Maybe that is the reason for the "memory" about the shifting rod linkage problem - because I had to land my F-16 in Iraq after the first Osirak strike. In that "memory," I was on my way to pick up Lesa Jewell when we were in the 11th grade and we were going to the Senior prom. I think anything of these details associated with the 11th grade actually represent the events I was actually involved in around the end of my 3rd year at the U.S. Naval Academy.
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: Re: Journal May 26, 2006
...
I'm pretty sure I was 14 when we moved to Ashdown, which may correlate with F-14. At 16, I got the red Ford. I was probably 17 when I got the Chevrolet, but it features more prominently in my mind when I was 18. I had turned 18 early into my senior year, something to do with me being one day too young to start with the previous class.
I remember one time, with my red Ford, driving to the junior prom. I had a problem with the shifting rods that I never got fixed. It was a 3-speed manual with the shifter on the column. Sometimes the shifting rod linkage under the hood got stuck and I couldn't shift gears. This one day, I was standing there in the middle of town at a busy intersection in my white tux with the hood up to get the linkage unstuck. It wasn't so much embarassing as just annoying.
Earlier this morning, I started remembering something from long, long ago. I had completely forget about this. For some reason, remembering this memory makes me think of two things. One thing it does is to remind me that I did have an iterest in flying as a kid. For some reason, if someone would have asked me if I had been interested in flying when I was younger, I would have responded that I never had an interest in flying. And the memory was about the Canadian Air Force. For some reason, I wanted to fly for the Royal Canadian Air Force. I have no idea what that means. There was this one jet I liked, but I can't remember which model it is. I have this memory too about the Saudi's flying it as their main fighter. Now I'm thinking it wasn't Canada, it was Saudi Arabia, as in I was associated with them somehow that I can't remember now. I also remembered that Sabre driver from Korea that was something like a hero to my when I was very young. They called him Mac I think, McDonnell or McConnell, would have to look it up. I think he was a triple-Ace from Korea.
Joseph Christopher McConnell, Jr. (born January 30, 1922 - died August 25, 1954) was the top American ace during the Korean War. A native of Dover, New Hampshire, Captain McConnell shot down 16 MiG-15s while flying F-86 Sabre jets for the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for combat heroism. McConnell was the first triple jet fighter ace in history and is still the top-scoring American jet ace.
Operation "Desert Sabre" was the codename for the combined allied ground assault during the first Gulf War. It consisted of about 650,000 combined U.N. Troops and about 550,000 Iraqis. The U.N. side had approximately 3,000 tanks to the Iraqi's 5,000. During this ground assault the Iraqi's casualties were about 90,000 men and some estimates say 4,000 tanks. The U.N. force had about 700 casualties with about 25 tanks lost.
Thoughts have occurred to me that if I see Phoebe walking up to me, I will remember who she is to me specifically. But I am confused about whether seeing her will initiate some kind of overwhelming cascade effect in my mind of all those real memories returning to the surface. As it is now, I seem to know this stuff, but yet, they are disconnected from whatever part of my brain visualizes certain details about the memories. I can remember how I feel about her, but I can't actually visualize the time we were together. I certainly want to see her again and without a doubt, I will take the chance of being overwhelmed by those returning memories. I miss her beyond tolerance. It could be that I am supposed to just make the leap and contact her and tell her it is me, her husband. But I don't know. The thought occurs to me but I don't think that is the correct approach. I think Phoebe, my wife, would enjoy being with me even though I still don't remember her in the conventional sense, but I feel as though there is still something else I have to find and figure out before we can get back together. There is still something else. It's driving me crazy.
I've had my mind scrambled into a crossword puzzle the size of Wisconsin. I've had to live away from Phoebe for over 9 years. Do you bastards really think you aren't facing some serious time for interfering with an official federal investigation into the domestic and international terrorists that are in control of Microsoft-Corbis corporations and the corrupted public officials in King County, Washington?
A person with my abilities and experience never actually gets to leave the U.S. military, so I'll be in the service for a while yet. But I must get home to Phoebe, my beautiful wife. I miss her so much.
"Frank Parker" - that's me. Just a regular day.
070511-N-7653W-030 Norfolk, Va. (May 11, 2007) - The Military Sealift Command (MCS) advance auxiliary dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) prepares to moor at Naval Station Norfolk. The Sacagawea is the second ship built from this new class of underway replenishment ships. This class of ships will replace the current capability of the Kilauea-class (T-AE 26) ammunition ship, Mars-class (T-AFS 1) and Sirius-class (T-AFS 8) combat stores ships. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seamen Justan K. Williams (RELEASED)
070512-N-3284V-124 PERSIAN GULF (May 12, 2007) - Fire Controlman 2nd Class Nathan Becker wraps a line around a ballard on the flight deck aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS O'Kane (DDG 77) during sea and anchor detail. O'Kane is part of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO). MSO help set the conditions for security and stability, as well as aid counter-terrorism and security efforts to the regional nations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph R. Vincent (RELEASED)
070512-N-3284V-049 PERSIAN GULF (May 12, 2007) - Ensign Sarah Watson stands conning officer watch on the bridge of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS O'Kane (DDG 77). Conning officers provide course and speed changes for seaward navigation while the ship is underway. O'Kane is part of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO). MSO help set the conditions for security and stability, as well as aid counter-terrorism and security efforts to the regional nations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph R. Vincent (RELEASED)
