Best Friends SSgt. Robert Bailey II TSgt. Charles Rogers
Best Moment I got the best laugh when some lowlanders (Detroit city dwellers) came to Oscoda for deer hunting. That is the time when the local residents stayed indoors and for good reason. This day I saw a vehicle pulled in front of the local pub with the largesr deer I had ever seen. A cop car pulled up too and the officer went inside of the pub. Having an inquisitive mind I ran into the bar as the officer asked the three men who had killed that huge deer. One of the hunters admitted he had killed the animal. The police officer then asked them wasn't this particular deer rather heavy and how had they placed it on top of the vehicle? They agreed it was heavy but they had managed the task after a long while. I could see people in the bar were trying hard not to burst out laughing but they managed to remain silent as the officer professionally informed the three men they had shot some farmers cow! Now they were going have to not only pay for the dead animal but to give it to the farmer. Pandemonium broke out in the barroom.
Worst Moment When my superiors tried to pass off an electronic (Wisdom) screw up as a probable Battle Damage event. My career could have been destroyed had I gone along with their determination this WAS battle damage. I studied the hole in the wing for a long time and told my Commander, This was a blue electronic device that came loose in flight from the wing and should still be embedded inside of the wing. So where was it?" I stuck with my decision and later the responsible person fessed up and admitted he had removed the item from inside of the wing and it was not a case of battle damage.
Chain of Command Headquarters 379 Combat Support Group (SAC) 94 Fighter Interceptor Squadron (ADC)
Other Memories I really enjoyed the smelt fishing on the 'Au Sable River the most even though it was one of the best trout rivers in the country. Nothing can take the feeling away when you pull your long handled fishing net from the river bank brimming with wriggling small smelt fishes. When the smelt ran along the bottom up the river in the spring for spawning there must have been billions of them. They weren't wasted because people from around the country would take barrels of them home to their restaurants. I only took a small waste basket and ate on them for a month. The best pan fried fish in the world!
