The Lone Eagle

[Pongo]

Since you or I do not know what motivated "Lindy" to do the things that he said and did, I would prefer to keep him in the positive side of the ledger when it came to doing things to help the U.S. in WW2. He saved a lot of lives with his instructions to fighter pilots in the vast South Pacific area of conflict by teaching them how to stretch their fuel to get home, that sir, is a fact.
Why do you think they would not let him go to the European theater of operations during the war? I suspect they feared him falling into the hands of the Germans and the SS getting info from him concerning his report back to the U.S. after his visit to the German High command, but that is my opinion, not a report fact. You see him in one light, based on what others have said about him, I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt, since his contributions to our war effort are well know.

Really, "he saved alot of lives" is a fact now. You have issue with the nature of a fact I think.
Benefit of the doubt implies you could have any doubt, but you have to ignore so much about the man to hold your view point, pretty clearly you are far beyond any rational view of him much less doubt of his greatness.
They never let him fight nazis cause he would have refused to do so, killing Japanese he surely saw as inferior would not have been an issue for him.
Very accomplished man, but hardly anyone to idolize when you have to pretend you dont know he was a nazi to tell a great story about him.

[earl1937]

Really, "he saved alot of lives" is a fact now. You have issue with the nature of a fact I think.
Benefit of the doubt implies you could have any doubt, but you have to ignore so much about the man to hold your view point, pretty clearly you are far beyond any rational view of him much less doubt of his greatness.
They never let him fight nazis cause he would have refused to do so, killing Japanese he surely saw as inferior would not have been an issue for him.
Very accomplished man, but hardly anyone to idolize when you have to pretend you dont know he was a nazi to tell a great story about him.

The only person I ever "idolized" was my father sir! I just thought he, (Lindy), made a worthy contribution to the U.S. war effort, which I thought might be of interest to the guys in this forum. I don't know anything about his politics, and I suspect you don't either, you are just basing your comments on something you read or heard. None of us know his rational for joining the organization which he did, but with his background in aviation in the U.S., I find it strange that the U.S. government would allow him to visit the Nazi high command. You have to ask yourself, what was the real reason for his visit? I suspect that it might have been a recon mission for the U.S. military, but that is my opinion, not a stated fact anywhere. I am really stumped as to why you think he is a "bigot", refereeing to your remark as seeing the Japanese as "inferior".

[nrshida]

Been in this game a little over 3 years now, and at age 80, I don't have anything to look forward to much anymore,

Nonsense Earl. I'll wing with you anytime I see you online. You can join me on the deck fighting heavily outnumbered with no energy, no hope of survival and decreasing ammunition clip until we die screaming 'gangtards!' and laughing our heads off.  Doesn't that sound like a pretty fun night in?

  Earl

[Arlo]

Nonsense Earl. I'll wing with you anytime I see you online. You can join me on the deck fighting heavily outnumbered with no energy, no hope of survival and decreasing ammunition clip until we die screaming 'gangtards!' and laughing our heads off.  Doesn't that sound like a pretty fun night in?

  Earl

Actually, is does. 

[earl1937]

Nonsense Earl. I'll wing with you anytime I see you online. You can join me on the deck fighting heavily outnumbered with no energy, no hope of survival and decreasing ammunition clip until we die screaming 'gangtards!' and laughing our heads off.  Doesn't that sound like a pretty fun night in?

  Earl

Man, I am ready! Lead on sir!

[nrshida]

Man, I am ready! Lead on sir!

Winging with nrshida survival pack <Slim Pickens' voice engaged>:-

- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Fotry two boxes ammunition.
- One miniature combination GFC Ventrillo login manual and Hagakure book.
- One drug issue containing, Root Beer, vitamin pills, SA pills, Instinctive aiming pills, seasickness pills, tranquilizer pills
- One dollar in rubles
- One dollar in gold
- One Acme silk scarf with inbuilt wire for dramatic effect
- Nine packs of wasp-flavoured chewing gum
- Three Elastoplast sticking plasters, hat switch thumb for the use of
- One check six key extra large
- One extra thick seat cusion seeing over the waves for the use of
- Three pairs of clean shorts

 

[Puma44]

Ditto Earl!  Don't let the "experts" get to you.  An expert isn't defined by combing through Wiki, Google, et. And regurgitating it on the forums.  An expert is someone who has been there, done that, and has the certificates to prove it (plus a T shirt or two).  YOU are one of the few real ones in here.  Keep up the great work and very cool stories of your career.   

[earl1937]

Ditto Earl!  Don't let the "experts" get to you.  An expert isn't defined by combing through Wiki, Google, et. And regurgitating it on the forums.  An expert is someone who has been there, done that, and has the certificates to prove it (plus a T shirt or two).  YOU are one of the few real ones in here.  Keep up the great work and very cool stories of your career.   

Thanks for the comments! There are some great guys who visit the forum and I value each one of you guys as my friend!

[Brooke]

The group that Lindbergh supported was not the Nazi Party -- it was the America First Committee (the leading an anti-war group prior to WWII).  Lindbergh was not a Nazi, but he did believe in eugenics, racism, the superiority of America and Europe, was against war involving America and any western-European countries fighting each other, and was against communism.  Other members of America First included Sinclair Lewis, Walt Disney, Gore Vidal, Gerald Ford, and 800,000 other Americans, and support came from presidents/founders of some of the largest corporations in the US (Sears, Morton Salt, New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune). 

So, it wasn't a fringe group made up only of crackpots.  Nor was it a Nazi organization.  If anything, it was more communist leaning since it was allied with the Keep America Out of War Committee, formed by socialist Norman Thomas.  Prior to Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany and the Soviet Union were on the same side, and the Soviets didn't want America in the war.  They supported America First and Keep America Out of War.  Once Germany invaded the Soviet Union, that stance reversed, the Keep America Out of the War Committee reversed its opinion, and the Soviets put out propaganda accusing America First of being a Nazi front.

[FLOOB]

I remember reading that Lindbergh came out to some pacific unit and gave them instructions on how they could improve flight performance. One pilot who was there said that it was obvious that Lindbergh was out of his element and didn't know what he was talking about but nobody said anything because it was chuck Lindbergh.

[Arlo]

I remember reading that Lindbergh came out to some pacific unit and gave them instructions on how they could improve flight performance. One pilot who was there said that it was obvious that Lindbergh was out of his element and didn't know what he was talking about but nobody said anything because it was chuck Lindbergh.

 

[Arlo]

http://www.ww2pacific.com/lindbergh.html

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lindbergh2.htm

http://www.charleslindbergh.com/wwii/

http://acepilots.com/pioneer/lindbergh3.html

[FLOOB]

Actually it was an interview in a documentary I watched, wish I could find it.

[earl1937]

Actually it was an interview in a documentary I watched, wish I could find it.

Well, whom ever did the documentary didn't know what they were talking about!

[FLOOB]

You mean who ever. It was a wwii fighter pilot that said, not a documentary film maker.