Pictured: Bob Wild ’59, Commander Karl Cooke ’86, USN, Tom Runge, and Richard Bowen, Glee Club director, and F-111F 390 (the best war machine ever to take flight, IMHO)
So, Bob, Richard and I are standing in front of the F-111F at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, OH and up walks Karl who says: "Did I hear you mention Wabash College? I graduated from Wabash." Small world.
Karl was in the Dayton area for only a couple of weeks attending a course at the base. He is a helicopter pilot in the Navy and just happened to be going through the Museum at the same time as the Glee Club.
We caught up-talking about the Glee Club trip, the new FIJI house, and the same thankfulness I have for my Wabash education and how it helped me in the military.
When you get a moment, say a little prayer for Karl and his family…and the rest of our folks in uniform. There is no better life than that of a serviceman – but the sacrifices are many. Thank goodness we have young men and women willing to serve and keep all of us, regardless of our political feelings, free.
I would give anything to be back in uniform flying….anything.
Grunge
