Navy pilot deserves recognition

I have a friend who is a pilot in the U.S. Navy.

Late last week, he made me, and everyone from our hometown quite proud as he was awarded one of the highest honors in the Navy.

Navy Lt. Shane Osborne and I went to high school together and, although we knew of each other then, became closer after I graduated in 1993. Shane was the pilot and mission commander of the Navy surveillance plane that crashed in China. Now, he has appeared on several television and news magazine programs recently. And with Memorial Day only a week away, I am thrilled that he was awarded the Cross, rather than lying under one. It could have been the other way — easily. But, it wasn't and he's the reason 23 Americans returned home safely with him from China.

I can remember exactly how I felt when I found out that the pilot of the 24-man crew being detained in China was an old friend of mine.

Of course, I wasn't sure — nobody was — if he was all right or if he was even alive, but still I was filled with an enormous sense of pride.

I was proud even though I didn't know if the crash was his fault. I didn't care if it was. I still don't. He brought a four-propeller plane out of an uncontrollable dive to make an emergency landing, subsequently saving the lives of 23 other U.S. servicemen and women.

I couldn't believe this is the same guy.

Shane graduated one year before I did from Norfolk (Neb.) High School and moved to Lincoln, Neb., where he enrolled in the University of Nebraska's Navy ROTC program. During my senior year, my friends and I made several trips to visit Shane and his roommates, which was always a good time. Upon my graduation, I too moved to Lincoln where I got an apartment and hung out at Shane's place on the weekends.

He and I had a lot of great conversations about the future. He was determined to be a Navy pilot and my mind was set on joining the Air Force.

He received his commission in 1996, two years after I enlisted as an airman.

He talked about being like 'Maverick' in "Top Gun" and we would all laugh at him. I guess that although we all knew Shane was the kind of guy that could accomplish anything he set his mind to (all-conference high school football, talented musician and in the top eighth of his graduating class) none of us really believed that he would be flying jets one day. He was a funny guy that liked to joke around. Turns out, he wasn't joking about his determination.

He had accomplished his goal of becoming a Navy pilot; a lifelong dream of his.

Never did he dream that one day he would not only be held hostage in China, but that he would also become a bartering token in the U.S./China political blinking contest.

I'm sure he got tired of the Iceman and Goose jokes we threw at him. But we only did that because we didn't think he would one day be flying million dollar jets.

Besides, being from a relatively small Nebraska town, we'd already reached our limit for famous people. Norfolk was the home of Johnny Carson and that is a source of great pride to fellow Norfolkians.

But, ever since Carson's last show almost a decade ago, Norfolkians, who could count on remarks at least once a week from Johnny about growing up in Nebraska, had no visible hero any longer.

Then Shane came along. He has made a whole state proud of how he has conducted himself.

I am proud to be from the same town and to have spent time with him.

Some say he doesn't deserve the Navy Flying Cross since all he did was crash an expensive military airplane.

Maybe they should ask the 23 other people that were on that aircraft with my pal whether or not he deserves that award.

Congrats old buddy, we're proud of you.

Keith Thomas is a senior in the School of Liberal Arts. He can be e-mailed at editor@purdueexponent.org.

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