Shoup Airlines

“…a connection is made”

It’s always interesting to see where life takes you to demonstrate just how small the world truly is.

While working at ACA we would often fly over this area (Norfolk/Newport News) on our way down south. On one particular flight a Captain pointed out a bunch of mothballed Naval ships all tied together and anchored in the back bay area. You could only really see them from cruise altitudes and I never brought binoculars to get a closer look, but they were always something I wanted a closer look at. A watery grave comparable to the aircraft boneyards at Davis-Montham and Mojave.

By coincidence, I was reading Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse a few months later and a large portion of the plot took place on those very same mothballed ships. A passing thought of “hey, I know where Clancy is describing” and then it never really crossed my mind again.

Turns out Ft. Eustis is located on that very same back bay that I flew over almost daily and I never put 2 and 2 together. Until Yesterday. Running one of our painfully slow company runs (I’ll gripe about those later) we came around a corner and found ourselves along a shoreline, quite nice actually for running if you ask me. Anyway, along the shoreline appeared all of those very same mothballed Naval ships, less than a 1/4 mile away. And the world folded over on itself once more, making itself that much smaller.

Pure, Unadulterated Comfort

Upon graduating, we were given back our personal bags that contained everything we were not allowed to have in Basic. Most people went for their cellphones, sneakers, or even a mini DVD player.

Screw the fact that my mp3 player is sitting right there at the top of the bag. Forget the fact that there is a really interesting sci-fi book sitting in the side pouch. Nay, I go straight for those cottony miracles of goodness buried at the bottom of my bag. My boxers!

I’m now debating whether to launch an AT-4 on my pile of tighty tannies or just toss a hand grenade. Neither seem to fully capture my angst for those constrictive under garments of torture!!

Stuck In A Rut?

For the most part class is up to date, computers at each desk, integrated software on maintenance manuals and operating handbooks, and all videos in mpeg formats. Wait, let me rephrase that. All videos converted to an mpeg format.

Today’s film was in black and white…and ANIMATED!!! An introduction to some basic tools, the story starts out with one of those “real FAR glances” into the future with huge metropolii and sleek curvy cars. I couldn’t help but laugh, I grew up watching cartoons like this!!

The film moved on to proper use of tools and how many people use tools improperly, labeling them Primitive Petes. The characters and voices looked SO familiar but I couldn’t place them for the life of me. It wasn’t until the credits rolled that I had my answer. First, my jaw dropped when I saw the copyright date of 1951, then my eyes popped out when I saw who it was copyrighted by. None other than Walt Disney!!

Protecting the homeland and interests abroad with cartoons from the 1950s, ladies and gentlemen.