The Intake
The Intake — Journal of the Super Sabre Society is published three times per year: mid-March, mid-July and mid-November. This publication is normally a full color, 36–44 page document produced entirely by a volunteer staff. It features F-100/Hun history, heroics and humor. Two popular recurring items are the Stake Your Claim (SYC) Dept. and its “Scoreboard,” which tracks which member holds what title to valid claims of achievement or derring-do done in or in association with an F-100, AND the Dumb Things Done in a Hun (DTDH) Dept. and its “Roundup,” which tracks “who done it” and what they did!
Stake Your Claim “Scoreboard” (and the DTDH “Roundup”).
About This Front Cover Image:
On 3/23/21, Rusty dropped Medley a note: “Just thought I’d send my very favorite photo from Vietnam in case you can use it in The Intake. I took it sometime in the latter part of 1968 of a Hun from the 615th TFS flown by Jim Thames turning initial at Phan Rang. Cheers!” “Hmm,” thought Medley.
“I’m still on the payroll for a few days, so I’m going to check this out; this pic is faintly familiar.” Med chose two key words (favorite photo) and searched his stash of the first 25 issues of our journal for the two key words. And Voilà, he had two hits, one in Issue 14 and one in Issue 19.
Med found the pic on page 25 of Issue 14. See how it got to Page 1 on Page 4. Just take a good look at Page 4!
Our First Website “Teasing Article” Title Is Simple: “Remember When … ?” By Ken Kerwin
Truth Be Told: Long time Intake guru Medley Gatewood chose this Issue 46 article for up-front display purely because it’s about the RAF Woodbridge 79th TFS “Tigers” which he joined in mid-1964, just before the “stalwarts of the story began to fade away (like Mike Dugan, Tony McPeak, and a host of others). Enjoy!
Intro: As I read comments in Spring 2017 Intake from old F-100 Fighter Pilots, a smile comes across my face as I think about those old days, old times and old friends … . I went through Luke & Nellis and 3.5 years at RAF Woodbridge, England in the Hun. Fred Ogle and I left F-100F 56-3888 on farmland just west of Chateauroux, France in 1962. KK
I have been in North, Central and South America. England, several other countries in Europe and North Africa, plus Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and several islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
Most of my time spent over and in these areas was by single engine jet aircraft. Many of my best memories can be summed up by The Super Saber Society Intake team, …memories… “return in squadron buildings, alert shacks, briefing rooms, parties, bars and base housing around the world.”
We all remember our first flight in an USAF aircraft and our first solo. As I sit on my porch in Panama City, Florida, little snippets of events cross my mind.
I have been in North, Central and South America. England, several other countries in Europe and North Africa, plus Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and several islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
Most of my time spent over and in these areas was by single engine jet aircraft. Many of my best memories can be summed up by The Super Saber Society Intake team, …memories… “return in squadron buildings, alert shacks, briefing rooms, parties, bars and base housing around the world.”
We all remember our first flight in an USAF aircraft and our first solo. As I sit on my porch in Panama City, Florida, little snippets of events cross my mind. Wherever we were was home, and we adjusted. Put the baby in the bathtub with a blanket and toys while the movers packed/unpacked us. Used the dresser drawer in motel rooms for a baby bed. Trying to find a motel with a pool so our youngsters could unwind after a long day in the car.
I remember getting an ADF arrival time assigned before takeoff, in case of radio failure, from RAF Woodbridge, England. We held over Bentwaters with the
F-101s because they had a 50-watt beacon and ours was 25 watts (as I recall). We had to re-tune the ADF Radio between our legs, with a small hand crank, in a descending right turn.
Taking off on Babe Branby’s right wing to the West 270 in weather, I wondered when he was going to make the right turn to 035 degrees climbing out. When I checked, we were on 035 degrees. Babe was a very smooth lead!
We all partied hard at the two Quonset Huts that made up the Officer’s Club. When Lt. Col. Bill Georgie was 79th TFS commander, Charlie DuBerger and several other 79th fighter pilots remodeled our snack barroom and built wall frames where we hung the 79th Tiger’s head.
We all signed that wall. During NATO Tiger Days all the NATO pilots signed the wall next to it.
After days of no flying due to weather, we got an alert call over the loudspeakers in our base house.
When we all arrived at the squadron, we asked Lt. Col. Georgie what was up. He said “Nothing, I just didn’t want to drink alone …” so we all had several beers and went home much more relaxed than when we arrived
One day, Dave Lane and Mike McLean called in to Woodbridge tower for a practice SFO landing in an F-100F. As they arrived over the field about 10,000 feet, Dave called the tower and said, “This is not an SFO, this is a flameout landing.” Dave put the F-100 down on the runway so smoothly he had to ask tower if he was on the ground. Dave went on to be an instructor at the AF Academy. Mike went into the Guard and flew several “committee aircraft,” i.e. the kind with more than one pilot in the cockpit. And I betcha Ken could keep on telling more tales like these till the cows come home! MG
Our Second Website Teaser Is Not a Typical Intake Article: Rather, It’s From Our “Incoming” Stash!
Nope. First time here to use a continuation of page 2’s normal fair. In this case, Front Cover Hun Photo Story.
As Promised On P 2, Here’s How Rusty’s Favorite Photo Moved from I-14 to I-46’s Front Cover!
One of the four pix in the Super Sabre Society Dept. of I-14. Long time to remember 15 years of stuff!
When Medley confirmed his hint that we, indeed, had previously used Rusty Gideon’s photo, he replied to Rusty’s offer to use his very favorite photo “in case you can use it in The Intake,” thusly.
“Hi Rusty: Thanks for sending us your very favorite picture from SEA days. It is indeed worthy of being a favorite choice. Fact is, you sent this winner to us back in the summer of 2012. AND we proudly put it in our ever-popular department ‘Super Sabre Snapshots … and Other Important Imagery,’ along with three other nice pictures!
“As I pondered this quandary of what to do in this case, it came to me that the Intake staff might well recycle this gem to good use simply by moving Rusty’s very favorite from page 25 in Issue 14 to a new stint of duty by gracing the front cover of Issue 46. And why not; it gets harder and harder to find worthy images of our beloved Hun AND one with a story to tell. This suggestion is the beginning of a good story … in search of a nice background for pages 1, 20, 21 and 40.
“Any questions? Retiring for Third Time! R. Medley Gatewood”
Rusty promptly replied to my “Hi Rusty” email: “Medley; Sorry for the repeat. I have all old issues of The Intake, but forgot I had sent this pic before. Use as you see fit. You and your staff never fail to publish an outstanding magazine. No one wants you to retire. Cheers!” — Rusty
So … with that See Fit from Rusty, and this comment from Editor Schulz (“That’s one helluva picture, first I’ve ever seen with that ‘sandy’ background.”) the Intake staff proceeded pronto with Medley’s suggestions. And, we now have settled with Rusty’s favorite photo gracing the I-46 FRONT COVER … and a compatible background for pages 1, 20, 21 and 40 of Summer 2021/Intake 46. Enjoy it all! And now, on with the Incoming/Outgoing. — JJ This is fun. May have to use Incoming stuff more frequently when contents permit.
For a closer glance at the full menu of items in this issue, please click on the Table of Contents image above.
Invitation to Join US: As members of the Super Sabre Society know, ALL of our journal’s articles are riveting, “must reads.” For those Hun drivers viewing this announcement, but who are not yet Society members, we hope the Front Cover and our featured articles, along with the promised reads in the Table of Contents will stimulate you to go to our Join-up Page (click link here) and become one of us!
Just imagine 36-44 or more real pages in your own hands full of astounding stories of Hun-related history, heroics and humor. What’s not to like for three issues per year, plus lots of other member benefits, for only $50 per calendar year!
R. Medley Gatewood, A Founding SSS Member
Editor Emeritus and Publisher of The Intake.
16 Years On The Job.
P.S. The SSS has recently opened our archives for the Society’s premier publication, The Intake Journals. The page for this asset is available from the front page of the website under the “THE INTAKE” link. There you will find access to the public in support of the realization of our Society’s mission to preserve the history of the F-100 Super Sabre and the men who flew the aircraft. Please enjoy this public service to all F-100 aircrew, current aviation aficionados and all future people interested in military aircraft history. Welcome All!
Check out both the Front and Back Covers!!! Bye for now.