67th - Columbia SC - 2009
Doolittle Raider Reunion
Interesting picture... Phyllis Nielsen, (widow of Chase Nielsen), Eliot Chal, an Army Airman and myself were invited out to the Army base to see some helicopters up close and personal. Little did we know that is was a 25 mile ride in a 1970 Jeep with no top. Down the interstate. With 4 people. His buddies Jeep. With less than enough gas in it to get to our destination. Also didn't have the KEY to the GAS CAP in the vehicle. All the way to the base, Phyllis kept saying repeatedly, while holding her hair in place, "The gas gauge looks empty, we should go to a filling station..."
The Airman said "The gauge is broken and it always reads that way, we will be fine..."
Well, it wasn't fine and we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere...
Luckily, with the skill of an Army Airman and a Leatherman Tool we found in the Jeep, it only took us an hour to destroy the gas cap and gain access to the fill spout for the gas.
Also, luckily, there was a gas can with one gallon of gas in it in the Jeep, which got us on our way promptly to the nearest "filling station".
The Helicopter Tour ended up being a success for us, but later in the week, the Army Airman's home was broken into and all his belongings were stolen. Bad Karma I guess...
