Good friend of Chuck Yeager, Russ Schleeh, had been a bomber pilot in World War II. Tall, lanky, after the war, he became at various times the Chief Test Pilot for the Bomber Wing and then the Chief Pilot for the Fighter Wing. Unusual.
Chuck told a story at lunch one time about Russ test flying the YB-49, a flying wing. Russ landed, broke his back, saved his co-pilot’s life and tried to block the fire department from putting out the fire: Let it burn! Let the sumbit– burn!
Chuck continued the story at one of the luncheons with a group of pilots and engineers: “Russ ended up in a full body cast except for a couple of spots. Pancho said: I bet he’s thirsty and horny. She put on a big coat, stuffed the pockets with whiskey and brought her best ‘girl’. Then snuck them both into Russ in his hospital room. She left the whiskey and the girl – I don’t remember her name –”
Russ, 50 years later, “Julie. Her name was Julie, ” said with a look of sheer ecstasy in remembering.