Saturday, January 15, 2011

DAD AND THE USAF


This is the hospital staff my dad was in charge of on a Strategic Air Command base during the Korean war.  When I came across this photo I was reminded of one of my favorite stories that is a great illustration of my dad and the military at the same time.  Oh, by the way, Dad is third from the right in the back row.  This was a 100 bed hospital.  So, every night, they got 100 meals, even if there were only eight beds full.  The mess hall was on the opposite side of the base so my dad would tell his staff to just eat the patient meals that were going to go into the dumpster anyway.  Dad was not one to tolerate waste of any kind.  Of course, the base CO got wind of what he was doing and called him in and told him that he could not let the staff eat the patient meals, it was against regulations.  OK...typical military mentality.

A few weeks later, the CO had to come in for his physical.  My dad grounded him.  The CO looked shocked and asked what was wrong with him.  "Nothing." My dad replied. "Then why the %*&# are you grounding me?" the CO demanded.  "Because I can." my dad replied.  "OK, Doc, you can have the meals."  That was my dad.  I don't remember anything ever defeating him.

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