Warbird Roundup at Meecham

[utopiatex]

Wally or JD,

If I am off base, just nuke this note.

Otherwise, were we not going to post details on the Warbird Roundup out at Meecham? That sucker is growing into a major event thanks to Ron Fixx's legacy with the OV10 guys there. Roy "Arm" Pitt of Texarkana, Tx is the new HMFIC. Anyway, should we not have a thread going regarding this.

Rumor has it they have at least one of everything coming, fixed as well as rotary wing, including a couple Harriers and an Osprey, 53, 46, 34, and some of those skid things....

Go Mavericks

[pm3777]

Sounds great but expect the ones I remember at Meecham field 1943/44 wont be there. I was at TCU in the NAP training class. We flew half days out of Meecham Field and a practice dirt field along the railroad track headed towards Dallas in the biwing UPF7. At MARTD Dallas we had the Stearman "Yellow Perials". There was F4Us from the production in the factory & the military taking delivery. Had one coming in on top & my 6 guess the long nose didnt see me. Since I wasnt aborting the instructer shouted through the gossport tube (no intercom) "get the hell out of the way ". Later I said "well I had the right of way ". He said "Yep, they could put that on your tombstone!!" It was a hardship tour living on the campus surrounded by COEDs. SF PM

[Roy Pitt]

PM
I for one will be glad to have you out to Meachem and the tracks are still there. We are housed in an old Blimp hangar on the so. end of the field, you can tell me the history of such a structure, I remember one at New River in '68.
This little show that we at the vo-10 group were hoping to do for POP has gotten out of hand. Every Marine group in the DFW area wants to get in on it. We have had the VA hospital groups ask if they could bring out a buss load of vet's to see the A/C's and the helecopter boys, well could we tell them no?
A gunny with the DFW recuters off. asked if it would be ok to bring a group out to the hangar for their swearing in. You want to be witness to a brand new group stepping up to the plate as our replacements? (me too). MAG-41 over at Carswell in on board to help me with the A/C. SATS vehicles, tow bars and snuffy's, etc. Heck! the wing CO said anything I need I gets.
Now for the bad news, PM, this has gotten so big we can't afford it. So we have had to open it to the general public, mostly Marine groups. We think it may draw 5000 or so. We started out thinking it would be just us'ens and you'ens, now you may have to rub sholders with the Fox-4 boys, some A-6'ers and their families, we got A-10 out of Barksdale and Harriers out of Yuma, boy the neighborhood is going down hill. We getting choppers out of Corpus but they is Coast Guard. Personally I think this is going to be more fun than an Armidillo race.
We are getting a 53 and a 46 and maybe Bell will bring in some Huie stuff but we will have 30+ A/C for your pleasure. How long it been sence you had your picture took by a Birddog? We getting at least 4 and 2 O-2's and and an L-17.
PM, I found a pic. of me on the line 35+ years ago, went to the Army/Navy store and will be on the line with the same get-up as at Marble (no hair and Boondockers) I was thinking of a green towel and flipflops but the guys said I would scare the civies.
Let me know your thinking.
S/F
Roy

[pm3777]

Roy, sure sounds busy. I would hope to get there for at least a short visit. Seems with the Sqd things and getting around may be difficult. I will be with the 463/462 group. Would like to visit TCU and see if I could locate anything from all those years back ( Probably not many COEDS from than) Sounds like my old VMO days with some of the birds. SF PM

[Joe Reed]

It was a hardship tour living on the campus surrounded by COEDs. SF PM

Paul,
Can hardly wait to hear another "Sea Story" about THOSE hardships!! Yellow Peril nonwithstanding, I'm sure there are fewer things more vivid in your unbelievable memory! See you in FW, Sir.

[Jerome HALL]

Roy....sure sounds great ,sorry i'm not closer to give more of a hand .
Its nice to see things coming togather. I'll keep track and open mind for anything that I think maybe will help out .Thanks and God Bless JJ

[utopiatex]

Us locals are going to meet at Meecham in Roy's hangar Sunday, June 25 at 1100 hrs.

Good time for any unharnessed talent to show up. We need the help.

That mockup Bronco sure looks like the real deal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_0016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_0020.jpg

[Joe Reed]

old Blimp hangar on the so. end of the field, you can tell me the history of such a structure, I remember one at New River in '68.

Roy,
I was in New River 1966-'67 and don't remember a blimp hangar. Are you certain you don't mean LTA Santa Ana? They had (have) two of them. What did I miss??
Looking forward to making the trip to see your A/C and the others while in the DFW area. Sounds like a motorcycle trip to me and I'm bringing mine!

[Roy Pitt]

Joe
You cought me in my teens. The big hangar at New River with the VMO-1 huies in one end was the bigest thing a kid from Longview ever saw. Your right though it was square not a half a trash can on the ground like the one at Meachem. We got a B-17 in S-33 and a dozen other birds . Will use up 5a. of grass and 200' of taxie way to put on a show for you's guys. We are looking for 30+ birds and 4k people to show up Sat.
Now for the Bad/Good news, I will be on the line where I belong but not by my self. What you say "brothers"? In the FW heat we will need folks that know their way around A/C to do a 1 or 2 hour hitch on the line. With all the civies comming out we need folks to watch out for and tell a story or two about the A/C we get. You's the ones that I need to make sure that the owners get their planes back in one piece and that all have a good time and maybe learn something. PM is the guy I need for the Birddogs and maybe the 2 ducks we got comming, he worked 0-1 and 0-2's I thing.
Ok bring your cameras, we got a Fox 4 and a work stand, I plan to put some of you in the seat for a pic. to give the Grandkids.
Thur. and Fri. while I is a working, if you sneak out, then you and I will sit on the ground under an OV-10 and drink Carlings Black Lable and pretend we are at Phu Bai. No mortors on the Army side expected.
Roy M. (your strong right Arm) Pitt

[Joe Reed]

Roy said:

PM is the guy I need for the Birddogs and maybe the 2 ducks we got comming, he worked 0-1 and 0-2's I thing.

Roy,
Paul Moore is the guy you need for everything WW II era through Viet Nam. If he didn't fly it, fix it, or fool around with it in some manner, it probably wasn't in the Marine inventory! He'll be there! Maybe he'll get by there. I know he wants to. I hope he finds the time, he'll have some sea stories to go along with all of that experience and I don't want to miss any of those!

[utopiatex]

The local yokels met at Meecham at the site of the Warbird Roundup yesterday (25 June) to interface with the OV10 boys who are putting on the Roundup.

One detail we need is a list of Popasmoke members or their guests who may need a ride. The buses will drop off about a block from the hangar due to the limited driveway space for this ever-growing event. Please call me or email me if you or your accompanying guest(s) require a ride so the OV10 guys can arrange something like a golf cart ride.

The OV10 Ready Room is air conditioned and Popasmoke will have a tent where our members can hang out, cool off and have something to drink.

Regarding drinks, there will be active - duty aircraft on hand in static display so the OV10 guys ask that our members do not stroll around outside our tent with alcoholic beverages.... as if any of our members actually imbibe... imagine that.

General public welcome at 1200. Popasmoke members may pass the gate at 1000.

So far, we have a 46 from Miramar as did we at Reno among the 60 some-odd aircraft from the Marine Corps.

YL37 will also be there. Rumors of Harriers and and an Osprey and some of those things with skids....

You Red Lions can drive over to the JRB main gate and get your picture with your old bird parked out there. It sure needs some TLC! Master Gunny George Curtis would want some work done on this bird, no doubt.

[Roy Pitt]

Men
This is the latest from OBA at FW. We got 34 DoD birds from many active duty sqd's. We got 30 vintage/privately owned comming. We got 4 radio stations that want to do live brodcast at the hangar Sat. and will start telling FW about the event today. We got 2 more motorcycle groups that want to join in on the ride and a Model A club, if you will slow down a little.
This all started out with us inviting you's guys out to see us at the hangar, 1000 of you and 20 of us, hey no big deal. Well the scuddle butt got around and now it is over my head. I am going to do what I started out to do, go out and work the line like back in the old days. I don't play well with big groups, heck I argue with myself from time to time. You all come on out, I'll be the old guy with the chauks, gear pins, and pitot covers, I want to see all of you (one at a time)
PM by the way, we got 6 0-1 Birddogs, 4 0-2 Ducks, and a sack full of L birds. You are going to have a ball. It may remind you of your early days with the Wing. Boys, we even got the Coast Guard out of Corpus bringing in some stuff I ain't never heard of, but love the sound of. What is a Dolphin anyway?
This may get a little disorganized at times, but we are little fish swimming in a big pond, you will over look it I'm sure. It is sort of the Marine Corps way, and we are brothers, so step up and close ranks when you can.
Sgt. Roy M. (Arm) Pitt
MM and Danang '69-'71

[utopiatex]

To ammend Roy's previous message....

These crew flying in from all points are also potential members of Popasmoke, so you all are recruiters when you are at the Warbird Roundup. We need to treat these pilots and crew like freaking royalty (which actually they are if you ask me). Those of you who find squadron connections with them, ought to invite them to join the fold.

JD asked us local yokels to arrange for someone to man a Popasmoke table out there. A couple volunteers would be welcome. There will be an airconditioned tent out there for us, so you won't exactly be in death valley.

[Roy Pitt]

Men
On Fri. morning we need to pick-up cars for the DoD crews from local dealerships. One will need DL and proof of insur. and will only take an hour or so. If you can help let me know. About 5 different local dealers have donated rides to our active duty crews while they are in FW (ooh-ra). They will use these cars to get to their hotels, the convention center and your hoochs, so they can visit with us old guys. We can tell them how it was back in the olden days when helo's had wooden rotors and ordenance was a bucket of rocks and a window.
Roy