• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

seriously bad***

PC

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
I knew Daniel "Chappie" James was a bad*** from his exploits with the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII and flying Phantoms in Vietnam.

I'd never heard this one.


from: https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/5-seldom-told-tales-air-force-legends

Chappie_James-e1422376391905.jpg


"Wheelus Air Force Base was located right outside the city of Tripoli in Libya. In 1968, a coup brought then 27-year-old Muammar al-Qaddafi to power. The young dictator demanded the closing of the American bases in what he now considered his country.

Before the base could be formally closed and handed to the Libyans, Qaddafi ordered a column of half-tracks to drive at full speed right through the middle of the base’s housing area. Qaddafi himself waited outside of Wheelus’ main gate for the armored column to return.

Unfortunately for Qaddafi, the commander of Wheelus Air Force Base was already legendary – he was Colonel Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. “Chappie” was a veteran of World War II and had also flown missions in Korea and Vietnam. And he was not happy with the Libyans. When he found out what was happening, James strapped his .45 onto his belt and went right to the base’s main gate. He immediately shut down the barrier and walked to face off with Qaddafi. The Tuskegee Airman was not impressed with the dictator.

“He had a fancy gun and holster and he kept his hand on it,” James recalled. He ordered Qaddafi to move his hand away from the weapon. The dictator complied with Colonel James. “If he had pulled that gun, he never would have cleared the holster.”

Qaddafi never sent another column."
 
Last edited:

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
I had the privilege of serving under Gen James when he was Commander-In-Chief (CINC) of NORAD. I was, at the time, a computer maintenance man on the NORAD SAGE Air Defense Computer system at the time. He died way too young (at 58).
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
I never got to meet him, got to Ubon late in the game ('73~'74) but 8th TFW still had "the buzz" from James' and (Olds') Bolo op. I got to go on hops with those guys as "backseat baggage". Never saw a MiG tho... not that I wanted to.
 
Top