I got to watch the A-10s working out over the Nevada Desert when working a well down there years ago during the Gulf War. It reminded me of a hawk or osprey on the hunt...and all I could thing is ..."I sure am glad they aren't hunting ME!"
Awesome aircraft, awesome pilots.
@Smokin Joe The ones I used to watch "work" around me were the old prop-driven WW2 fighter-bombers,and they were nothing less than freaking awesome. When the lead pilot told you to keep your heads down because he was starting a gun run,EVERYBODY that could monitor that broadcast tried to get just a LITTLE bit smaller and closer to the ground.
They would come in as low as 50 feet off the ground at times,with those old radial aircraft engines roaring,the 20MM cannons and 50 caliber machine guns blasting away,and drop a little napalm right before they pulled up. Had them come in so close once the yard in the hole with me got a flesh wound from a 50 cal round. You can bet your ass the next time they made a run he didn't rise up out of the hole to look around until they started to barrel roll and pull up!
And to add to the "WW-2 war movie cool",the pilots would wear colored scarfs to indentify their flight,and would usally do a barrel roll right over us after their last gun run,with the cockpit canopy pulled back,and their squadron scarfs flying in the breeze behind them,and their WW-2 leather flight helmets with the goggles raised up on their foreheads so we could see their eyes and their smiles.
It was EXACTLY like being in the coolest WW-2 movie you ever saw.
NONE of these guys EVER had to buy a drink when they came to one of our NCO clubs to do a little visiting and partying.
BTW,for those who don't know,forget the officer clubs if you go visit a SF Camp. ALL the action and fun takes place at the NCO Club.
The fact that there are only a handful of officers at our camp and a few dozen NCO's had a lot to do with this. When you sat down at a table in one of our NCO clubs,a waitress would come up to take your order. DO NOT make the mistake of thinking you can put hands on any of these waitresses without getting the snot beaten out of you and tossed outside on your face. They are there to bring you drinks and food,PERIOD!
Other than that,be as bold as you feel like being.
I was visiting Nha Trang on stand-down once,and drinking in the Recondo NCO Club,when 2 senior NCO's and their fellow FORMER senior NCO who had just gotten a battlefield promotion to Captain were celebrating his good fortune. Part of which was "wetting down" his flashy new Captain's insignia by dragging him to the floor and urinating on his lapel insignia. I BELIEVE these guys were from Delta Project,but went to the Recondo NCO Club because it was smaller and more private. They could have their little "private" celebration in peace with no one bothering them.
The Delta Force NCO Club had to be seen to be believed. I can easily believe it was the nicest NCO Club in VN. I would go there occasionally on stand down to visit with friends who were working with Delta,and the club was so nice it was almost uncomfortable to be in.
Of course,the real saving grace was that you didn't get in there unless some of the Project Delta people knew you and told the gate guards to let you in. Delta was a classified unit,so they could do that. That kept all the troublemakers away.
