In about 1948-1949, my dad and mother were already divorced, a casualty of WW II. My dad decided to stay in the Air Force, another nail in his coffin. But he still loved me, and wanted to see me, so one day he flew down to the small airfield in Palestine Texas in his B-25. My mother gave him permission to spend the day with me. I was playing in the backyard of my grandfather's house, as always, when my mother called me, “Your dad's here to see you.” He had a car, probably borrowed from my grandmother, his mother. We drove out to the little airport, and I remember a crew standing around, one of them must have taken this photo, but I don't remember a crew in the airplane when we took off. Maybe I was just remembering him and nothing else, or maybe he took off the airplane by himself. Anyway, I remember circling around Palestine, Texas, and him pointing out the window to the home of my grandfather below. Later that day, I was back in my Grandfather's backyard playing again, the same as in the morning, as if nothing unusual had happened. I didn't see him much after that, and we never discussed that day. I never even mentioned it to my mother, as that was asking for problems I didn't need.

Over the years, I began to think it really didn't happen, but was just a daydream. Finally, I looked up my half-sister and brothers after my father had died, and became close with my half sister. I mentioned the experience to her one day, and wondered if it was real or just something I had imagined. She said, “it really happened, and I have a photo to prove it!” Which is the photo below.

 

my Dad was in WW II, walked most of the way across France and Germany....and some in Belgium.

 

He was a hero..

 

Yes times have changed, from 3rd grade till 8th we would ride the school bus with .22 and once at school we took them to the principals office, after school we would go shoot prairie dogs till dark.
high school we had had rifles in the truck window, we would deer/antelope hunt before and after school.
Here’s one for the books, my brother (15) and I (13) wanted to camp and live off the land for a few weeks to see if we could do it, had a few days worth of food, dad dropped us off next to a section of river we knew, needless to say we ate but wasn’t like we planned lol. We made it two weeks and I’m sure our parents checked on us but never did see them if they did.
Try that now days will get reported as child neglect or get kidnapped by some weirdo.
Chad
Dave that is awesome.

 

I grew up in suburban Minneapolis and I used to drive to high school in my grandparents old car.

My senior year was 1989 and I planned to have study hall first hour in the fall because me and some buddies would hunt before school. My dad thought this was a

I didn’t want to leave my shotgun in my car, fearing that it would get stolen. I asked the principal if I could keep the gun in my locker.

He stated “will it fit” I said yeah if I take the barrel off. He said “ ok, but no ammo”.

I had an Ithaca Model 37 pump shotgun in my locker from September thru the end of December… and nobody cared.

Try that today… people had common sense but then. Not so sure common sense is that common anymore.

 

I grew up in suburban Minneapolis and I used to drive to high school in my grandparents old car.

My senior year was 1989 and I planned to have study hall first hour in the fall because me and some buddies would hunt before school. My dad thought this was a

I didn’t want to leave my shotgun in my car, fearing that it would get stolen. I asked the principal if I could keep the gun in my locker.

He stated “will it fit” I said yeah if I take the barrel off. He said “ ok, but no ammo”.

I had an Ithaca Model 37 pump shotgun in my locker from September thru the end of December… and nobody cared.

Try that today… people had common sense but then. Not so sure common sense is that common anymore.

Ok .you win lol

 

I went to a rural HS but it was pretty good size. During hunting season you could always see trucks in the parking lot with shot guns on gun racks. All the boys carried a pocket knife of some kind a lot had Skoal cans in their pockets. Nbd at all just common stuff back then. Heck I had a buddy that always carried a Buck folder in a leather belt sheath. Never had a shooting or stabbing. Different times for sure.

 

Black powder yeah...fun 10 years ...buckskinnin

 

friend of mine told me they used to take grill tanks and smaller propane bottles and bury them with a little bit exposed, crack it open some and shoot them, watch dirt fly.
we used to take cheap FULL carbonated soda cans and shoot them with .22s, there's a cheap explosion.

 

Add tanne-----rite

 

My pop wasnt in WW2.but he flew,helicopters in Korea like on MASH

 

Steve that’s very cool I have my dad’s doughboy soldiers handbook with his m1 grand dope in it.
One of these days I’ll get an m1 grand and see how far off his dope is from mine.
Chad

Great thread

 

Steve that’s very cool I have my dad’s doughboy soldiers handbook with his m1 grand dope in it.
One of these days I’ll get an m1 grand and see how far off his dope is from mine.
Chad

Great thread

Ol thumb smasher

 

someone mentioned the Ithaca 37 and bottom-eject.
around 1959 I was 7 and Dad and I both got Winchester 55s, a single-shot semi-auto. yeh load from top, eject from slot in wood stock in bottom.
I was little and short arms, so my left hand held rifle at the ejection port, so when fired, the hot little brass burned my hand. fun memories. I did not let it stop me.

 

Portlylawman, my Ithaca model 37 20 gauge has it's sixtieth birthday along with me today for my 72. It still works great though I dont anymore, great gun.

 

Well,happy birthday

 

I graduated in 1981 and rode the bus to school and the bus driver stopped in front of a house and the student came out of the house with a rifle slung over his shoulder and the driver never said a word to the student and got to school and teachers in the hallway never said a word about the rifle over the students shoulder. The student did a presentation on the 03A3 Smith Corona 30-06 in the Rod & Gun Club . That was back when there was Bible Reading & Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag and Corporal Punishment still in school !
And still have that Gun till this Day !

 

Our old science teacher showed us the difference in burning characteristics between black and smokeless powders by lighting each right in the auditorium. The smoke might still be hanging up there.

 

I was told by one of my teachers that our school had a 22lr target shooting club that had competitions after school, she said kids would bring their rifles to school and keep them in their lockers. This a city about 45 miles west of Chicago. Different mentality back then.

 

CHAD, yeh my Dad loved the Garands. said they were great rifles, and they made some amazing shots with them. HEAVY things to think of packing everywhere.

 

When I was in the 8th grade my middle school sponsored a hunters safety class that was instructed by an indiana conservation officer. Me and my friends signed up and and at the end of the class we got an orange Indiana hunters safety program patch. We handled guns and ammo right in the classroom. I can’t imagine that any of that would ever fly today but of course that was 1979.

 

Get me a beer ,woman!

 

That post reminds me of a John Prine song. I can’t remember the name of the song but there is a line in it that goes, put another log on the fire… last time I asked my wife to make me a tuna salad sandwich she gave me the stink eye and said make it yourself Archie Bunker.

 

I just thought of something else that would never float today. I graduated in 1984 so it was probably my freshman or sophomore year. A buddy of mine brought a crossbow kit to shop class and we built the crossbow in class. We took our time and it ended up looking really sharp. We ended up shooting it into straw bales in the back of the classroom before he took it home. And I’m sure he took it home on the bus. Lol.

 

How did we survive them days? Glad it safer now.lol

 

Never took an actual weapon to school , however in my senior year in high school I had a substitute young lady teacher who I volunteered being the outstanding young man that I was and always wanting too help to go by her house for a season and cut her lawn , etc . I would always refuse money from her .

So I guess after a while to try to pay me back somehow she started on occasion inviting me on fri and sat early evenings for a home cooked dinner , my first taste of BoonesFarm and Ripple wines . Then afterwards would " tutor " me scholastically being a Teacher to prepare me for life in general . What a nice young lady . 💃 Great Golly Ms Molly as Little Richard used too say ! ........

 

When I was in high school, virtually every guy in our school carried a pocket knife, and a lot were rather large lockblade knives. A lot of us liked to play "chicken" in the school yard between the cafeteria and the band room, under a mimosa tree. This was also the smoking area, for both teachers and students. We'd try to stick our knife as close as we could to the other guy's foot without sticking them, and the object was to let the other guy stick their knife directly against the sole of your shoe/boot and not move your foot. No one ever drew blood that I'm aware of, although, I did have a hole in one of my boots.

 

Oh... In HS I also wore those knee high mocassins like Daniel Boone wore in the TV show, and I carried a fixed blade hunting knife in my right moc every day. Nobody cared. Nobody got cut. Nobody ever even got threatened with a knife, even though everyone had one, and no one ever got shot. It was a much more civilized and respectful time.

I believe corporal punishment was the key. I know for a fact that it kept me in line, and it didn't scar my psyche. The milk-toast weenies that say it's "child abuse" are full of crap. It's child education and social behavior training that EVERYONE should have available to them. Dished out within reason, it's vital to producing civilized members of our society.

 

Got my butt beat in school,then again when I got home,Lol

 

I remember as a kid in the 60s,blasting stumps with my dad and his buddies at the duck club...Lol....making real big holes..probly get in trouble today

 

Shot a freon take once with mosin nagant 7.62x54 ,perty purple cloud..