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Flights for Lt Col Cole's 102nd birthday!

ChrisF16

Active Member
I was honored to participate in the flyovers for Lt Cole Dick Cole's 102nd birthday bash this week. I was #4 in a flight led by a 1944 SNJ (T-6) and the other flight was led by the B-25 Yellow Rose and included a P-39!

Here's a helmet-cam view of some of the flight. In the first quick clips you'll see the B-25 flight passing us on the left as we took turns overflying the celebration. We old-timers will enjoy the music clip I put on the video (until YouTube figures it out and drops it).

https://youtu.be/YyUOA7GHBlA


This is me photo-bombing with the birthday bad-a$$ at the party afterwards
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Believe it or not, this is actually a birthday cake!!
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And this was another birthday cake
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Here's an award winning display built by a school kid honoring Col Cole and the Tokyo Raiders:
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Lt. Col. Coles 102

Judie and I were on the ground for the celebration, these pilots did a magnificent job and Col. Cole loved it. He was standing up watching the fly overs. Sunday morning he was out on his tractor, what a great hero. It is a privilege to be in his presence.
 
What a gentleman he is. I had the honor of flying him two years ago when he was 'only' 100. He was my passenger in an open cockpit PT 19. Its the model of aircraft he used for his primary training many years before. Thanks for putting on a show for him.
 
great video

Chris, enjoyed the video and especially honoring old heroes. What was the music you used? I frequently open a video clip and a second music youtube clip, watching the video and listening to the music on the other at the same time. Nice RV 4 too,
Bill McLean
RV-4 slider
lower AL
 
That's the theme song from Black Sheep Squadron. Surely I'm not the only one who grew up watching Pappy Boyington every week.

And thanks, yes I LOVE my RV-4!
 
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