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8 Feb 2012

Captain Charles Edwin Engle - Born February 8, 1945

 Today we celebrate the life of Chuck Engle.

 There are sites on the internet and sections in The Ravens that reflect how fearless and selfless he was.  You can read about some of his missions with awe.  You can learn what earned him the Air Force Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross. 

 If you are really fortunate, you can talk with some of those amazing Ravens who served with him.  A man among men, Chuck was respected for his extraordinary bravery and airmanship.  Or you might hear the endearing story of how Chuck took Britt Duncan up for an unforgettable plane ride on his 14th birthday.

 And still, these are fragments of a man who made a great difference to many.

 Most people in this world want to live a good life and make a worthy contribution.

We want to be honorable and noble, to love with all our hearts and to be loved deeply.

 Chuck was all of this and much more.  Not because he tried to be these things, but because he quietly lived true to his own high standards.  Those who knew him reading this now will understand exactly what I mean.

 He was a dear, beloved friend.  He will always be remembered with great love, admiration and respect.

 Lisa Levacy

lisalevacy@att.net

                                                                                  Chuck's photo underneath his name on the 

                                                                                        Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall

6 Feb 2012

All Ravens and Friends: It is getting close to legacy time. Many of you have avoided talking about your past "sins" and exploits in military and clandestine service. This may prove to be a disservice to your grandchildren and great grandchildren.

 I wish I had more hard evidence besides a few photos about my ancestors. I never had the discussions with them that I now wish had happened. My own children grew up in a generation where reflection on war experience was discouraged in society. Now it is acceptable.

I am convinced that it is not self-promotion or bragging to share this part of your life history with the generations that follow. You may find that they are hungry for it or become curious as the years roll on and you are not there to fill in the blanks.

Do you want your grandkids to fight over the only remaining copy of the book in your family? Will there be more grandkids or great grandkids coming down the line who will not have a copy? Is there a possibility of family breakups where mementos and records become lost to half the family?

I will be surprised if this little note does not cause a flurry of purchases for "The Ravens" book real soon. It will be difficult to order this book from the grave or even after a severe stroke if communication is impaired. It happens--not to any of us, of course, but the possibility is something to contemplate.

A book with a personal note from you will mean much more than a dog-eared used copy that your progeny might be forced to buy on Amazon.com at inflated prices when it is out of print. Favorite nephew or niece that has an interest in your experience? Don't forget them. Birthday presents? Christmas gifts? Graduation gifts? That little note you are going to write inside the book is something that money can't buy for them. Oh Yeah!  Almost forgot. You can choose to underline or flag the index for key passages about grandpa.

And finally, how can I thank Christopher Robbins enough for the work he did on this book, and the Ravens who assisted him? When he was writing it, I thought it was about us. Now I understand that we are certainly nothing but temps. It is the legacy that matters--those that we love and the historical record that can be in their hands (if you put it there). That is what counts.

Larry Ratts, "Pepsi"

Hi folks,

 Happy Holidays.

 It has been awhile since I updated you on the status of our O-1 and I apologize for that.  We have been busy here all year with activities involving the North Texas Aviation Centennial.

 After your great response last spring, (51 people stepped forward and donated just over $12,000 to acquire the O-1 and bring it to Fort Worth).  At that time we estimated $6,000 to acquire and bring the airplane home and another $6,000 or so to repaint the airplane.  We still have $6,000 tucked away.

 After the aircraft arrived, we started putting it into long-term storage; removed the battery, covered the canopy, removed the plugs and such.  We started looking into its history, (still don't know much, probably Army), and looked at painting options, then the spring storms came through.  In the spring here, it is not unusual for our thunderstorms to contain hail.  All of our aircraft are outdoors, but we hadn't worried too much about hail damage since none of the other aircraft are flyers, except the O-1.  We sweated two or three of those storms and got lucky with no hail damage to our little bird.  Afterward we started thinking about and looking into some type of cover for the O-1 and our OV-10 Mockup.

 We were shocked at the first bid.  We were looking for something pretty simple that would cover 30' x 40' and keep hail off the Birddog.  The first bid came in at $72,000!!!  That was a non-starter so we looked farther and came up with an bid for $27,000, better, but too much.  We have continued to look and have found some options with prefabbed "Butler" type buildings we can erect ourselves.  Prices for these are down in the $18,000 range and we think we can get that down lower.  Problem is, we can paint or cover but not both.  Frankly, we think it is more important to put our little treasure under cover first.

 We have approached a local supporter who has made a very generous offer.  He has pledged up to $8,000 in matching funds for whatever we can raise for a shelter.  The prefab steel building seems the best way for us to go and the City of Fort Worth has said they will approve us putting a building up to protect airplanes.

 Once again we are asking for your help with the O-1.  We want to cover the O-1 before we paint it and will hold the $6,000 back for painting if we can raise about $8,000 to match funds and put up a building for about $16,000 or so.  It won't be fancy, just shelter.  We don't need the money right now either, just a pledge.

 So, if you have been looking for a year-end donation, please consider helping with a "Dog House" for out Birddog.  Just drop us a note and we will take it from there and work with whatever your timing is.  Your donation is tax deductible as we are a 501(c)3 non profit.

Have a great Christmas and please consider helping with this project to give our Dog a home.

 Thanks,

 Jim Hodgson

Executive Director

Forward Air Controller's Museum

(817) 291-6101

www.FACMuseum.org

Dec 2011

Good Evening Sir,

My Dad is a FAC and he raised me listening to old war songs taken from Marty Robins on a reel to reel. I can still remember  the old 8mm film Dr. Dick Ramey took while flying with him over Laos and Cambodia. My Dad, “Bill Bruner”, has passed and I guess the holidays have made me a little sentimental. I’m trying to find a CD of the old Fac War Songs. I haven’t had any luck thus far on the net. My Dad was a Covey and flew OV-10’s out of DaNang.

Merry Christmas and Semper Fi,

Sgt. Clint Bruner/ 0341

1910 Flat Creek Ct

Acworth, Ga 30101

678-458-2177 Cell

Nov 2011

I worked as an aircraft mechanic in support of the Ravens at Vientiane's Wattay Field (Lima 08) from June '69 to Dec '69. I don't remember the FAC pilots Raven call sign, but he went by Blackjack with us. Finding this site has brought back many memories and I have gotten my pictures out and have been going through them again.

 John Link

jlink@molachi.com

Nov 2011

Sir,

 I am a USAF student at the National Intelligence University. I am researching the unique role of the Raven in supporting MACV-SOG and other SOF units who conducted clandestine and overt missions in Laos.

This research is done with the intent of illuminating historical "best practices" which can be re-incorporated into Air Support to modern SOCOM missions.

 My thesis is: "To what extent does US SOCOM require "SOF Specific"

air-support of counter-terrorism operations?" My goal is to inform a USAF readership about some of the low tech solutions and unique C2 relations which made the Ravens effective.

 Please write back and let me know if you have any operators who would be willing to assist me by providing interviews and/or primary source material.

  Maj Jeremy "Maestro" Renken

F-15E/ AFELM DIA

Jeremy Renken [jeremy.renken00@gmail.com]

28 Oct 2011

A special thanks to Ed Gunter, Craig Duehring and my father, Kent Carter.

 8 1/2 years ago, these fine gentlemen helped me transfer from the Army to the Air Force.  Today, I'm serving as an advisor to the Afghan National Army.  It reminds of the Ravens, and how they worked and lived with the Hmong.  I'll always remember the reunion I attended back in 2002.  It was like meeting all of the heroes that I grew up reading about.

 Attached is a picture of me, my interpreter (Salem), and an Afghan LTC.

We're sitting on top of a 5K gallon fuel tanker that is delivering its load to an Afghan base that has spent the last 13 days without power and running water.  You could hear the cheers from across the camp as the power came back on. 

 Christian H. Carter, Maj, USAF

christian.h.carter@afghan.swa.army.mil

Oct 2011

Ravens,

I had the pleasure of meeting Tom "Waldo" King at the CAF "Airsho" at Midland (MAF) last weekend.  I told him that I was privileged to "crash" their gathering at Oshkosh 1996 and met several Ravens there, courtesy of my twin brother John, who flew T-39's with Larry Sanborn in late 70's. Enjoyed Robbins' book "The Ravens", and have a Ravens patch as a collector/souvenir item. May you all have a great reunion in SATX next week, and congratulations on your induction into the Hall of Fame there at Midland.

Best regards,

Fred Benenati,

Colonel, USAFR, DC (ret.)

1973-1993

Aug 2011

FYI

Imminent Threat to the Baltimore Poe House and Museum —
Likely Closure in 2012

Since December 18, 1977, the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum at 203 Amity Street, in West Baltimore, has been run by the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), a division of the Department of Planning with the City of Baltimore. Unfortunately, the city, suffering under intense and continuing budgetary problems — and perhaps hoping that hardly anyone will notice — has decided that the Poe Museum must become self-sufficient or it must be closed. With no practical way of raising sufficient money on its own to cover the annual budget of about $85,000, closure is almost certain at the end of 2011 or early in 2012 — unless the city of Baltimore can be convinced to reconsider its position.