[GreenKeys] Veterans Honor Roll

[Don Robert House]

All generations are great given the opportunity, encouragement, and  
the respect their nation owes them.

I try my darnedest to show my respect and thanks to all who are  
serving and have served our country and I try to do it whenever the  
opportunity affords itself.  Two days a year is simply not enough.

I have Veterans plates on my truck.  In Illinois the American Legion  
provides decals for the branch of service and also for what conflict  
you served in.  On three occasions I have been stopped and asked "What  
is a Cuba Veteran"  I always try to be polite and answer that from  
1960 to 1963 many of us Navy aircrews flew recon missions around and  
over Cuba with missiles tracking us.  Thank God they never received  
authorization to fire because we made very large slow targets with two  
engines turning and two jets burning in our vintage P2V Neptune  
aircraft.  We were still tracking Soviet ships in and out of Cuba  
after we transitioned to the P3A Orion in early 1964.  It was easier  
to take photos from the Orion.  Once on a lark we opened the bomb bay  
when flying over a Soviet freighter.  A Russian crewman ran out to the  
bow with his left hand on his raised right arm.  We later heard from  
the Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic that no patrol plane was to  
pull a stunt like that again.  So much for fun and games with the  
Ruskies...

Many people today have no knowledge of how close we came to nuclear  
war in those days.  If you get the chance see Fog of War available at  
video rental outlets.

Don
AX2 (AC) USN 1962-1968