On 13/05/2017 09:06, Savageduck wrote:
On 2017-05-13 07:35:59 +0000, "David B."
said:

On 13/05/2017 02:07, Savageduck wrote:
On 2017-05-13 00:18:05 +0000, "David B."
said:
[....]
My apologies for the delay in responding, Savageduck.

You were pretty much spot on! :-)

Basic flying training was, indeed, with the RAF on the Jet Provost 3
and 4 and took us to 'wings' standard. That was at RAF
Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire. I was there for much of 1968.

From there I went to RNAS Brawdy in South West Wales. There were
two separate squadrons - one with the Hunter T8 and the other with
the GA11.

OK. That makes sense.
For those aircraft it wasn't too difficult to narrow my estimate your
active dates.

Were you a detective?!!!

I retired as a Lieutenant and worked with several investigative teams,
mostly dealing with gangs (street and prison gangs) in California, along
with several special assignments which were done as solo investigations.
So I was as close to being a detective in my agency as you were going to
find.

An important fellow - I thought so!

I shall imagine you to be like Columbo! ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZiv8vkxMac

Have you been retired for a while now? For me it has been 18 years!

[....]
No, I had no idea that your mother was (is?) British. Quite a blow for
your mum; some girls don't ever get over such a loss. May I ask where
your mother met your father - I believe you said he was flying in the
Far East?

They met and married in 1947 after the war, after my father left the USAAF.

That I understand. What I was wondering was just HOW did their paths
cross? WHERE did they meet?

I also *HAVE* an uncle (married to my mother's sister) who served in
the RAF in North Africa flying Hurricanes and P-40's. He also
survived the war with severe burns received in a ground accident in
North Africa.

Wow! He must be in his nineties now. Does he live in England?

He died some 15 years ago. My mother died in 2003, and her sister in
2007. The lone survivor from that generation in both the UK & USA is my
father. I still have some cousins, and my sister-in-law in the UK.

You being a stickler for detail (!) I had pondered on your use of the
word HAVE above before I asked my question! ;-)

My own mother died at about the same time. Even now I sometimes make for
the 'phone to give her a call! Does your dad live somewhere near you or
is he far away?

My Grandfather was the family flying pioneer. He was one of the first
RFC pilots trained at Cambridge, and was fortunate to survive WWI
unscathed.

A VERY lucky man! :-)

Astonishingly so.

:-)

--
The only people who make a difference are the people who believe they can.