From: IN%"r.otter@t-online.de" 30-JAN-2001 17:05:36.55
To: IN%"'\sFish,Lydia \s'@t-online.de"
CC:
Subj: New Songbook
Good evening, Lydia,
You haven' t heard anything from me for a few weeks.
I hope you have started the new year without any trouble.
Have you got my songbook and the CD version?
I may take up to 10 weeks, the clerk told me.
I got a new song book. It is a collection from the TLP of the years
1997-2000.
So it is a collection of an intelligence officer, a young captain of the
USAF. TLP is the "Tactical Leadership Program" for qualified pilots.
All NATO countries are participants. So the songbook reflects the songs,
the young pilots sung the last three years.
Until 1998 the TLP was at Jever (Germany) now it is at Florennes (Belgium).
The booklet consists of 164 pages !! I will send You a copy as word.doc to
Your private eMail address as attachment. That captain did a fine job!
I also will get the toasts and jokes from the pilots bar, the last 3 years.
Isn't it great?
Reading the songs, I had some thoughts about the guys.
The young pilots, mostly born after 1970 grew up in an sexual liberated
environment. Why should their songs be the same as ours?
I joined the Air Force in 1972, when these guys were born, I flew already
fighter. So, even if the songs to a lot of people might be offending, they
reflect the social society they grew up.
Some songs are still the old one. Because they are the "bridge" to the old,
experienced pilots, the "examples". But a lot are not related anymore to
flying, duty, ..... They reflect the "fun-society" as we say in Germany.
So, if we want to preserve the songs, sung by aircrews of our Air Forces, we
have to conserve these songs also. Closing ears and eyes will not change the
young generation, nor will it change the "fun-generation".
Thinking about these lyrics, made me think about "time' s changing",
constantly, even more rapidly. If we like it or not. I have a son, who is 20
and in the Air Force. He won't understand some feelings, heartaches of me
anymore. The lyrics sung after the job is done, will reflect it.
So, the songs are a gauge for the changing.
I hope you don't mind, I told you my thoughts I had today. It's not, that I'm
prudish, for sure not, therefore I was a Fighter Pilot and I will be a Fighter
Pilot (in my mind). But the exclusive trend makes me think about.
Enough of the serious thoughts!
Take care, check six!
Love
Rainer