[Rhodes22-list] Ugly News

[Brad Haslett]

And you wonder why some people don't pay attention to the in MSM anymore.
Here's the story, or not.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5146893,00.htmlPilot
killed in North Parkway crash

*By Jody Callahan
Contact <http://contacts.commercialappeal.com/reporters/emailreporter.cfm>*
*November 16, 2006*

Brian Wolf flew F16 fighters for three tours in Iraq as a major in the
Alabama Air National Guard.

Yet after surviving all those missions, Mr. Wolf died Tuesday afternoon in
Memphis when his 2004 Corvette crashed into a tree along North Parkway.

The irony wasn't lost on his father, Chuck Wolf, a retired pilot.

"I've thought about that a hundred times. What can you say? It's just fate.
It happens. Luck of the draw," said Wolf, who lives outside Atlanta.

His son moved to Memphis from Atlanta earlier this year to take a job flying
727s for FedEx.

He was 37.

"He's a fantastic guy. I'm so saddened by his death," said friend and fellow
pilot Dave Hirschman of Atlanta. "Just a really enthusiastic nice, friendly
guy. Very down to earth, very unassuming, very patriotic in a low-key kind
of way."

Mr. Wolf found his calling after following his father around to various air
shows as a child.

"From there, he got in his mind he wanted to be a military pilot," his dad
said. "I never pushed him. It's one of those things."

During his time in Iraq, Mr. Wolf sent frequent e-mails to his family,
discussing the war and his role in it as well as more down-to-earth topics.

On getting used to the sounds there: "The jet noise is familiar but the
mortar shells are not. This base has been mortared almost 300 times this
year. Since I'm not in the Marine Corps or Army, this sound has taken the
most getting used to."

On the danger: "Some nights over here it sounds like the "Apocalypse Now"
movie. It's the helicopters coming in at night. That's a bad thing since
they're bringing in the shot-up Americans to the trauma center here on base.
If one is having doubts on whether we're in a combat zone or not, they can
go visit the trauma center over here. They are never without patients."

On his preferred flight position: "I've had 10 flights so far. Each sortie
lasts about 5 hours. ... Most of the time I get to fly with my favorite
flight lead ... me. Being No. 1 is better because you get to make all the
decisions. Being the flight lead is a lot like having the remote control
when I'm watching TV with my two brothers. They can have an opinion about my
channel selection but ultimately, they have to watch what I want."

Nearing the end of his last tour there: "The best sight, I think, will be
the last takeoff heading west."

------------------------------------------

Here is the rest of the story.  Brian was trapped in his Corvette while on
fire.  Dozens of people listened to him honk his horn while he burned to
death.  The local news interviewed people who described what they
watched. "He jus' kep blow'in the horn an then it quit".  THEY WATCHED!
Perhaps no one had a tire iron in their car! I personally pulled a woman out
of a burning car driving back from my sailboat last year, and immediately
ran off  (it may be in the archives) BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Jesus H. Christ folks!  Life doesn't demand heroic action every day, just
reasonable response, maybe two times at best in your life.

Where the f#@k is the slightest bit of responsibility left in America?

Brad