Norm Culbertson

LTC Norm ( 1928-2006)Culbertson: Norm Culbertson was an F-86H Pilot in the Syracuse ANG unit of the NYANG and also an F-100 pilot in the Niagara Falls unit of the NYANG. He Served in Thy Hoa Viet Nam receiving a Silver Star, DFC and Several Air Medals for one year in combat.
Norm ejected from an F-100C in 1970 that was on Fire after takeoff. Norm tried to get the aircraft into Lake Ontario after his ejection but it reversed directions after his ejection and went straight in from 7000 feet across the street from my 1840 farmhouse. It occurred on Saturday of a drill weekend and Norm was returned to the Niagara Falls AFB by an Army reserve helicopter that had seen the smoke and crashed aircraft. So Norm was brought up before a safety class in session and he was asked by the squadron commander to what did he credit his successful ejection. To which Norm taking his cigar out of his mouth and sticking out his belly responded. "I credit my successful ejection to my superb physical condition!"
He found humor in every circumstance; he was a pleasure to be around; he died of complications of testicular cancer in 2006.
Submitted by: LTC Allen E. Strasser tel 603 986-4020 for corrections of additions