Happy Birthday, baby!

Happy Birthday, honey! I hope today is a much better day for you and that you'll be able to resolve some issues at work that have plagued you for the past several weeks! I hope you have a wonderfully magnificent day that brings you much joy, pleasure, and fond remembrances. You've accomplished much in your life...from being the little blonde-hair, blue-eyed boy who used to follow his daddy to the rivers and lakes to fish...



...to the mischievous son who dreamed of flying and convinced your younger brother to go along with your experiments...



...to the young man who enlisted in the Air Force and became an Admin clerk but viewed it as merely a stepping stone to his real dream of flying helicopters...


...to the Airman who would become Chief and made those difficult decisions when you were the only one to see 'the big picture'...



...a man who along the way fathered a son who is following in his footsteps and currently serving in Afghanistan...



...who fathered a daughter who continued in the only life she ever knew and married an Airman who is currently serving in Iraq while she is a full-time student and temporary single mother...



...who fathered two more children who certainly believe that the sun rises and sets in you...



...and who married a woman who firmly believes that you are her soul mate and absolute best friend.



Happy birthday, baby. I do, I do, I do...truly, love you.


Randy's birthday gift, a collaboration between him, the flight engineer who was seated in the cockpit of this beauty when she was shot down, a gunner from the second Pave who was there to help rescue the crew, the artist Paul Treleven, and myself. This painting depicts an actual Pave Low that was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq in April 2004. All crew members were safely rescued and thankfully, no lives were lost to our Pave family. The men in the painting represent the Marines who came in to secure the crash site. Sadly, 2 men lost their lives protecting her.