Field trip to see the whirly birds

Unless you are really up on your international news, you've probably never heard of Futenma Marine Corps Air Base.  To most of the world it's an unknown, but to the Japanese, it's the thorn in their side.  Futenma is one of the many American bases on Okinawa, but it's a piece of land that's in great contention for the Japanese.  They want it and we have it.

Anyways, enough of my International News update, today we went to Futenma for the first time, not for the protests, but because one of our neighbors who is a helicopter pilot in the Marines took us there to see the helicopters. 

It was a cool field trip for the kids (both young and old) as we got up close and personal with Hueys, Cobras, Sea Knights and CH46s (Phrogs). 

When you actually see inside these things you realize that it is a miracle that anybody makes it through a battle!  I would not want to be inside one of them even if it were just for a Sunday afternoon drive.  I can't imagine Stevie ever being rescued on a battle field by one - with his fear of flying he'd probably just say "Go ahead, I'm OK.  I'll stick it out here with the enemy!"

We did warn the kids before they got in the 'copters not to push any buttons - especially if there was one that said "start" or a red one that says "fire"!