PROLOGUE
My Guardian Angel
The poem “My Guardian Angel” was written by Ben R. Games, PhD, Maj, CW-4, TCNA-6, flew bombers and night fighters during WWII, then jet fighters during the Korean War, and Chinook helicopters in Vietnam. He is a member of the ‘North American Mach Busters Club and of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
Ben is a life member of the National Guard Association. He is a retired member of the Indiana Air National Guard and the Michigan Army National Guard. As a MI ARNG CW-4 Major and a Senor Air Force Pilot flew F-80 & F-86 jet fighters. As a MI ARNG CW-4 and a Senior Army Aviator he flew helicopters. Military records show 737 combat hours flown and the awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, 13 Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal, 2 Medals for Valor. and two Legions of Merit.
The author is married to Helen M. Games (Amsden) of Goshen, IN who was the 86th women in the world to fly a helicopter. They have two sons Ben Jr. (Bud) and Jon who are also pilots. During WW-II she flew with Ben in Army trainers and occasionally in bombers as his co-pilot. In Okinawa she once flew a mission as his RO in an F -82G In Vietnam she lived on a Thai fire-base called Bear Cat, and has flown with him in his Chinook helicopter named “City of Elkhart.” Ben Jr. served 8 years in the Navy with one year ashore at Da Nang, Vietnam. At the age of 15 Jon during schools summer vacation completed combat training at Fort Rucker with Christmas vacation in Vietnam. Besides visiting his parents on Bear Cat he flew as a pilot in a UH-l Slick helicopter before returning to his high school studies at Culver Military Academy, Indiana.
All of the Games’ family now live and work in Florida. If you thought that the author’s flying adventures ended when he retired from military flying you’d have guessed wrong. Ben has said that if he writes’ an autobiography about his flying adventures after the Army and Air Force he will call it a Semi-autobiography as it is so far out. The author is over 80 now and has a problem trying to convince the VA that poison ivy rash is caused by Agent Orange. Between fits of laughter, the VA doctors treated the rash. They kept telling him that solders 72 years old should retire in Florida and not parachute into a swamp just because of engine failure.
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL
by Ben R. Games, PhD
A young boy watched the birds fly and thought, “Why can’t I?”
Then in Sunday School he learned that Angels fly and thought,
“Why can’t I?”
The young man and woman holding hands stood looking up at the clouds in the sky and the woman said, “Why don’t we fly?”
Now the Lord has a plan for all his children. He looked down and saw that they were getting ahead of the plan. If something wasn’t done there would be a traffic jam at the Pearly Gates. He called the Archangel Michael and told him to think of ways to help the plan.
The Archangel formed a committee of Angels and told them that the Head Man had said to do something. They decided that every pilot must have a Guardian Angel to watch over him or her to see that they did not show up at the Pearly Gates before their time.
Then the Archangel went back to the Lord. He told him about the Committee and their idea. Then he asked the Lord which Angel to assign to the task. The Lord sighed and looked again. There were so many trying to fly that one Angel would never do. The Lord said, “These are my Children so assign all the Angels who watch over the children to take turns watching over pilots.”
So it came to pass that every pilot was assigned a Guardian Angel to help see that he didn’t get into heaven before his time.
