Page 20 - web Summer 2018

Greens Veterans

Arty Noskin

Bragging rights, speakers, memories and new friends are here for the having at the meetings of the
GREENS VETERANS GROUP. We meet about every 4 weeks on Monday 10 A.M. at the HHHCL when available.

Our last speaker was ARTIE AUSTER who spoke on things that annoyed him. The VETS chipped in and added their
p.o.’s. Fun meeting and ARTIE did a fantastic job as expected. In the future we will have the Director of Suffolk County
Veterans Service Agency on how Suffolk County helps the VETS. Following Thomas Ronayne, will be BILL DAVIDSON
telling of his experiences in Law Enforcement in and out of the Military. We hope to get ARTIE back for a lecture in
June on the 1804 Barbary Coast War. Do you know about this one ??

Our next trip will be to WEST POINT on Saturday SEPTEMBER 15. We will meet at 6:30 AM have our bagels and
coffee on the bus. The parade and Parachuters begin at 9 AM. and end about 10 AM. Roam the grounds ,see the Church
and Synagogue, join in the fun exhibits and get to your seats before NOON. ARMY vs. HAWAII football should be a good
game. ARMY’s BLACK KNIGHTS played well last year. I have a good chance of getting seats on the 19 yard line. Then
to a cocktail at the famous THAYER HOTEL. A beautiful view of the HUDSON RIVER at the bar.Then, to real Chinese
food at a restaurant in Flushing.
Family and friends are invited. A great day to spend with your kids and grand kids. The all inclusive tab is $115.00. Any
overage will be returned. We have 12 reservations. I must receive $40.00 now to save the seats.

In OCTOBER, no date set yet, we will have a 4 day trip to WASHINGTON D.C. To date, we have 6 reservations. I need
more people to make this trip work.We hope to go to Annapolis, Newsie Museum, Holocaust Museum,African American
Museum ,Marine Corp Museum, Baltimore Inner Harbor and other famous venues. Family ( kids over 12) and friends
are welcomed.

“WHY THEY PAID US FLIGHT PAY” BY, Curt Field, USAF

As part of our primary flight training at Marana AFB, Tucson, Arizona, we were
required to perform a solo night cross-country flight. I was about half an hour into my
flight, had my T-28 trimmed up, level at 5000’ and was right on schedule.
I decided to relax and have a smoke so I took out a cigarette, flipped on my Ronson
Whirlwind lighter and lit up.

Now the basic flight controls on a T-28 are the rudders (operated by feet) and the “joy-
stick” rising from the floor, located between your legs, and operated by your right hand.
At the point where it rises from the floor it is protected by a canvass dust cover. With
my cigarette in my left hand I reached across the stick to grab
my map, the butt fell out of my hand and down into the inside of the dust cover. Realiz-
ing that the plane was basically a flying gas tank and not knowing what was inside that
dust cover I reached down to try and find that butt. Suddenly a flash of light illuminat-
ed my cockpit and l brought my
head up- to my horror I was in a
downward “death spiral” and as
I recovered I saw another T-28
above me. It was an instructor
covering this checkpoint and he
saved my life by diving at me and
flipping on his landing lights.

While looking for that butt I had
my head “up and locked” and
vertigo took over. Nothing was
ever said when I returned and
I’ll never forget his name- John
Flannigan. I learned about flying
from that-no more cigarettes in
the cockpit!

NO MEMBERSHIP DUES. You must have a DD214 for all VETS.
CONTACT: ARTY NOSKIN | Coordinator | U.S.M.C. • 631 223 3500•ahtee1@aol.com

20 2018 • SUMMER | LIFE A T THE GREENS