HOLIDAY POST 2009

HOLIDAY POST 2009

“FOUR CALLING BIRDS”
DAY 4

FOUR WARS, FOUR WARRIORS
by marilyn sadler for memphis - the city magazine

FOUR VOLUMES

VOLUME 1
POSTING 03 JANUARY - 03 MARCH 09
THE VIETNAM WAR EXPERIENCE

VOLUME 2
Posting from 8 MAR – 3 MAY 2009
TAPS, TATTOOS, CHANTS & RAPS

volume 3
posting 17 May - 03 AUG 09
SEA STORIES

volume 4
posting 10 AUGUST - 03 OCTOBER 09
THE GULF WARS

AMONG WARRIORS IN IRAQ:
true grit, special ops, and raiding in Mosul and FALLUJAH
by michael tucker

“FOUR CALLING BIRDS”
aviation art by brian “dirty” dingess

original sketches available from fight’s on aviation art
Brian Dingess - Artist Bio

Brian Dingess grew up at the flight lines of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro during the 60s and 70s. His father, Gunnery Sergeant Calvin Dingess was flight line chief for A-4 Squadrons VMA-311 and 211. Given paper and pencil and told to sit on the flight line and draw (with ear plugs – Mickey Mouse ears), his dad went about his flight line business, and Brian learned details of attack, fighter and reconnaissance jets and how to draw them - later being designated a Air Combat Illustrator. After many years of observation and 23 years of service to the Marine Corps, LtCol Brian Dingess began producing personal sketches for friends who were aircrew. LtCol Dingess’ career as an Air Defense Control Officer placed him in direct contact with Marine Corps and Joint fighter aviation where he controlled Air Combat Maneuvering fighters for over 2500 intercepts during tours in Hawaii - Kaneohe, Okinawa, West and East Coasts – Fighter stations at Miramar, El Toro and Beaufort. Brian supported fighter aviation as a fighter controller for TOPGUN, RED FLAG, COPE THUNDER and Marine Corps Air Combat Training Courses. Sketch projects include: VMFA-333 MiG-21 shoot down by Maj “Bear’ Lasseter and Capt “L’ll John” Cummings published by Michael O’Conner in the Book “MiG Killers of Yankee Station” and accepted by the Marine Aviation Art Museum Achives; VMFA-323 Squadron history 1944-1994; Heritage – Death Rattler VMA-323 Korea (Corsair AU-1 with Colonel Jerry Coleman (Yankees and Padres Professional Baseball Player/Announcer)) and Present VMFA-323 (F/A-18C Death Rattler); Published “Year 2000 Fighter Fever” Calendar; and donated drawings to the Naval Fighter Weapons School – TOPGUN, the RAND Corporation and MAG-31 Beaufort SC for display. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 2000, Brian began to research the history of the F-4 Phantom II and now has completed a set of USMC F-4 Phantom sketches – one - from each of the 25 Active and Reserve squadrons spanning the 1960s through 1980s depicting the Marine F-4s in Combat and Training conditions. Upcoming projects include: Carrier Aviation, Heritage flight depictions of different era aircraft in formation, Marine Corps Command and Control radar sites. These projects can be found on website: www.fightsonaviationart.com. Brian can be reached at Fightsonart@sbcglobal.net.

PLUS
THE MONKEYS CHRISTMAS MEDLEY

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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DAY 5