Sunny,
The F-86 was called the “ led sled”
Daddy was a instructor pilot for 8 years at Greenville Mississippi, Selma Alabama, and Albany Georgia, where he flew the T-37 ( tweet) and T-33. He survived a plane crash At Selma.He was instructing a pilot and the engined sheered at 400 feet. They couldn’t eject and he flew the plane away into a farmers field of cotton and trees. He said I was 3’ feet away from a tree from not being born. The student didn’t get hurt, but Daddy suffered 3rd degree burns on his hands, neck, and part of his face, miracle they survived. He saved the day flying away from the town. The Air Force thought they had died. A farmer, and his help ( black man ) pulled him out and put him in the back of their truck. Really amazing story. 8 weeks later, back in the jet
He then transitioned and flew the F-102 “ Delta dagger “ a Interceptor squadron ‘ 40th ‘ out of yakota airbase tachikawa Japan ( where Nail was born) and chased the Soviet Migs and the Bear bomber many days.
Daddy went onto and fly the F-100 ( the hun) pilot killer because it was hard to handle, then on to the F-105 to the “ Thud” fastest plane at the time. Not even the F-4 could catch it.
Sunny, his best friend “ Bear Barnett “ who was a defensive tackle at Baylor “ who was shot down and killed by triple A over south Vietnam flying the Martin F-57 Canberra . My mama said that was the hardest day of his life. He begged him not to fly that plane. Bear was from Wichita Texas and was in My parents wedding.
Daddy also few the F4 and ( regrets not flying the strike eagle F-15 ) before he retired. He was offered the squadron at the reserve base in N’orleans. He flew them all in his 27 years. He was also a captain at American Airlines. . Not bad from for a kid who came from a cattle ranch family in N-eastern Oklahoma. He was a damn good stick.
I buried my father in February with full military honors close to his brother at DFW- national cemetery in late February. Great man of honor. He loved Trump. He had no use for the long legged Mack daddy
