View allAll Photos Tagged li...
Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Fydorovich Pavlov
From 1944 to 1945, as he flew the Li-2 (Russian license-built C-47) behind enemy lines, senior lieutenant Vladimir Fydorovich Pavlov had more than his share of harrowing moments. During that time he flew more than 80 missions from an airfield near Bari, Yugoslavia, to resupply Yugoslav partisans in German-held territory.
All of the missions were flown into rough landing strips hastily prepared in mountain pastures by the Yugoslav partisans. While all the flights were dangerous, the one Pavlov flew the night of Aug. 22, 1944, is still vivid in his memory 52 years later.
The mission would be risky but not unusual: Fly night re supply to a partisan group surrounded by German forces.
After the Li-2 landed, the partisan commander quickly approached Pavlov. As the cargo was unloaded, the commander told Pavlov he would have to take on unexpected passengers. Pavlov was concerned. The weather was closing-in and he was eager to get back into the air. He paused to listen to the partisan commander's plea.
Thirty-two U.S. flyers had made their way to the partisan group after being shot down on missions over Romania. The Americans were on their way with the partisans toward friendly lines when the Germans surrounded them. The only escape was over rough forest paths and sheer mountain terrain.
Most of the downed flyers, injured in their bailout or weakened by their long overland trek, were in no condition to attempt the breakout. They faced death or capture by the Germans.
The partisan leader and Pavlov realized the Americans' only chance for escape was on the Li-2. Pavlov was doubtful, 32 passengers could be too many for takeoff from the short meadowland strip.
To further complicate the situation, some trees at the far end of the runway encroached on his takeoff distance. Experience and cool calculation, not bravado, helped Pavlov make his decision. He knew the Li-2 well: its capabilities and limitations, and was impressed by its rugged reliability. He surveyed the landing strip not once but twice and decided the takeoff was possible.
He asked the partisan leader to have his men chop down the trees and to push the plane back to the limit of the meadow.
The takeoff was successful, but the bad weather brought new danger. Clouds closed in on the Li-2, forcing Pavlov to descend from 10,000 feet and keep descending in search of a break in the ceiling. With low fuel and nowhere to return, Pavlov and his passengers now had no choice but to press on.
They flew into a thunderstorm and soon lightning struck the C-47. Flashes blinded Pavlov and his co-pilot for seconds at a time. The aircraft stayed in the storm 37 minutes, a time Pavlov describes as "a kind of hell."
As he says today, "It created a feeling of helplessness. Under fire, you could try to evade or simply fly away but there was nothing you could do to escape the storm."
Pavlov held his plane on course and hoped to spot his airfield. Finally, he saw the field through a break in the clouds and landed safely.
The rescued Americans thanked the Russian crew with handshakes and hugs. The senior American flyer approached Pavlov, but the only word he spoke that Pavlov could understand was "captain." Pavlov says regretfully that he does not know the name of a single passenger from that night.
Pavlov was matter-of-fact about the mission but admits that on that night "My shirt was glued to the back of my seat with sweat." He eventually flew more than 250 missions behind enemy lines for which he was awarded the gold star medal of Hero of the Soviet Union, the country's highest honor.
After the war, Pavlov remained in the Soviet air force's long-range aviation and retired as a colonel. At last report he was a pensioner and living with his wife in Moscow.
In May 1992, he attended a Victory Day commemoration. Two U.S. aircrews on humanitarian missions to Russia were also there. Pavlov said it was important to him to speak on Victory Day to American men who could be the sons or grandsons of those he and his crew had saved almost 50 years before.
I|.lII|..I|.lIIIlI.Illl llI||ll|..|.|l.l|l|l.III.|lll.|l I.|IIlllI.||.IlI.I..||l|| ll..|.l.I|.l.||I.|l|.l|I ll.Illl|lII|..lII Il|lI.l|IIl.l|.I|I||IIl|ll l.l.I|l..III.I...|I|lIllll|l||| lIlIll|I|.|| III.lIlll..Il|||llI|l..Il.ll..|. .IIlll.|lI.|l|I.I..|.I. l|Il|l.|I.ll|I|I||.|.llllI|.I lIl.|I|llII.|
Suspended Animation Classic #725 First published Nov. 117, 2002 (#46) (Dates are approximate)
Li’l Santa
By Michael Vance
Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, but too late for Christmas!
Why?
This reviewer received NBM's new title, Li'l Santa, two weeks before the jolly holiday, and Suspended Animation is written six weeks in advance of publication.
Then why bother to review it?
Because you should do whatever you can to find and buy this wonderfully entertaining, whimsical, comical book of holiday fluff, ho ho ho!
Li'l Santa is written in pantomime. For those simple folks in Bing, Oklahoma, that means there are no words with its pictures.
The weakness of this approach is that complicated ideas are difficult, at best, and occasionally impossible to communicate. But Santa preparing for the Christmas delivery of gifts is a simple idea and just right for mime.
The strength of this approach is that anyone can 'read' this book because there are no foreign languages in pantomime. All that is required is clear visual storytelling that captures the imagination.
Li'l Santa captures the imagination, and fills young hearts with wonder and smiles.
Li'l Santa is drawn in a distinctive, highly colorful, minimalistic style full of snowmen, elves, penguins and even a snow dragon. For those simple folks in Bing, minimalistic means it is drawn in a 'cartoony' style (how I hate that term and the foolish, negative con-notations that is carries!) that will delight comics fans of all ages.
So, here's my Christmas present to all of the readers of Suspended Animation who will read this book in the afterglow of the holiday. Li'l Santa is highly recommended for children and for adults who are young at heart (and indifferent to that descriptive cliché!). Merry late Christmas to you all, and to all a great 2003.
Li'l Santa/$14.95 & 48 pages/ words: Lewis Trondheim; art: Thierry Robin/sold at comics and bookstores.
Michael Vance
Prehistory to Sui Dynasty Gallery, New Luoyang City Museum, Henan, China. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.
Swedish recording artist Lykke Li performing live at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, Canada on May 27th, 2011.
Pechino, 16/05/2017 - Il Presidente del Consiglio, Paolo Gentiloni, ha incontrato il Primo Ministro cinese Li Keqiang.
Pechino, 16/05/2017 - Il Presidente del Consiglio, Paolo Gentiloni, ha incontrato il Primo Ministro cinese Li Keqiang.
Hannah Bussiere of Luna Li @ The Silver Dollar in Toronto as part of Canadian Music Week - April 20, 2017
More photos at www.chromewaves.net/concertPhotos.php?concert=japaneseBre...
This six-pound busy-body was my most recent Chihuahua foster--he is now in Rescue and will soon be neutered!
He was such a pistol at my house--so, so sweet and cuddly, but such a demon in the crate. He'll make someone a great pet but they'll have to a be firm pack leader! Tiny size doesn't equal no-maintenance!