Luger Folks are ggggggGGGGGREAT!!!!
 

WOW...what a treat!! Ellie and Jerry Burney (Lugerholsterrepair) dropped in this afternoon at our place and Natalie and I had a SUPER time visiting with these SUPER people! Man...we really liked them!! Jerry showed me some of his Leather work, a Luger shoulder holster prototype that had a double mag capability and good protection for the gun. I tried it on and loved the design, he was fashioned after the one in Third Reich Lugers, that holds a Black Widow, but he made some improvements on it! I JUST thought it was GREAT! I also showed them my Baby Luger in the Center custom case (with the Baby Hardshell holster Jerry Made for us. I also showed him some of my current projects (including my K date in process(this will take me months to finish)). A thrill of a great time with these two terrific people! He left a 1940 42 Luger that had a trigger problem for me to fix! What a way to spend a few hours! We surely will spend more time with these interesting people, We talked politics, Lugers, Holsters, guns in general! Stop by any time Jerry and Ellie! A REAL PLEASURE for us!

Ted! You are absolutely 100% right!! Having met several of the forum members..... I have yet to be disappointed! My door is always open! Great bunch of guys!! till...later...GT

Exactly the same reason I like the annual Phoenix Luger fests! Meeting all those great folks, GT, Marvin Cook, Hugh Clark, Bill Stanley, Ron Wood, Les Center, Frank Manders, Ed Tinker,Luke Smithwick, Bob Tracy, and the infamous John Dunkle (I call him Uncle Dunkle cause he is so much older than me!! <img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" /> ) just to name a few of the memorable "excellent quality folks" I now call my good friends! Friends like that I consider priceless.

I just gotta ask: What else would anyone expect of a combat airborne paratrooper and his lady?

Paratroopers are the ultimate in delivering extreme violence to a very small area and then kicking the living be'jeesus out of anyone else in the vicinity. Jerry is a living example of that and has been able to demonstrate his same attention and love of God and Country to the preservation of our most delicate artifacts.

He is a delightful guy; a bona fide American hero and patriot and the epitome in Luger leather craftsmanship.

And Ellie, for a lovely woman, ain't no slouch either!
Tom A.
D-2/503P.I.R.
173D Airborne Brigade

Amen to that good buddy, amen to that!! I was TOTALLY IMPRESSED!

And some I am dying to meet!

This forum has been a pleasure and I enjoy the company I have met on line and in person!

Hey, why the he** would I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? :D said the leg MP

I admire those guys like Tom and Jerry (imagine that! "Tom & Jerry") but I will have to admit, I could never figure out the "why" either.

There are only two ways to earn jump wings in the Army.

The first is to volunteer for several weeks of punishing physical abuse... and then VOLUNTARILY jump out of airplanes designed for that purpose...

The second way you can earn your jump wings is to have the unfortunate experience of leaving a disabled aircraft that is not on the ground as a matter of necessity in a combat zone.

Since neither of these two activities appealed to me, I endeavored to spend my 20 years active duty on the ground :D Sure it's muddy sometimes, but the chance that you will be mistaken for a percussion instrument is decidedly less. :D

Bless both of you guys for your personal contribution to our freedom. It is guys like you that made the latest conflict short work.

Keep those boys still there in your daily prayers.

BTW, for those of you who may not know, the conservative talk show host, Sean Hannity, has organized a concert to raise funds to give college scholarships to the sons and daughters of the our comrades in arms who were lost in Afghanistan and Iraq...

Anyone who would like to attend this concert or contribute can do so on his website:

http://www.hannity.com

Details about the when and where of the concert will also be on that website.

Every penny will go to the heirs of these troops.

God Bless America.

Gentlemen, Thanks for the kind words. Ellie and I enjoyed our visit with Ted and Natalie very much except for one thing. It was much too short. Ever since I left there I have wanted to ask Ted so many questions! Ted was kind enough in the short time we had to show me many of his projects in every stage of completion. Right down to a K date he was ready to ship back to a client. Absolutely Beautiful!!! I have been impressed on many an occasion by photo's of Thor's work but to see it in person is another thing altogether...Truely stunning! Ellie and I would like to thank Ted and Natalie for their gracious hospitality.

On another subject...I was able to drop into Thors place because I wanted to drop off a Luger that needed his tender care on my way back to my home here in Colorado. I am here now for the next five months so for those of you who need to speak to me or are sending holsters.

As for being a Paratrooper, I joined up because of the uniform. I figured it looked so much better than the bus drivers hat and the leg shoes. While I am proud of the jump wings, what I most treasure is the Combat Infantry Badge. (CIB) Any idiot who is willing to get pushed out of a C-130 can get his jump wings but to earn the CIB is something not everyone is able to do. You see many high ranking Officers today that have the jump wings but no CIB. The CIB means someone is trying to kill you after you have landed. Thanks again guys for all your thoughts, Jerry Burney

Jerry,
I treasure my CIB as being the ultimate fraternity pin. My dad got his in 1943; my son got his in 2002.
Tom A.

My dad got that really great blue pin with the silver rifle on it I guess sometime in 1944, he was 19, almost 20 when he landed on Omaha in June of that year which was his first combat action. Quite a few stories he left me! I cherish them all.

Every CIB wearer has my graditude and admiration!

Ed

Tom, After I shot off my mouth I wanted everyone to know that the proudest moments of my life during the Viet Nam War were serving with the 173rd Airborne. I am proud to be a paratrooper and the crowning glory of that service was serving as an infantryman. The CIB is simply an award coveted by all infantrymen who have not yet had the oportunity to earn it. It is proof that you were tested in battle and lived to tell the tale. Yes I agree, it is a fraturnity pin so to speak.

Quite a run in your family...How is your Son by the way? I have not heard you tell of his exploits for some time now. Let us know...Jerry Burney

Speaking of Phoenix get to gether what is the status. I have been absent for awhile.

It was postponed and I have no idea when it will be reschedule, perhaps next year even.