CRUELLED By Craig Hannan, SASR
On exercise in ’84 up at Northam we were doing training ex. When on TAG we had a bunch of ASIO technical support personnel with us. We snipers were giving them approach training. Boy, did they need it! Smart people can be so dumb.
On the last night we had a BBQ and a few beers. I started chatting up one of the TSU birds. Harry Butler and me were in a fight over this one. Anyway, I got lucky and spent the next few days with her.
We got called out and were heading to Mascot, so while all the usual routine was going on, she and I decided to join ‘The Mile High Club’ on the plane, an Air Force 707 on the way over. We were up the front. The plan was for her to go to the dunny and I would follow and slip in when clear.
We took our seats. Pete Casey, Shane Mulquinny and Gary Kingston were seated behind us listening to their Walkmans. Case piped up, “I wonder if Paddy is going to join ‘The Mile High Club’ with her.” The whole aircraft cracked up ’cos he almost yelled it. Well, I didn’t get in the club. Bugger, the bastards!
Quote!
Air strikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short.
