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BAT Missile (Dummy Target
Missile) |
Shot Down By This Chapperal
Missile |
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| NOTE: The BAT is approximately
20 feet long, about 5 times the size of the Chapperal and the
brightness of the flame caused the camera to automatically darken
the background color. |
The Practice Range between Colorado
Springs and Pueblo is 40 miles wide by 45 miles long, sufficient for
these kind of exercises. |
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BAT (above), seconds before
contact |
Undisclosed Location |
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THIS WAS ONLY A TEST. I wish
that I would have gotten a picture of the impact. I wanted to see it
outside the camera lens. |
TEST? Maybe, maybe not. |
With a Military Occupational Specialty of 76Y, "Supply Clerk/Unit
Armorer", I could have been assigned to any unit...
- It was just my "luck of the draw" to be assigned to an Air
Defense Unit. These guys spend a lot of time "down range"
practicing, playing war games and we did "live fires" annually. Live
fires were limited to once per year because the cost was so great. As
Unit Armorer I was in charge of drawing the missiles for the live
fires from underground bunkers and delivering them down range. I
recall that some of the missiles we were firing in 1984 had
manufacture dates in 1968. During one live fire a missile exploded
seconds after leaving the ramp. The soldier in that turret is lucky to
be alive today.
- Coincidences: I don't believe in them (coincidences). The
only thought I recall from the time I learned that I was attached to
461 ADA (Air Defense Artillery) was that I would not be able to go to
school (which is what I had understood from my recruiter). Sure, I had
turned down OCS (Officer Candidate School) because I didn't want to
commit to 6 or 8 years or whatever it was, but I thought I would be
able to get some college courses out of the way during my enlistment.
- Then I met Sgt. G, my Supply Sergeant, it was one of the best
things that ever happened to me. Sgt. G (Juan Gonzales) was a
very tuff (not tough), hard-ass, mean (when he needed to be), Mexican.
Sgt. G
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Cars |
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Porsche Boxster:
My wife's "everyday - driver" car. See pictures and read the
whole story! |
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Cars: 1971 Porsche
911-T, Targa - Read about and see pictures of the restoration project! |
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S-Type Jag:
This Jaguar was my every day driver for five
years. |
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BMW 328i:
Pam's car before the Boxster.
This is a great story. |
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1964 Chevy Truck:
This truck was a one-owner for almost 40 years. |
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Ford Ranger:
This is an XLT Super-Cab 4x4. Everyone needs a
truck. |
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Travel |
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Travel: Charleston,
South Carolina - June 2006 Pictures and stories of some of our trips! |
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St. Simons Island:
Christ Episcopal Church. |
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Atlantic City:
The Boardwalk in Atlantic City is a wonderful place. We visited
there in 1993. Check out the pictures! |
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Jekyll Island:
Summer 2006 - We stayed at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. |
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Two tickets to...
Opryland, 1993, just four years before they closed their
doors forever. |
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Guns |
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Gun Collecting:
A 1962 Colt Python, 1992 Colt Mustang and a 1968
Baby Browning. Pictures and stories about guns! |
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Blogging |
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Adventure:
On the high seas. Harbor Pilot boat pulling
along side our ship on approach to the Georgia coast. |
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The Army:
Greg, standing on the deck of the American Eagle,
a super-cargo ship crossing the Atlantic in March 1985. |
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REFORGER: The Diary of a
Soldier. |
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A BAT Missile:
Pictures and stories about anti-aircraft missiles! |
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Hammelburg,
Germany:
REFORGER was the code name, which stood for
"Return of Forces to Germany". |
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River Street
Savannah, GA:
I took this picture from ship deck while
entering the harbor. |
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The Cold War:
January and February 1985 was a very tense time in the Cold War, and
it was about to get colder! |
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Music |
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Music:
Greg on stage New Years Eve 1994, Guntersville,
Alabama. The same stage where Ricky Nelson gave his last performance! |
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Knives |
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Knife Collecting: If you're thinking of starting a
knife collection, consider this tip. |
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Ads |
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