Reddit mentions of "There I Was..." 25 Years

"Fighter jocks are a vocal lot -- especially when it comes to the pros and cons of their particular steed of the moment. The "Jug", alias P-47, had many devoteees, but there were a few malcontents. One thing everyone agreed on: it was big and heavy."

Mods keep deleting them, so I'm making this last submission a giant blowout of Bob Stevens comics that I hope you'll all enjoy:

 

Bob Stevens, Nov. 1972:
"New second Johns thought here a sentence of doom --
Not many runways then had enough room.
But once in the air, with a pair of fans turning,
Brother, this baby just kept on churning..."

 

Bob Stevens, Nov. 1975:
""Silence is golden" according to an early Swiss inscription. Silence is also mandatory in Air Force formations from home base to the target (the enemy had ears, too). This is an old tale and it could have happened -- and near Swiss territory, for that matter."

 

Bob Stevens, Sept. 1980:
""Are you there, Moriarity?"
Situation: RAF crew training in Canberra (USAF version: B-57). The intercom link between pilot -- up front -- and navigator's compartment is fuzzy, at best. We join the crew climbing out on a cross country..."

 

Bob Stevens, Dec. 1984:
"Crews of cargo/transport birds can get pretty bored on long hauls. Fiendish scenarios like the one depicted below kill time between reporting points... (Note: this routine calls for a john in the rear, like the ol' C-46's and 47's)"

 

Bob Stevens, Mar. 1985:
"We heard this story after WW II "as gospel" from several sources. We'll admit it sure sounds far out, but even if fabricated, it still makes quite a tale."

 

Bob Stevens, May 1986:
"Question: Can you identify the two aircraft involved in the last dogfight in Europe during WW II? Answer: An unarmed L-4 Cub and an armed (well, sort of...) German Fieseler "Storch" German observation plane."

 

Bob Stevens, Apr. 1987:
"It was called "the forgotten war", a "U.N. police action", and a lot of unprintable things. Fact is, teh Korean conflict (1950-53) clobbered about the same number of people in 3 yeras as 'Nam did in 12 plus. In this dirty, miserable war, jet combat came of age."

 

Bob Stevens, Jan. 1989:
"It has been my great privilege and honor to draw this feature for 25 years. It seems appropriate to look back at four reprints representing distinct periods in AAF/USAF history that we've shared during the past quarter century."

 
 

There's many more of course - how to BS your way out of getting disciplined for a gear up landing, more dirty tricks in the T-33, and the never ending rivalry between fighter and bomber groups (culminating in a B-17 from the 91st dropping a half ton of horse manure on the 78th during their dress parade).

Everything I've posted is from the Bob Stevens book "There I Was..." 25 Years which you can get on Amazon shipped for under 5 bucks - if you're a fan of warbirds and military aviation, it's a must-have.