Chapter 7

Since this was the middle of the Cold War ... and Montana. Remember that? And Montana?

If you're not from here you might think that Montana is in Canada. The condition of education in the US of A has many people believing that.

"Manitoba ... not Montana ... Manitoba is in Canada," I have told people ... Californians, Kansans, from places like those. For some fool reason, everybody knows where Wyoming is ... but not Montana.

"Manitoba is in Canada," I repeat.

The reason Montana is mentioned in conjunction with Cold War?

Montana is the fourth largest Nuclear Power in the world ... can you say TARGET? When they started placing missiles Montana turned out to be a good place ... not enough people to worry about; miles and miles of Federal Land; very thin topsoil; stable ground ... everything a Minuteman missile needs to say, "Mom, I'm home."

The SAC planted a bunch of them; enough of them so if Montana were to secede from the union and kept the nukes ... fourth largest nuclear power.

I got a ringside seat to the airshow. The bars blocked very little of the view.

What?

Of course I was arrested!

Lewistown, Montana has a SAC Interception Radar Base in the Judith Mountains. Big fucker! Geodesic dome with the antenna and a barracks for military personnel. Plus ... down at the foot of Maiden Canyon there's a second barracks for the support troops ... MP's, armed troops, officers ... and like that. Bunches and bunches of self important junior ring knockers and academy graduates ... and every single man, woman and dog cleared Top Secret.

"Well, certainly we keep the facility manned," the general informed the press. "The commies could fly down and blow us all to pieces." He paused, and a reporter took the opportunity to raise his hand.

"Question?"

"Who is this guy with the busted airplane?"

"We don't know yet," the general boasted, "But you can damn well believe we're going to know every freckle on his ass before we're done. We know who he's supposed be ... and that's restricted need to know information ... What we do know is he flew a supposedly busted aircraft into a National Security situation."

"His wife..."

"He's married?"

"Yes ... to the City-County Librarian..."

"Sergeant, apprehend that woman ... librarian is she? Sounds suspicious to me. No telling what information a commie spy could discover."

There was a lot more ... the kids thought it was wonderful ... the wife didn't.

Our friends, neighbors and relatives were all grilled and ... well ... the funny uncle and the gun collector weren't happy with me ... or the government.

After it was all over, the FAA decided that (a) I was resourceful, and (b) I needed more flight time. The Feds thought I should have been more careful picking my spouse.