~ Interviewing Richard Graham ~

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One of the better aviator interviews you'll find. Used to help Richard Graham suit up as well as install him into the sled,
Don Emmons was his RSO at the time of my service. Some truly fascinating history, honored to have had a part in it all.

https://youtu.be/CeBu6mRDaro​

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PSD, Physiological Support Division, was my unit. Richard begins speaking of us @ 38:05. For the next 6 minutes you'll see film clip-glimpses of us at work. During my time we wore white uniforms. The most challenging connections were deep, one-handed reaches to hook up the two oxygen leads from the suit to the seatkit, each having a clip ring lock that must be secured after connecting the leads. It required dexterous fingers, and these connections were critical.

Any fan of the SR-71 will enjoy this interview. @1:06:20 I was especially amused when he described the MiGs (likely Foxbats) falling out of the sky one by one. There was one time they got lucky with a -25, choreographing their timing just right and managing to be above our Habu over or near Vietnam. They promptly sent the photo to the Pentagon. Lots of great stories like that.

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The PSD technician to the far left of the post-flight group image is TSgt. Bill Todd. Don't recall the tech's name on the far right. Major Bledsoe is the pilot wearing the brown suit, discontinued for the absorption of radiant heat (though they did stop excessive window reflections for the crews). The airman emerging from the cockpit is yours truly, having just removed the pilot's seatkit and parachute. From: http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/psd01.html

There's a SAC 30th anniversary information film that shows us dressing up a crew and installing them into a Blackbird, 1976, though I've never been able to dig it up. Am in that one as part of a team dressing a crew member.

The other two photos are from my little Kodak X-15 camera, both from 1975. The shot of Earth is amazing, is it not? Turning it sideways increased the impact of the image, in my estimation. Here's the little short I wrote several years back regarding that Earth pic...

~ A Higher Perspective ~
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Have always enjoyed photography, both in the taking and partaking, giving and receiving. Many times are they when wanting to be up a little higher to compose what must be a richer view, knowing the desire to be lifted upwards to capture that which is eluding and mysteriously enticing. There are also times when others help us to rise so.

May of 1975 saw my first USAF deployment to OLKA, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. My unit was part of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, the stateside home of the SR-71 Blackbird, nicknamed the "Habu" by local Okinawan natives. The "two-step" pit viper, Trimeresurus elegans, is indigenous to the island and called a "two-stepper" for reason of after receiving a bite one does well to get two steps before collapsing into a quivering mass of flesh, blood and bone. Seriously deadly.

The aircraft was a magnificent machine of technology, capable of over three times the speed of sound at cruise, loaded with cameras and a plethora of Star Trek-like sensors, unarmed but for such. They didn't need to be armed with guns or missiles. They could outrun the the ones of the day and did on several occasions over Vietnam. Even two-stage SA-5 missiles didn't catch them.

There was one Hoosier crew member from my home state of Indiana, an RSO (Reconnaissance Systems Officer, the back-seater operating the flight computers), Major Noel Widdifield. He'd agreed to take my little $15 Kodak X-15 camera up on a systems check flight after my having persistently dropped several not-so-subtle hints for weeks. Upon crew recovery an hour or so later, Noel was all smiles as he tossed this airman his camera back, pitching it well up into the air from 20 feet out. If only a photograph would've been captured of my face while focusing to catch that precious cargo!

"There you go, Walker," said Noel. "There's your pictures from over 80,000 feet at over three times the speed of sound."
Had asked, "How MUCH over 80,000?"
He simply grinned wryly and said not a word.

The subject photograph is one of half dozen that Noel had graciously squeezed off for me that day and is the pick of the litter. One fine glimpse of Earth, looking out over the South China Sea as well as outwards into the Great Mystery. It was rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise for, in my estimation, maximum effect.

Now then, if only the Zeta Reticulans would toss me a rise in one of their vessels then perhaps even more magnificent images would be captured by this artist. If ever so then my promise is to not poop up their space buggy.

* written as a 1-hour exercise in September, 2015






May the peace of the One be upon and within you all.​

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