Chuck Yeager turned 97 yrs old Feb 13th...

I've written lots of times that I don't have that many 'heroes' - - - but Chuck is definitely one of them. Was so fortunate to meet the man, many times, and get to know him fairly well also. I haven't seen him in many years, however.

Back in the 90's when I helped with an air race team in Reno Chuck was a frequent visitor to our campfire and BS session... his stories were many... and unlike our BS, (which are fine), Chuck's stories were actually true. Oddly enough, or perhaps not, Chuck most liked to talk about new aviation tech... oh sure, he'd tell a story or two from yesteryear, mostly because we demanded it, but I believe he was very much a man who looked to the future... and seldom looked back. Whenever something 'new' was brought up his eyes would light up and he'd sit a little more upright.

It astounds me that we still have people with us that lived that era of innovation and world shaping events. The thread about 'family stories' here on the Pub brought this to mind. I wish more shows were dedicated to those people who 'lived' it. - JamesJM