My Grandfather.
Lt.Col. Darrell M. "Bud" Gray, USAAF, WWII PTO (South Pacific).
Pilot/Co-Pilot: B24D w/ 5th Bmbr Group/72nd Squadron (Heavy)
>28 combat missions vs Japanese shipping and static defensive positions up and down the "slot"; took part in Guadacanal-Bougainville campaigns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:New_georgia_pol89.jpg >Personal chauffeur for Lt. Gen. Millard Hammon for 8 months prior to earning enough points to rotate home in late spring '45. He claims an expensive bottle of scotch gitfted to his CO helped him earn an extra point or two.
http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio_print.asp?bioID=10235&page=1"Bud" served in the USAF reserves until 1977 and retired. He was called up during the Korean and early Vietnam conflicts to teach new pilots the basics of low altitude carbet bombing without the use of a bombardier. Luckily, he was allow to sit out those 2 conflicts because he was self employed and has a family. FWIW, his pilots logs show his B24D on 2 different occasions bombing Japanese defensive positions w/ 100lb bombs while flying at 550 ft over the target area.
I lost my grandfather in October of 2002, and to this day my throat tightens when thinking of him. He meant the world to me and I miss him dearly. I only hope to be half the man he was.
My forum name is based on my favorite guitar player's favorite on stage buzz medicine: EVH and his "Smoking Loon" merlot wine.
