I'm really proud to have been involved in helping the "Olds Plaque" find a new home. This is a really nice little story - follow it with this exchange of emails between John Liberto and me.
Linn Barringer, Woodbridge, Suffolk
From: John Liberto <jberto80(at)aim.com>
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Subject: The Olds Plaque
Linn,
My name is John Liberto and I was an A-10 Pilot in the 91 TFS from Dec 82-85. I am so happy I had found this site for I never would of known that Christina Olds had put Robin Olds 78TFS plaque up for sale on eBay.
My wife was the winning bidder and gave it to me for Christmas.
I am proud to hang this piece of history on my wall between my 81 TFW and 91 TFS plaques. I don't know if you can help me but is there any place in the UK I can donate this small piece of memorabilia in the future. Please let me know at your convenience.
Thank you for maintaining this site.
I will do my best and see what pictures I may be able to dig up and contribute.
Thanks Again.
Sincerely
John Liberto
From: Linn Barringer <linn(at)barringer.co.uk>
To: jberto80(at)aim.com
Sent: Sun, Jan 10, 2010 1:37 pm
Subject: Re: The Olds Plaque
Hello John,
That's fantastic news!
I had hope it would be one of my contacts who grabbed that - but what a great way to have it find an appropriate home.
In the longer term, I think there's no better place for this in the UK than the Bentwaters Cold War Museum, and I'll blind copy this reply to Graham Haynes, head honcho of BCWM and I'm sure he'll be in touch because he and I exchanged comments about buying the plaque.
In the meantime, may I used appropriately edited parts of your email on TwinBases.org.uk as that's just a great ending to that story.
Thank you.
Regards
Linn
Linn Barringer
Woodbridge Suffolk England
Linn,
Thanks for your nice note. You can use the email as necessary. Appreciate all you do to maintain the Twin Bases web site. I was only 24 when I arrived at Bentwaters/Woodbridge. My best 3 years of my life.
I think I've become more nostalgic in my old age.*
Thanks for everything,
John
* I think we all do, John! - Linn Barringer
20 January 2010
From: Christina Olds
Linn
I had no idea why I held that plaque aside from items that went to Manion's auction other than it reminded me of our time at Bentwaters.
Because there is so much Robin memorabilia in my possession (now mostly papers) I looked at the plaque in December and decided to post it on eBay.
Catch is that I don't have an eBay account, but my daughter Jennifer does. Jenny is Robin's only grandchild. They adored each other. He got her a ride in a P-51 in 2001 and she still wears the sterling P-51 necklace.
Jenny and I worked on the listing together. I felt strange about putting something of my dad's stuff on eBay because I never had, but somehow, it felt right. Jenny felt the same. She posted it and told me when it sold.
I can't describe my emotion when I wrapped the plaque and mailed it to the unknown buyer Caren Liberto in South Carolina. I actually kissed it goodbye at the post office, hoping against hope that it wasn't going to a mere "collector" who would turn around and re-sell it on eBay.
Cut to three weeks later.
I received an emotional email from John Liberto in South Carolina after he had opened the Christmas present from his wife. The plaque had found a loving and honorable home! I immediately called Jenny and we cried together over the perfect fate of Robin's plaque.
Now I receive your email to find the saga continues. WOW.
Christina