Foil: 11 Panel: 1 Column: 2 Line: 79

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Ron Whitelaw

I got my first taste offlying in 1936. My girlfriend's brother was a barnstormer with a Coots Robin and would take me along to fairs and such to give rides. When we had no paying passengers, he would let me fly. What a thrill for a fourteen year old farm kid!
When I enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January of 1942, I was assigned as an aircraft mechanic. First as Crew Chiet: then as Flight Chiet: I was in charge of maintaining the airplanes so that our brave pilots could keep flying. We patched up P-47s, P-38s, P-39s and P-40s from The US to England, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and China. Our squadron had a seven passenger Norseman and if we heard that a USO troup needed a ride, we would ferry them with an unscheduled stop at our base first. I went along as co-pilot and mechanic and would often get to fly the airplane.
After the war, I started up a small construction company and in 1957 my yen for flying prompted me to go for my pilot's license. By the time I became a student pilot, I already had many undocumented hours offlying in various aircraft. I soloed in 105 minutes in a Super Cub and eventually was able to expand my business all over the state of California by using my airplane to check job sites.
I have owned 5 Bonanzas and have logged a total of over 9700 hours. Flying has been such a major part of my life, but now, at 85, I must quit. I know I will miss it terribly, but the joy and thrill of flying will always remain with me. For I, like John Gillespie Magee, Jr, "have slipped the surly bonds of earth, put out my hand, and touched the face of God".