carbine, By Carbine Williams and the author.

Picked up at the Strand Bookstore in the early 80's while awaiting my Darkroom Lab class at SVA, NYC.

I have a trim tab from a Suisei Kamikaze plane that sank my grandfather's ship, the USS Oberrender, off Okinawa.

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:
Since we are on books so far I have a hard cover edition of 93 Confirmed Kills Marine Sniper by Henderson signed by Carlos Hathcock!

Found it at a book reseller chain here in Houston, they must not have realized that Hathcock while not the author was the subject of the book.

Got it for under $7 bucks.

Pretty cool book thing at least.

HK Ag

I have first editions of the Death from Afar series by Norm Chandler,
all signed by him, some signed by Carlos,

I also have a print of the cover of the first edition, framed, signed by Norm and Carlos,

I also have a handful of Rocky Chandler's historical fictions, all signed by him,
each is a good read

 
A bit of family history, The Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal, "as used by The Protestant Episcopal Church in The United States of America". Presented to my grandfather in 1905. The actual size is 2.5" x 4", and the page edges are gold leafed.
 

 

The coolest thing I don't mind metioning here is my Grandfather's Beretta 81.

I went along with him when he wanted to test fire it and got to pop off a few myself. I was maybe ten years old. To my knowledge that is the only time it was ever fired.

My family's Civil War rifles or the photos of my grandfather with his still and the accompanying newspaper clippings where he was busted and then exonerated.

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
Great story, monkey. Thanks for sharing.

*********************
Great story, Glad you have the trophy.