The hue was a blazing blue, yet the water was silently calm

The flight deck was wood probably from the standard oak tree

We used chains to tie down our cougar jets

I had the chains around my shoulders and neck

As I peeked over the side with the cat walk directly down but in front of me

The 5/38 canons were blasting off using whales for target practice

I did not like the idea  of whale killing so I stepped back onto the wooden flight deck

I had checked the oxygen and helped gas good old number four

That was my plane number four of twenty one in our fighter squadron

Good old  VF43 had been through a lot of war time action in the Pacific

My job was as plane capitan, a glorified title with really not that much to do

I did not pilot the plane, I was a fireman

Checking the fuel, oxygen, parachute, a job fitting for an eighteen year old kid

But I wanted to fly over Russia and flight battle with the reds

It was a great time of my life then, 1956 when I was young and strong

Now I think back and reminisce of a boy that I was

Times have certainly changed, I am old now

But I did make a very special lady happy on her birthday

And when you first start loving someone special you are eighteen again

Then old becomes very young again

And life becomes grand

Tony Mike Nerone

9-7-10