Welcome Aboard to Gordon Lopez

I would like to take a minute to issue a "Welcome Aboard" to Gordon Lopez.

If there was something like "Naval Royalty", Gordon, and his family would certainly be listed at the top of the page. That's a long story but for now, suffice it to say that I've never heard of any family that has a back ground of service in the United States Navy like Gordon's family does.

Gordon is a good friend to one of my old buddies from High School days, a retired U.S. Navy Captain. I don't have permission to post anything specific about their history in our Navy but maybe he will let me put down something more definitive at a later date. With all due respect, I will give you guys a hint.

He might not admit it but there's a chance that his family's service to our Country goes all the way back to the days of sail. From the stories I've heard from John Roberson, Byrd High classmate of mine, there's no one with a pedigree longer than the Lopez family. I am extremely proud to know that he is reading these posts.

Gordon, since I haven't gone back to previous emails from you or John that list your family's background, let me give you a hint about some of the members and non members here that read these ramblings I make.

We have a U.S. Army Ranger that I served with in Vietnam. There are Cobra gunship pilots and Scout pilots that flew with me on Hunter Killer Teams in Vietnam and in Cambodia. Some of those readers are purple heart recipients. Two of them are former room mates of mine during my tour in Vietnam.

There is a group of ARPs, Aero Rifle Platoon members, that are the best of the best that the infantry has ever seen. Many readers here are Huey pilots that flew in and out of landing zones all over Vietnam. One was my tac officer from Primary Flight School at Ft. Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas where I learned to fly helicopters in 1969. His daughter is even a reader.

A couple are former Nighthawk Gunship pilots are here and a few of them have flown the Nighthawk missions with me. A couple of these members went on to become Doctors and continue to help people 43 years after our combat tour ended.

We have a U.S. Marine Corp plane captain that served in Chu Li during Tet of 68. That would be my brother. Several readers are members of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilot's Association where the famous Robin Olds was the foundation upon which that group was built. Within that group, there's a FAC pilot that flew missions in Cambodia from Tay Ninh during the time I was flying Hunter Killer Teams across the Border from the same base.

There are a number of people from the V.A. hospital that read these posts. One is another old high school buddy and a friend of John's as well. Guy is his name, John will probably read this and tell you about him. There are nurses from the VA that also follow this site. We even have mothers and fathers of Veterans who read these posts. A couple of them are also high school friends that live in Ruston, Louisiana where John and I attended a reunion one year. Let's not forget Tim Jr, a U.S. Navy man and multiple SOQ winner and hopefully, this year's Sailor of the Year.

I say these things to let you know that you are in very good company and that I am extremely proud that you are reading the posts and ramblings that I make here. I hope they meet your approval. Please pass along to your family.

Welcome Aboard.

Tim