IngotSilverSnake Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 The news media throws the word "hero" around a lot these days applying it to many people. Most do not come close to deserving the title. This article is about the passing of Colonel Bud Day, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam and Medal of Honor recipient. This man was a true American HERO and a great leader. He should have retired as a 4-Star General but always "told it like it was." We have far to few like him in our country today particularly in positions of leadership. I am proud to have served 27 years in the same Air Force that he did. The article is well worth the read: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/07/29/col-bud-day-medal-of-honor-recipient-dies-at-88.html?ESRC=airforce-a.nl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mywickedshelby Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 RIP Colonel Bud Day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygator Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 God Bless the Colonel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svtkeith Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 RIP Colonel.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted August 1, 2013 Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 You didn't mention that he was John McCain's cell mate while they were POWs He is from my home town of sioux city and went to the same college I did a few years earlier. The afb portion of the Sioux city airport is named after him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngotSilverSnake Posted August 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2013 (edited) You didn't mention that he was John McCain's cell mate while they were POWs He is from my home town of sioux city and went to the same college I did a few years earlier. The afb portion of the Sioux city airport is named after him Yes he was John McCain's cell mate. The article did highlight that fact. John McCain is another true American HERO. He would have been a great President. Edited August 1, 2013 by IngotSilverSnake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt350lp Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 RIP.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT NAJA Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Godspeed USAF Colonel Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngotSilverSnake Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 (edited) Amazing. The Passing of a Great American Hero get 7 posts and the No Topic Thread gets almost a quarter of a million. Speaks to the kind of country we have become. Thank you for those that did respond. Edited August 8, 2013 by IngotSilverSnake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hamilton Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 I got the honor of meeting Col Day back in 2006 at the retirement of the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter when the last one was handed over to the Air Force Museum. I was a crewmember on C-141’s for 20 years before transitioning over to C-17’s and we took a C-17 to Wright-Patt AFB with many former C-141 maintainers and crewmembers. It was also a reunion for the former Vietnam War POW’s as many had flown back on that particular C-141 named the “Hanoi Taxi”. When I saw Col Day in the crowd I went to shake his hand and thank him for his service. But before I could say it, he was thanking me for my service. Talk about a humbling experience, my career was a drop in the ocean compared to his. I was pretty chocked up by it and could only nod my head and mumble a weak, “Thanks”. Those guys were true heroes to me. I remember in 1973 staying up till 0200 on the east coast to watch them land in the Philippines on their first stop back. Later when I started my A.F. career, I had the honor of flying with one who had spent 5+ years in the Hanoi Hilton after his F-4 was shot down. Another was one of my Vice Wing Commanders at one time, and a third was the DCM in Maintenance. All of them were humble men who spoke softly but the room would go quiet when they entered out of respect. Our country could never repay those men for what they had to endure and none would ask a single dime anyways. They were heroes then and will always be to me. It was a true honor to have met and served with the ones I knew and Col “Bud” Day was their leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne in NJ Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Our country could never repay those men for what they had to endure and none would ask a single dime anyways. They were heroes then and will always be to me. It was a true honor to have met and served with the ones I knew and Col “Bud” Day was their leader. Bill: You hit the nail on the head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grsybtch Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 RIP Col. Day Prayers for you and all the Men and Women who put their lives on the line for the the freedom we all enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grsybtch Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Amazing. The Passing of a Great American Hero get 7 posts and the No Topic Thread gets almost a quarter of a million. Speaks to the kind of country we have become. Thank you for those that did respond. Amazing, the first three of those seven posts are from guys who's posts make up the majority of those quarter million in the NTT. Just sayin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngotSilverSnake Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 (edited) Amazing, the first three of those seven posts are from guys who's posts make up the majority of those quarter million in the NTT. Just sayin' Yeah maybe I should not have posted that. Sometimes my disappointment with how our country treats our real heroes just takes over. In our culture, it seems the "heroes" worshiped by most are all jerks (cheating, doping, criminal sports stars, "reality" stars, drug addict singers and actors, to name a few). Most people do not even know or care about men like Col Day. During the Vietnam War, I can remember not being allowed to wear our uniforms in certain cities because the dope smoking protestors were ready to spit on us on sight. 100,000 of those scum bags were not worth one Col Day. I suspect that most of the guys on this site do appreciate the real heroes. Edited August 8, 2013 by IngotSilverSnake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grsybtch Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Yeah maybe I should not have posted that. Sometimes my disappointment with how our country treats our real heroes just takes over. In our culture, it seems the "heroes" worshiped by most are all jerks (cheating, doping, criminal sports stars, "reality" stars, drug addict singers and actors, to name a few). Most people do not even know or care about men like Col Day. During the Vietnam War, I can remember not being allowed to wear our uniforms in certain cities because the dope smoking protestors were ready to spit on us on sight. 100,000 of those scum bags were not worth one Col Day. I suspect that most of the guys on this site do appreciate the real heroes. No, problem! I agree 1000% My first thought was why I first heard of this in a Thread on a car forum and not on the front page of every news outlet..........Damn shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARALD KELLEY Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Freedom is not Free. I try to take the time to thank our men and women in uniform for their service whenever possible. RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.