A Book Review

One thing that I really did not like to do when I was in Junior High or High School was writing book reports.  They were the most boring things that were ever invented!  Since I've been married, and especially since Karin and I raised three boys, I have learned to enjoy reading for pleasure.  So here I am going to do what I absolutely hated so many years ago ("Jaws" theme music goes here) -- write a book review (that's the same as "report" but spelled differently).


This came about as result of a recommendation I received from Dave Kimmel who sent me this email on February 3rd:
Gordy, My name is Dave Kimmel, I served with the 225th in the early 70's. I wanted you to know that my prayers will be with you today, it is 8AM here in PA, and I am praying for success and a recovery that will put you back in cockpit.  I have had some health issues, and I found that it was so hard to pray when there is so much going on after and during your recovery. With that, two tips; ask for prayer, and a book I just read, "FLIGHT TO HEAVEN", Capt. Dale Black, I found it to be a blessing in so many ways, as I'm sure you will too. Brothers in Christ,  Dave


I ordered this for my Kindle a few days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I would recommend it for anyone who likes a good story with some suspense, surprises, inspiration, and life-changing moments.  This true story rang true with me regarding my recent surgery, and how much work is involved just to regain the normal routine of life.  I, of course, have not come lose to having experienced near what Capt. Dale Black experienced, but I have had a very tiny taste of what's involved in the work of recovery.  This is a quick read, only 189 pages, but well worth the time!  For any of us who have flown, I hope his story will inspire you.

The Adventure: Post-Op

First of all I want to THANK EVERYONE for the wonderful of support and love you have shown Karin and me during this amazing adventure with my prostate cancer.  This has truly been a life changing experience for me in many ways some of which I have described in earlier blogs.

We arrived at Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, WA, at zero-dark-thirty (actually about 5:30am), checked in and went to the surgery prep area.  Karin and I prayed together, we kissed and then I was taken to the OR on a gurney just before 7:30am…the only thing I remember is going through the double doors.  The next thing I remember is waking up to an absolutely brilliant day in my room with Karin and my oldest son Pete at my bedside.  I was a little sore around the middle, but certainly not in excruciating pain.  This was due in part to the meds I had been given, but also because I had only five little incisions (maybe 2 inches each max) spaced across my abdomen, not one long one as in open surgery.  I wouldn’t recommend that this procedure be done if you had nothing better to do on a day off, but if you have to have to have a radical prostatectomy, this is the way to have it.

I felt good enough over the next few hours to make a few phone calls to let people that I was out of surgery.  I didn’t do too much over the next 24 hours, except watch TV, look at the Bellevue skyline, have the RNs check on me periodically, and get up and walk around the medical floor a couple of times with tubes hooked up to me.  My surgeon’s associate came in to see me on Saturday morning, and after his assessment said I could go home later that day.  A wonderful nursing and tech staff took great care of me at the hospital.  I was home by about 3 o’clock on Saturday!  And I’m very glad to be home and to have the time to recover, sit watching old movies on TCM with a fire in the pellet stove, with our little puggle (his name is Mr. Puggles) next to me on the couch, and our big lab mix named Holly on the other end.  Karin is taking great care of me, and Tim and Meg brought dinner on Sunday.  Nick came by with a card that Jacob (our 5 year old grandson) made for me.  

I have a follow-up appointment on Thursday, Feb. 9^th; I should know what the pathology reports say about how much cancer was there and if it was all removed.  This is the next part of the adventure that the Lord and I are on.  He is still very much in the middle of this and I am very thankful indeed.  In the Bible God says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)  This was Moses speaking to Israel as they were about to cross into the Promised Land, but these words can also apply to us if we know the Lord.  He certainly has not left us during this time of trial!  And He will continue to be with us, too!

Thanks again for all your love and support for Karin and me over the past few months, please know that it very much appreciated!

A Couple of Videos and One Photo

This is a picture that SP4 Steve Bogner took from the water tower that overlooked out photo labs at Phu Hiep.  I had forgotten how rusty the roof over the portable photo labs was.   Thanks Steve for sending this!

Jim Taylor sent this link that has some great footage of vintage WWII aircraft at the Duxford 2011 air show.  Enjoy!

“If you're a piston-engine WWII aircraft nut, as I am, you absolutely have to go to the URL at bottom here.  I kid you not, I nearly wet my pants.

When was the last time you were at any kind of air show and saw the following all flying together and where you could actually hear the unique "voices" (sound) of their engines both taxiing & in flight?

•                ME-109s

•                Spitfires

•                Hawker Hurricanes

•                Hawker Tempests & Sea Furys

•                F-4U Corsairs

•                P-38s

•                P-40s

•                P-51s

•                B-17 bomber

•                Lancaster bomber

•                C-47 Skytrains

•                A1-E Skyraider (remember, this was developed for WWII)

Missing were a few (e.g., Fw-190, ME-262, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell)”

http://www.clipwings.com/clip/1182/Duxford_Flying_Legends_2011__DE_vers_

Walt Kalohi, Henry Kalohi’s brother, sent me this link about the largest boatlift in history that occurred on September 11, 2001.  I had not heard about this before.  It’s amazing how Americans pull together when it counts!  This is his note to me:

“This video of events during 9/11 will ‘grab’ you.  Eleven years have passed since that terrible day and this is the first I’ve known and seen of what took place on the waterfront of Manhattan .  An evacuation of a half million civilians by water craft – the only way out for those who were there.  Quite likely, this may be the first time you’ve seen this video of such a major evacuation and perhaps, like me, even had any idea that such took place.  The fear of those who were there and waiting to be rescued had to be tremendous.  Also tremendous was the gallant effort of those boat and ship Captains who moved them to safety.   It might be hard to watch for some.  It’s well worth the time. Absolutely unbelievable.”

http://www.youtube.com/v/MDOrzF7B2Kg?version=3

The Adventure: Surgery

      If you have been following this blog over the past few months you know that I have prostate cancer, presumably a result of exposure to Agent Orange while I was in Vietnam in from 1968 to 1970.  Tomorrow (Friday, February 3^rd) I’ll be having surgery to remove my prostate and, hopefully, all the cancer that may be in my body.

     In preparation for this major event in my life, I have worked over the past few weeks getting my affairs in order.  This is something that I have been meaning to do for a long time, but have been putting it off because that was the easy thing to do.  I said to myself “Self, why put it off any longer?”  I found a website that had a listing of the essential items that should be listed such as where important documents are located, names and contact information of family members, names and phone numbers of friends, financial information, “final wish” instructions and details and any other important information. 

Having cancer and making this list has also prompted me to reflect on, to evaluate, my life, the past, the present and the future.  I have not lived a perfect life, a sinless life (only Jesus Christ did that!), but the Lord has blessed me in so many ways that I could not begin to count them!  And he has forgiven me, because he said he would if I asked him to do so.  Jesus’ forgiveness is spoken of in the book of Isaiah (1:18) when God says “Come now, and let us reason together”, says the LORD, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  What a promise!

      The other thing that has struck me in the past few weeks is just to try to be kinder to those around me, to handle stress more effectively and not to get stressed more than necessary over the little everyday things that happen, like goofy drivers or that slow person ahead of you in line.  I can tell you that it is a better way to live!  I’m not looking forward to surgery tomorrow, but I know that the outcome is going to be okay because God is right in the middle of my life, just as he was when I was in Phabulous Phu Hiep four-plus decades ago!  And he hasn’t let me down yet!

      Look for the next installment of my adventure that will be posted in a few days.

Latest Mohawk Association Newsletter and Videos

Good morning Everyone!  Below is a link to the OV-1 Mohawk Association's latest newsletter "The Mohawker."  There is extensive coverage of our reunion that was held in Las Vegas over Veterans' Day in November.

http://ov-1mohawkassociation.org/downloads/nl_107...jan_feb_2012.pdf

There are several videos of the parade on which we participated on YouTube, here's a link to one of them and you find others on the YouTube website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-tBdG4KrHs&feature=share

Here's a link to the Association membership application.  2 new members are Dennis Wert and Luke Christ ... so I'd encourage you to consider joining too!  It's only $35 a year, so I think the price is right. Click and take a look!

http://ov-1mohawkassociation.org/join.php

I've also created 2 short videos on my Observer website - one of the parade and one of Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB that weekend.  The link is:

http://225thobserver.weebly.com/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rare Photo of Mohawk with Christmas Lights Found

In digging through some boxes of photos recently, I found this rare photo of a B-model all festooned with holiday lights!

Because our faith as Christians is absolutely and completely rooted in our Jewish heritage over two thousand years ago, I thought it is appropriate to share with you the prophesy from Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign - The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Merry Christmas and  Happy Holidays to all my brothers who served with the 225th Aviation Company so many years ago!

Editor's note: My son Tim reworked this photo I took of Phantomhawk 13 in late 1969 for me a couple of years ago.  Steve Sachs told me that he actually wrapped one up in some barbed wire when he ran off the end of the runway once, but it wasn't nearly as festive a sight!

The Cancer Consults: The Next Step

Karin and I met with Dr. Jay Zink, a robotic laparoscopic urology physician at Group Health in Seattle, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and had a very good conversation about the pros and cons of having a laparoscopic prostatectomy.  One of the questions I asked him was “What has been your outcome success; in other words, how’s your batting average?”  He told us that if I were asking about men who had prostates four times normal size, it would not be really very good.  But, on the other hand, if I were asking about a man in my situation, the outcome would be very good because mine had not enlarged and would be a fairly straightforward surgical procedure.

We also asked about the advantages/disadvantages of robot-assisted surgery.  Two things stood out for me:  1) the short-term recovery time is shorter in terms of wound healing time because the incisions (there will tree small holes) are more precise.  And 2) blood loss is considerably less with this surgery (about 2-3 tablespoons) compare with regular open surgery (2-3 pints).  The longer-term recovery is about the same; I’m planning on taking a few weeks off from work at Seattle Children’s to let everything heal up and return to normal as much as possible.

On the way home Karin said that we should talk and pray about our decision over the weekend and then decide.  I said right there in the car that I had decided to go with Dr. Zink; she thought that was a good decision.  So, I have surgery scheduled for February 3, 2012.  That gives us time to enjoy the holidays with friends and family without worrying about making this decision.

So the saga will continue in a couple of months.  I’ll let you know when the next installment of my adventure will be published on this blog.  Thanks to all of you who have been keeping Karin and me in your prayers.  We can certainly feel them daily!  And we are assured that the Lord is still in the middle of our circumstances, as he has been from the beginning.  Meanwhile, everyone please enjoy your preparations as you get ready for the holidays!