From Nov. 1978 – Jul.1980 I worked for (another) great boss, Jerry H. I had known Jerry from Vance. When my T-38 IP tour was coming to an end, I began looking for a follow-on assignment. My first choice was an A-10 assignment, but that was not to be. I then contacted the C-141 rated officer assignment guy and he wanted to send me to C-141s at either Charleston AFB, SC or Norton AFB, CA. I wanted to go to McChord AFB, WA but they were “overloaded” in captains…
Jerry worked at HQ ATC Flight Safety at that time. I was the Chief of Safety at Vance. We talked quite a bit, and as my assignment time neared, he offered me a job. It was, more or less, a “no-brainer!” A Command job, and a flying position – in the T-38! So we headed south to Randolph Field, TX.
I enjoyed working for Jerry. He gave us “direction,” then stepped back and pretty much left us alone. I work so much better in that environment than I do with “micro-managers!” Anyway…
One Friday Jerry was heading to the West Coast on a cross-country navigation mission. His big mistake was bringing his helmet bag, with his clothes, into the office. (We used our helmet bags as ‘suit cases’ in the T-38. A helmet bag could easily hold a pair of jeans, a couple changes of underwear and toiletries, along with a shirt or two. Then the helmet bag fit nicely into our fiberglass seat packs.) But when you’re going cross country, you never bring your clothes into your flight room! It’s just too easy a target!
So, when Jerry went to his morning staff meeting, I took the opportunity to remove his underwear from his helmet bag – and replace it with a note. “Hey Jerry, I can just imagine you standing there, nude, wondering where the hell your underwear is. Well Sir, it’s in your lower, right-hand drawer.” He then went his way, and I went mine…
Around 8 or so that evening I received a collect call from Jerry. ‘Collect calls,’ remember those? He was laughing his ass off! Then he began to tell me how funny it was… and he talked, and talked and talked. It wasn’t long before I figured out what he was doing – he was running up my phone bill! You know what, turn about is fair play, and we have laughed about this for many years since. Jerry was a “good sport” about it all, and I treasure his friendship…
So, why would I do something like this to a “friend,” much less a boss? Hell, I don’t know… I guess I’m just not “quite right.”