CHAPTER TWO - BRIGHT SUN SHINY DAYS

Just 10 days later, on October 13, 1995, Debbie's grandmother, Grace Brown, died in Nashville. She was almost 93 years old. Grace was born in November 1902, less than a year before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane. She would live through 2 world wars, an economic depression, and see the first men step on the moon. Grace was a feisty and colorful person that was married three times. She was a great lady, however; and we still miss her to this day. Finally, Debbie's daddy, Johnny Phillips, died of pneumonia on July 3, 1996. He was 80 years old and his last years were pretty miserable. Because of Parkinson's disease he was being fed by a feeding tube. Johnny's brain was severely injured by shrapnel during the last months of WW2. 

 I was asked to find a bugler to play TAPs during the graveside services. If it were up to me he would have had a full military funeral but the family only wanted a bugler. To my surprise I was unable to find anyone. I called Ft. Campbell and the Tennessee National Guard Headquarters. They were unable to provide a bugler. Someone suggested that I call the Tennessee Guard which is made up of volunteer soldiers who serve for free. They are not the same as the Tennessee Army National Guard. I contacted an officer who agreed to come out and play a recording of TAPs on a cassette player. It was amazing to me that a man who sacrificed so much for his country didn't even rate a bugler to play TAPs at his funeral. Johnny was buried beside Debbie's mother Margaret at Mt. Olivet cemetery. Mt. Olivet is a very historic cemetery and they had a restored horse drawn hearse that carried Johnny's body from the Mt. Olivet funeral home to the grave site. Johnny was a good hard working man. I never felt, however; that he was very fond of me. We never saw eye to eye on much and our values were very different.

On Monday January 29, 1996 I was enroute to Hendersonville in order to sing for Debbie's Aunt Dovie's senior citizens group. That morning I was driving west on I-24 and just before reaching Hendersonville there was a news bulletin on the talk radio show that I was listening to. The announcer said that a jet fighter had just crashed beside I-24 near the airport. I had only missed seeing this crash by a few minutes because I had just driven by there. Apparently Navy Lt. Commander John Stacy Bates of Nashville had been been home on a visit and had parked his Navy F-14 Tomcat at our Air National Guard base. The F-14 is the same fighter used in the movie Top Gun. This is common practice for local fighter pilots passing through to park there planes at the Guard base while at home. 

 Commander Bates parents watched as their son performed a vertical power takeoff . I have seen fighters do this maneuver on takeoff and it is pretty cool to watch. There was a low cloud cover that day and his parents watched as his plane disappeared into the clouds only to hear the sound of their sons jet exploding just a few seconds later. After an extensive investigation it was discovered that the pilot became disorientated in the clouds and instead of gaining altitude he was descending toward the ground. Too late , he realized his mistake and tried to recover but the jet hit a line of houses on Luna Drive and exploded in a fireball. Five people died that day. Commander Bates, his back seater, or Radar Officer, and 3 civilians who were in a house. Two houses and a free standing garage were totally destroyed. A 3rd house was heavily damaged. As a result of this crash the Navy developed a vest worn by all fighter pilots. If the pilot is descending when they actually think they are gaining altitude a device in the vest will tap them on the back. Supposedly it feels like a person tapping there back in order to get their attention. My old Security Police unit secured the crash site but luckily I didn't have to work this one. I had retired a year and a half earlier from the ANG in 1994.

  In the Fall of 1996 Courtney's 4th grade class at Stewart's Creek Elementary went on a field trip to Washington D.C. They were needing chaperones so I volunteered. I had never been to Washington so I couldn't pass up a chance to go. On the way there we made a stop at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville Virginia. Afterwards we had lunch at the historic Mitchie's Tavern. We also toured Mount Vernon. This was pre September 11th and we were also able to tour the inside of the White House, the Capital, and were able to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution in the National Archives. We saw the Smithsonian and saw Washington D.C. from the top of the Washington monument. In addition we saw everything on the mall from the Lincoln Memorial to the Vietnam Memorial where I found the name of my friend Donnie White. One of the highlights was getting to see Ford's theater and the Peterson House where Lincoln passed away. Courtney was picked to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier which was a great honor for her. We had a great time and were able to see a lot in a very short time.