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(U) InSIDer's View of History : How a Four Star General Once Waited
for a Lowly Captain to Finish Eating Lunch
FROM:
DASS Requirements Manager (S2J52)
Run Date: 03/12/2004
FROM:
DASS Requirements Manager (S2J52)
(U) During one three year segment of my checkered past, I was a
Special Air Missions Aircraft Commander (read that to say Pilot) in
the 1402 Military Airlift Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base here
in Maryland. In that role I had the privilege to fly a number of
interesting individuals in the political/military hierarchy during the
Carter Administration. Two of the names in the President's inner
circle that may still ring a bell were Ms Lillian Carter and Zbigniew
Brzezinski.
(U) Other passengers who flew aboard my aircraft during that time
period included Lt General Tom Stafford (commander of the Apollo
Soyuz Space Mission), numerous senators and congressmen as well
as one former NSA Director. This leads me to my story about how a
Four Star General once waited for a lowly Captain to finish eating
lunch.
(U) On that occasion, I was flying General Lew Allen from Andrews
to Edwards Air Force Base in California. General Allen was
Commander of Air Force Systems Command at the time. His wife
was traveling with him to Edwards. We had to stop for refueling at
Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. The General stated that he was in
a bit of a hurry to get to Edwards. I radioed ahead to ask for a
quick refuel and was told that Base Operations would do what they
could. On arrival at Offutt I was told it would take about twenty
minutes to refuel the aircraft. I advised the General of this fact and
told him that the both the copilot and I would check the enroute
weather at Base Operations (within a short walking distance) and
advised him that he and his wife might like to make use of the
facilities. Our CT-39, Sabreliner, had little or nothing on board in
the way of amenities.
(U) After a quick check of the weather and our own use of the
restrooms, the copilot returned to the aircraft and I entered the
Base Operations Snack Bar in an attempt to quickly consume part
of my Air Force Issue box lunch. After just one bite of my
sandwich, the Transient Maintenance Crew Chief approached me.
He said that they had expedited our refueling and the aircraft was
now ready to go. Both General Allen and his wife were nearby and
observed the exchange. The General's wife then said "Finish your
lunch Captain, we can stand to wait a few extra minutes. And don't
rush yourself. We wouldn't want you to get indigestion." I looked
at the General who just shrugged his shoulders slightly and turned
away. And so it was that I ate my lunch (quickly, of course, but
without obvious haste), while a Four Star General and his wife
waited.
(U) The year was 1979. General Allen was DIRNSA from August
1973-77. Little did I know I would be working here myself about
eight years later.
SERIES:
(U) InSIDer's View of
History '04
1. InSIDer's View of
History ... A Lesson
in Personal
Accountability
2. InSIDer's View of
History : How a Four
Star General Once
Waited for a Lowly
Captain to Finish
Eating Lunch
3. InSIDer's View of
History : In SHAPE,
In France
4. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Soviet
Rocket' Strikes
Chicksands
5. InSIDer's View of
History: Onboard Air
Force Two Bound for
Moscow
6. InSIDer's View of
History : Testifying
Before Congress...
Who Turned Out the
Lights?
7. InSIDer's View of
History : Resourceful
NCOs at Goodfellow
8. InSIDer's View of
History : Desert One
- The Iranian
Hostage Rescue
Mission
9. InSIDer's View of
History : SIGINT
Appearing in the
Press
10. InSIDer's View of
History : Meeting
President Reagan
11. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Local
Support' as Stress
Management
(U) Note from SIGINT Communications: if you missed it, have a
look at the previous InSIDer's View of History from Charles Berlin.
Also, please send us YOUR story!... see our call for submissions for
details.
12. In SID er's View of
History : Quite a
Welcome!
13. In SID er's View of
History : The
Adventure Continues
-- Evacuation from
Belgrade
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108