Sep 15, 2023·edited Sep 15, 2023Liked by CDR Salamander
Unbelievably Fullbore. I first heard of this incredible story from Papa Scoobs, who in turn first heard
it one dark winter night in 1959 at an air force O Club bar in Japan from a salty Lieutenant Commander who Papa Scoobs had drawn as a guest copilot from the ranks of the ship's company aviators. When the weather went south they diverted to the beach for the night and over dinner and drinks they got acquainted and the Lieutenant Commander opened up and start talking about his time flying Corsairs in Korea - and of watching a member of his squadron crash land his aircraft near the Chosin Reservoir in an attempt to rescue a downed squadron mate. The Lieutenant Commander's name was George Hudson, and he had been a member of VF-32 and an eyewitness to Hudner-Brown saga - the only instance where I've known somebody who heard of a Medal of Honor episode directly from one of the eyewitnesses. The funny part was this was also Papa Scoobs' first time learning of the story - he was all of 12 years old in 1950 and apparently missed the news story!
But yeah, Devotion, aside from a few inaccuracies and some rough CGI, is a solid movie - between Papa Scoobs' story and Grandpa Scoobs' time flying Corsairs and Bearcats it left me just a little misty eyed ;-)
Saw the movie the day it came out; had been eagerly awaiting it since learning it was being made. Had read Makos' book years before.
We saw it with another couple both retired Army; the wife is kind of a "tough chick" and as we left she said "You didn't tell me I was gonna cry".
Glen Powell is to be commended; my understanding is that he became a driving force behind the project. Makos had arranged for Powell to meet Tom Hudner IIRC.
The Korean War certainly wasn't "forgotten" in the Scoobs household growing up - Grandpa Scoobs went hard med down in 1949 but his best friend from WW2 led one of the first F9F Panther strikes into North Korea the following summer. Papa Scoobs freely admits that the movie "The Bridges At Toko-Ri" is what hooked him as teenager into pursue applying for the NavCad Program - probably why he still watches on a monthly basis! When he got to NAS North Island in the late 50's everyone O-3 and above had some combination of WW2/Korea experience - one of the LCDRs in his first squadron had flown F4U-5Ns in a night fighter detachment and talked about how "fun" it was hunting North Korean trains by moonlight and then trying to trap them in tunnels by firing rockets into the tunnel entrances! The Toko-Ri connection came full-circle one night during a JO "bull session" at the World Famous I-Bar when in walked a short officer in aviation greens with ribbons - topped off by the Navy Cross - all the way up to his collarbone. Turned out the officer was the real-life inspiration for Mickey Rooney's "Mike Forney" character - home alive after a stay in North Korean POW camp. After feeding him some drinks the whirlybird driver opened up with some of his stories - like having "fun" flying up the North Korean trench lines with his aircrewman blazing away with a Browning Automatic Rifle! A different era...
The book is far better than the movie. And far more accurate about how nasty the Korean War was and what the Soldiers, Marines and naval aviators went through. All of those pilots were full bore, and because of that a lot more Marines and Soldiers survived the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir.
I saw the film recently on vacation with the Wife in some unnamed Marriot property. Good movie. Great heroes.
It brings to kind another hero that did something similar, 25 years later. USAF Major Bernard Francis Fisher landed his A-1E (AD-5 to you Navy types) to successfully rescue another comrade. FB.
These FbF's recount the heroism of those who were willing to give everything for this country....
Today (literally) our treasonous political leadership is --literally- giving this country away.
If this scene of the Mexican takeover of Chicago does not make you angry, then either you don't care, or you enjoy living life with your head in a hole...
Fullbore. The CVN should have named for Jesse.
I saw “Devotion” on a recent flight as well.
Ship, shipmate, self at it’s finest.
Unbelievably Fullbore. I first heard of this incredible story from Papa Scoobs, who in turn first heard
it one dark winter night in 1959 at an air force O Club bar in Japan from a salty Lieutenant Commander who Papa Scoobs had drawn as a guest copilot from the ranks of the ship's company aviators. When the weather went south they diverted to the beach for the night and over dinner and drinks they got acquainted and the Lieutenant Commander opened up and start talking about his time flying Corsairs in Korea - and of watching a member of his squadron crash land his aircraft near the Chosin Reservoir in an attempt to rescue a downed squadron mate. The Lieutenant Commander's name was George Hudson, and he had been a member of VF-32 and an eyewitness to Hudner-Brown saga - the only instance where I've known somebody who heard of a Medal of Honor episode directly from one of the eyewitnesses. The funny part was this was also Papa Scoobs' first time learning of the story - he was all of 12 years old in 1950 and apparently missed the news story!
But yeah, Devotion, aside from a few inaccuracies and some rough CGI, is a solid movie - between Papa Scoobs' story and Grandpa Scoobs' time flying Corsairs and Bearcats it left me just a little misty eyed ;-)
Saw the movie the day it came out; had been eagerly awaiting it since learning it was being made. Had read Makos' book years before.
We saw it with another couple both retired Army; the wife is kind of a "tough chick" and as we left she said "You didn't tell me I was gonna cry".
Glen Powell is to be commended; my understanding is that he became a driving force behind the project. Makos had arranged for Powell to meet Tom Hudner IIRC.
Fullbore, Aye.
A friend deployed with the helo det on the JLB. Said it was the tightest crew he'd seen out of 6 deployments.
Great choice for Full Bore and we need another JLB in the fleet to tag along with USS Thomas Hudner DDG 116.
The Korean War certainly wasn't "forgotten" in the Scoobs household growing up - Grandpa Scoobs went hard med down in 1949 but his best friend from WW2 led one of the first F9F Panther strikes into North Korea the following summer. Papa Scoobs freely admits that the movie "The Bridges At Toko-Ri" is what hooked him as teenager into pursue applying for the NavCad Program - probably why he still watches on a monthly basis! When he got to NAS North Island in the late 50's everyone O-3 and above had some combination of WW2/Korea experience - one of the LCDRs in his first squadron had flown F4U-5Ns in a night fighter detachment and talked about how "fun" it was hunting North Korean trains by moonlight and then trying to trap them in tunnels by firing rockets into the tunnel entrances! The Toko-Ri connection came full-circle one night during a JO "bull session" at the World Famous I-Bar when in walked a short officer in aviation greens with ribbons - topped off by the Navy Cross - all the way up to his collarbone. Turned out the officer was the real-life inspiration for Mickey Rooney's "Mike Forney" character - home alive after a stay in North Korean POW camp. After feeding him some drinks the whirlybird driver opened up with some of his stories - like having "fun" flying up the North Korean trench lines with his aircrewman blazing away with a Browning Automatic Rifle! A different era...
The book is far better than the movie. And far more accurate about how nasty the Korean War was and what the Soldiers, Marines and naval aviators went through. All of those pilots were full bore, and because of that a lot more Marines and Soldiers survived the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir.
Can't imagine the pain of leaving a shipmate behind and then seeing their wife.
I saw the film recently on vacation with the Wife in some unnamed Marriot property. Good movie. Great heroes.
It brings to kind another hero that did something similar, 25 years later. USAF Major Bernard Francis Fisher landed his A-1E (AD-5 to you Navy types) to successfully rescue another comrade. FB.
Major Fisher's aircraft survived, and is on display at the NMUSAF: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/3396918/douglas-a-1e-skyraider/
I would not comment, except I saw it recently.
These FbF's recount the heroism of those who were willing to give everything for this country....
Today (literally) our treasonous political leadership is --literally- giving this country away.
If this scene of the Mexican takeover of Chicago does not make you angry, then either you don't care, or you enjoy living life with your head in a hole...
Is this country worth fighting for anymore?
Its a legit question.
https://x.com/TylerLaRiviere/status/1702895071903858786?s=20
https://x.com/methanealex8/status/1702903996153745584?s=20
https://x.com/NickNelsonMN/status/1702907856180138322?s=20
https://x.com/ChicagoBeckyP/status/1702923260625563987?s=20