Wow, I wasn't expecting this. Thank you DC.
My Dad was cremated yesterday and some time next week my brother David and I will be taking his ashes up in an airplane and spreading them over the airport where they flew their "missions." Just so you know, whenever I called him on the phone I said, "hello you old outlaw." That was how he knew it was me. That is why I ended the show by saying goodbye to an old outlaw.
It wouldn't be me without telling you a story now would it? Here's how the DEA found out that my Dad was involved.
He filed a flight plan from San Diego to El Paso and flew into Mexico. People back in New Mexico reported him as missing. He met up with the head of the CAF in Mexico and they partied for the evening. Martin, the very first pilot to use a plane for smuggling, made the pick up on a dry lake bed in Mexico and my Dad took off from a small town and headed straight for Tucson, Arizona.
Of course he was clearly on radar. Martin took off as my Dad flew over and came up underneath so there was one blip on the radar screen. Naturally law enforcement was paying attention to this one plane coming up from Mexico to the US.
When they crossed the border near Nogales, Arizona Martin peeled off and went back below radar to make the drop. My Dad flew on in to Tucson and as soon as the plane touched ground the police and DEA were all over him.
His story was that he took off from San Diego and had instrumentation problems while headed to El Paso and ended up in Mexico. After fixing the plane he headed to the nearest major airport, Tucson, to report that he was not down and missing. They searched the plane and his story checked out and he was finally released.
DEA Agent JT Robinson noted that instead of heading to El Paso when he took off he headed North. So JT, got in a DEA Plane and followed. Dad landed in Scottsdale, Arizona and met up with Martin in the local lounge.
JT had been chasing Martin for 9 years at that time. He went to the bar, ordered 3 martinis and took them to the table where my Dad and Martin were sitting. He kept one and he raised it in a toast and said, "I see that I was looking for a big whale and caught a little fish." Martin and my Dad toasted him right back and from that time forward my Dad was part of the chase.
Thank you all so much for your concerns. My Dad passed away in his sleep and he is no longer suffering. I will miss him as you might suspect, but I am very grateful that his passing was peaceful.
Again, thanks.
ray:
