A good friend Rita sent this email to me and said 'this would be a great blog story if Snopes verifies it'. Classic case of having to eat crow, this one. A link to the Snopes article will follow, which gives a more complete version of the back-and-forth correspondence...however, this email version is basically correct, excepting the very last part (more on that later):
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Luke AFB (Air Force Base) is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.
The complaint (made to the local paper):
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show?
Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!
Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?
Any response would be appreciated.
(the letter was signed for publication in the paper)
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The response that appeared shortly thereafter:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.
Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..
A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF
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And so I began my snooping. I'm all for good stories properly reported...I will say that, regardless of your beliefs, when a story ends with a "Jesus" based quote, it raises flags in the veracity department, and for good reason.
I went to Snopes.com , which I've recommended we ALL do when we receive stories we feel led to believe in and pass on. The truth shall set you free, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Or the blasphemy will make you look like one of the idiot masses. Take your pic.
The story is TRUE. Click HERE to read the actual full correspondence of Author to Response #1 to Response #2 to Recantation #1 by said author. As I suspected, the "Jesus-died-for-your-sins" portion was added by someone with a personal agenda and NOT part of the authentic dialogue.
Be that as it may, it all only goes to prove that 'things' are RARELY as we perceive them to be, and we would do well to stop our immediate 'mind-talk' and think through what 'reality' could well hold. This entry isn't to support military issues or buy into one thought or the other...it is simply a wonderful exercise to practice elevated spiritual practices...to NOT play the gossip game and to stand true for our individual truth that we have found it to be...not because someone said it is 'so', but because we have come to 'know' it is 'so'...
Do your part! Aho!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke AFB (Air Force Base) is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.
The complaint (made to the local paper):
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show?
Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!
Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?
Any response would be appreciated.
(the letter was signed for publication in the paper)
--------------------------------------------------------
The response that appeared shortly thereafter:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.
Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..
A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF
------------------------------------------------
And so I began my snooping. I'm all for good stories properly reported...I will say that, regardless of your beliefs, when a story ends with a "Jesus" based quote, it raises flags in the veracity department, and for good reason.
I went to Snopes.com , which I've recommended we ALL do when we receive stories we feel led to believe in and pass on. The truth shall set you free, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Or the blasphemy will make you look like one of the idiot masses. Take your pic.
The story is TRUE. Click HERE to read the actual full correspondence of Author to Response #1 to Response #2 to Recantation #1 by said author. As I suspected, the "Jesus-died-for-your-sins" portion was added by someone with a personal agenda and NOT part of the authentic dialogue.
Be that as it may, it all only goes to prove that 'things' are RARELY as we perceive them to be, and we would do well to stop our immediate 'mind-talk' and think through what 'reality' could well hold. This entry isn't to support military issues or buy into one thought or the other...it is simply a wonderful exercise to practice elevated spiritual practices...to NOT play the gossip game and to stand true for our individual truth that we have found it to be...not because someone said it is 'so', but because we have come to 'know' it is 'so'...
Do your part! Aho!
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