Maybe this story is too much for some people and inappropriate altogether, but....
I was driving an ambulance in the early 70s and got a call to go to an airplane crash at the Albuquerque airport. My attendant and I arrived there, TV reporters and law enforcement were already there along with federal investigators. A twin engine plane transporting eight Los Alamos Nat'l Labs employees (scientists) and the pilot had departed the runway and made a sharp turn to the left. A ground services member had apparently neglected to properly fasten a baggage compartment door in which a large heavy box had been stowed. As the plane turned, the box slid over, knocked the compartment door open and fell into the left propeller. Less than a couple hundred feet in the air, the plane cartwheeled to the ground and burned. Being full of fuel it made quite a fire. Airplane and bodies were still smoking and many of the onlookers were discreetly or not so discreetly barfing their guts out. I will shorten the story to say that no one offered to help; we pulled seat parts out of bodies, then wrapped them in sheets, stacked them like cordwood in the back of a large ambulance and transported them to the morgue of the county hospital.
A lot of families lost their loved ones that day. I will never forget it.
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
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The rules are simple...
- no advocation of violence to anyone
- no cursing
Violation of the rules will result in deletion of the topic.
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
Yeah, Id say you earned your pay that day Walt. Not only the sight, but the smell. You don't forget that either.
Just bad all around. I would hate to be that ground crew guy that left that door unlatched.
Just bad all around. I would hate to be that ground crew guy that left that door unlatched.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
You got the easy part. Get there when there's temporary survivors.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
Jeepnik, although I don't agree with you that I did the easy part, I assure you that I have experienced my share of "temporary survivors".
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
Maybe I didn't say it right, but I'm sure you're aware that sometimes it's better to get their later. Their are ugly things in this world, that thankfully, most of the people in it will never see.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
Yep, I sure agree with you there. Thanks
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Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
I'm glad I never had a job involving the survivors and non survivers of tragic accidents etc, as a teenager working in a garage that recovered the bloody wrecks from the highway was bad enough. Hats off to all first responders .
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
There may be some times when it's better to get there later; better for self.... But first responders have a moral obligation to arrive at a scene as quickly as possible to render aid, to convert temporary survivors to real survivors. Don't forget the school shootings at Uvalde, TX where the school police chief prevented fellow officers from immediately engaging the shooter and even more lives were lost.
I understand what he was doing; trying to protect the officers. But, first responders are sworn to place themselves in danger in order to protect others. That's their job.
And I sometimes wonder if in this day and age it would be beneficial to expose more people to the realities of life even if it bruises their tender psyche; it's a tough life; a fragile life.
I understand what he was doing; trying to protect the officers. But, first responders are sworn to place themselves in danger in order to protect others. That's their job.
And I sometimes wonder if in this day and age it would be beneficial to expose more people to the realities of life even if it bruises their tender psyche; it's a tough life; a fragile life.
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
I would never suggest one be slow in responding. And obviously we do all we can. But, sometimes what we did only prolonged suffering. We couldn't know that at the time. But every run takes its toll Some more than others.
The sights, sounds and especially the smells are burn deeply and forever in our minds. All we can do is thank God most folks never have to know what it costs us.
The sights, sounds and especially the smells are burn deeply and forever in our minds. All we can do is thank God most folks never have to know what it costs us.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Re: Chairmen of the Politically Incorrect (continued)
I worked at a local garage when I was a kid. I was 15, and pumped gas along with helping out in the garage. They had a wrecker service and left all the wrecks out back. You could always tell which ones were fatal. They had the smell of death on them and it would linger for a while.
My dad was in the town fire department for many years. I went everywhere with him when I was a kid. Some of my earliest memories was hanging out with my dad at the fire station. Back then nobody cared. There was no OSHA or other do gooders worried about some kid. They used me for training by putting a Scott airpack on me and putting me in a smoke bombed house for the guys to "find a victim". They'd be in jail now. I used to go to fires and calls all the time.
A call came one day and we were close and just responded with my dad's truck. Two brothers were cleaning out an old well up on Bigelow hill. One of them lived nearby. They had a gasoline powered pump and were trying to pump it down so they could clean it. Their fatal mistake was putting the pump beside the well. Carbon monoxide is heavier than air and it filled the well. One of the brothers went down on a ladder, became asphyxiated, and fell to the bottom. The other brother realized what happened, but instead of going for help (which probably would have taken too long), tried breathing through a hose and went down to get him. The hose was too long to exhale completely through, so he was just rebreathing his own Co2. He soon fell in on top of his brother. One of their kids was riding his dirt bike in the area, found them, and went for help. They had to be hauled out, which wasn't an easy task, but were obviously dead.
I was probably 10 and was there for the whole thing. My 10 year old perspective I can remember vividly. When I was that age, I wanted a dirtbike more than anything. That kid had a really nice one. Normally, I would have been envious, but I wasn't that day. That kid was having a bad day. Even if he didn't understand how much his life was going to change, i did. I still had my father, and at 10, I understood what not having him meant. I'd already stood waiting in the kitchen for someone to come tell us if my dad was ok from cave ins and injuries fighting fires.
I grew up pretty young, and have always been an "all business " kind of person. Probably why I have such low tolerance for today's wussified, pansy people.
My dad was in the town fire department for many years. I went everywhere with him when I was a kid. Some of my earliest memories was hanging out with my dad at the fire station. Back then nobody cared. There was no OSHA or other do gooders worried about some kid. They used me for training by putting a Scott airpack on me and putting me in a smoke bombed house for the guys to "find a victim". They'd be in jail now. I used to go to fires and calls all the time.
A call came one day and we were close and just responded with my dad's truck. Two brothers were cleaning out an old well up on Bigelow hill. One of them lived nearby. They had a gasoline powered pump and were trying to pump it down so they could clean it. Their fatal mistake was putting the pump beside the well. Carbon monoxide is heavier than air and it filled the well. One of the brothers went down on a ladder, became asphyxiated, and fell to the bottom. The other brother realized what happened, but instead of going for help (which probably would have taken too long), tried breathing through a hose and went down to get him. The hose was too long to exhale completely through, so he was just rebreathing his own Co2. He soon fell in on top of his brother. One of their kids was riding his dirt bike in the area, found them, and went for help. They had to be hauled out, which wasn't an easy task, but were obviously dead.
I was probably 10 and was there for the whole thing. My 10 year old perspective I can remember vividly. When I was that age, I wanted a dirtbike more than anything. That kid had a really nice one. Normally, I would have been envious, but I wasn't that day. That kid was having a bad day. Even if he didn't understand how much his life was going to change, i did. I still had my father, and at 10, I understood what not having him meant. I'd already stood waiting in the kitchen for someone to come tell us if my dad was ok from cave ins and injuries fighting fires.
I grew up pretty young, and have always been an "all business " kind of person. Probably why I have such low tolerance for today's wussified, pansy people.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.