I got three great Christmas presents this year.
One was my oldest son coming home, so the whole family could be together.
The second is a flag.
When Davey was in Afghanistan, he got one of the flags that had flown over their FOB for me. Right before he came back to the US it was stolen from him (along with some other items). He told me about it when I attended his homecoming, and though he seemed fairly nonchalant I could tell he was really pretty upset about it.
Well, it seems his buddies on the party that stayed behind to close up their shop also knew he was upset, and decided to do something. They suspected one of the Fobbits (which is what they call REMFs these days) had taken it, and set about something of an inquisition.
Details are clouded, but the end result was that when they came home, so did the items stolen from Davey, and they were returned to him. Thus, on Christmas morning Davey was able to present me with my flag.
I shall treasure it.
Third was a gift from JimK.
This is an original very early V100 instrument panel, a proprietary Cadillac Gage product.
Some may look at it and say "Why do you want that old thing?"; others will see what I see, a beautiful (if weathered) piece of V100 history.
Since my V is an early production one, this is the type of panel it would have been built with, replaced by the military standard one when it was overhauled in 1969.
It won't go back in the V, but will be proudly displayed in my office.
Probably near my flag.
Hoping all of you had as good a Christmas as I did.
Cheers