59 articles · 18.9K karma · 39 friends · active 2 years, 11 months ago

i'm a 68 year old retired high steel ironworker out of ironworkers local #5 washington d.c but live in maryland...we are not steel workers...ironworkers erect it they don't make it in a mill...i did that for 34 years..i am a navy brat...my dad and brother were both navy captains...dad a pilot and brother submarine service...dad joined in 1939 and went into battleships served in iceland on the armed neutrality patrol chasing the tirpitz but couldn't shoot unless hit...then blimps then heavier than air...was at coral seas and midway [kiska and attu] on the battle ship and was one of three battle wagons to survive pearl...he got into airships 1943 and went to flight school after the war...flew snj ad t-33 banshee pbm's p2v's s2f's and beechcraft and commanded 2 blimp squadrons ZW-1 and 2 and set up the first blimp squadron in england 1945...is mentioned in the book blimps and u boats twice..dad was anti submarine warfare and brother was a submariner...brother was a high school dropout who joined the navy at 17 in 1962 became one of the youngest 2nd class Petty Officers in the navy at 19...went to college at Purdue on the navy's dime and commanded 2 nuclear submarines a fast attack and an fbm...he was skipper of the alabama when crimson tide was made...he hated the movie...said it was just a farce...i became an ironworker because i am not an academic...more of a mechanic...i raised 4 kids and now have 7 grands and 5 more that belong my second wife...two of my dads best friends were jimmy flatly and john l smith MOH who lead the cactus air force on guadalcanal and marine general george dooley an early tbf pilot...my parents moved 18 times in 26 years...but i kept finding them...i was born at lakehurst naval air station 1952...have been a modeller since 1960...i still love monogram tbf sbd hellcat and corsair and that old 1/96 pby plus an aurora or two quite a few renwall ships and some of those lovely suitable for framing revell kits...not to mention the lindberg me 262..i love planes ships muscle cars motorcycles figures and armor...world history and reading...i am married to a fine very kind lady that puts up with just about anything i do and have a loving sister, i have been close to all my life

Trumpeter 1/32 F4F-4 Wildcat

this is the mount of Lt. William Leonard as it would have appeared with VF-11 on Guadalcanal June 1943 he graduated Annapolis class of 1938 won his wings in 1940 he was awarded the Navy Cross at Coral Sea three weeks later he won [...]

Hasegawa 1/48 A-4F Skyhawk “Lady Jessie”

Jessie Beck ran the keno concession at Harolds Club in Reno in 1957 that's where she met a young part-time dealer named Dick Perry who longed to become a Navy pilot Dick was accepted as a Naval officer and within two years earned his [...]

Revell 1/24 1969 Dodge (Coronet) Superbee 440 six pack

looks like a Charger and a Roadrunner had a baby I jacked the rear end about 3/16th my first car...at least first shiny thing the hood could be released by pulling the pins ...then the driver stands in front and lifts the fiberglass [...]

Italeri 1/9 WLA Harley Davidson

this is the old Esci mold from the 70's the Wla Harley served U.S. armed forces from 1942 till 1945...they just made the same bike in 42 43 44 and 1945 it was a 750cc flathead motor this one was attached to Omar Bradleys 12th Army [...]

Revell 1/9 BMW R75 with sidecar [old Esci]

R75 means 750cc this craft served the Wehrmacht as part of 508th heavy Panzer in Italy and elsewhere 508th commanded by Major Hudel was present at the Falaise pocket and Anzio and Rome when that debacle took place the unit was composed [...]

Aurora Creature “From the Black Lagoon”

actually the Monogram knock off

Tamiya 1/48 P-51D “Big Beautiful Doll” & 1941 Ford…Lt. Col. John Landers...35 1/2 kills

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Arii Otaki 1/48 F6f-3 Hellcat

one for my bucket list...always wanted to build one of these...Al Vraciu...like cashew with a V

Hasegawa 1/48 P-47D "Razorback"

this is one of the mounts of Lt. Col. Baseler..."Big Stud"...commander 325th "Checkertail Clan" in North Africa and Italy 1943-1944...his awards include six kills,the Silver Star,Legion of Merit and two presidential [...]

Tamiya 1/32 F4J…VF-84 “Jolly Rogers” [group build] Med cruise 1972

gear doors were not always lined in red...i found many pictures to the contrary