Haunting look from a young fighter pilot of World War II; He did not come home

I see this fellow often, about once a month, during my tours as a volunteer at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. He is Donald Emerson just down from a mission flying his P-51 fighter plane over Germany during World War II. This photo was taken in November 1944. He was shot down and killed by ground fire about a month later on Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. The look on his face, well, I can't explain it, but it is haunting. He was 21 years old.
A niece wrote a good book about him, "Donald's Story." I recommend it. I learned from the book he is buried at a cemetery in Holland. One day I hope to visit his grave as well as the one of my uncle, Vernon Du Val. Vernon who was from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was killed during the battle for Normandy, I think like D-Day plus 13. He'd already been wounded when he went back into battle only to be killed again. What a tragedy war is for so many people, truly.

Submarine in Cleveland, Ohio? Who'd ever think it?

I first saw this one dark December night with snow softly falling.I couldn't believe it because I was passing through Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland, Ohio? The middle of the American Midwest? Sure enough, it was there then as it is now.
Then I was hitch-hiking from Ft. Devens, Mass., to Hobbs, New Mexico. And, then in the middle of that night on a ride someone gave me and a soldier buddy we could see this World War II era submarine. I couldn't see it then, but I can see now, as you can, the Japanese emblems on the coning tower to denote missions or ships sunk. It is the submarine USS Cod.

Ford Trimotor, see a true wonder of aviation

If you have never seen a Ford Trimotor, the very first commercial airliner in the United States, watch your newspaper. That is because if you live in the United States you most likely will get a chance to see the one flown around the country by the Experimental Aviation Association located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
I saw it and actually got to get close to it by being a volunteer the weekend it came to Columbus, Ohio. Being just that close to it was fun, and then seeing it take off, fly and land, well, if you like aviation you have to enjoy seeing this wonder of the sky actually fly. I say wonder because, it looks almost something like Jules Verne might have imagined. I say that because of its wavy metal surface, which the designers no doubt believed gave the craft strength. I also say that because of the general look of the plane, from the very interesting tail and the size of the three big engines, the one that sticks out the nose and the two that hang from the wings. Does the craft look interesting or what?
Oh, and the original had wicker seats and had direct connection with my hometown, Columbus, Ohio. That connection came when someone came up with the idea of marrying the Ford Trimotor to railroad service. What happened is people rode a train overnight from New York City, and once they got to Columbus, they boarded the Ford Trimotor. It then flew them, I think to St. Louis. Then they would board another train for the night, and the next morning be awakened for yet another flight in another Ford Trimotor. I do not recall how many hops like that it took to get to California, but it was much faster than going by train. I actually saw a television program about this service that featured Charles Lindburgh flying one leg of the trip.
Again, that is all gone, but the Ford Trimotor owned by EAA is still around for all to see and even fly. People here in Columbus paid $60 for a flight of maybe 15 or 20 minutes. And, they were lined up for the opportunity!

Gene Autry, a little boy's hero

I offer the link at the bottom to a wonderful song sang by the original singing cowboy, Gene Autry. I offer this not only because it is such a beautiful song, but because Gene Autry became someone special in my childhood. He remains special to me even today, and I am almost 70 years old.
He became special to me then because of his singing and because of his radio program I listened to every Saturday or maybe Sunday. His radio program always started and ended with his signature song, "I'm Back in the Saddle Again." I always cried when his program ended, too, though I couldn't tell you then why I did, and I can't tell you now. I also remember that in growing up in Seminole, Oklahoma, there were two kinds of kids: Gene Autry kids and Roy Rogers kids. Roy Rogers was also a singing cowboy. Me, I was always a Gene Autry kid, though in my later years I came to appreciate Roy Rogers for staying a singing cowboy all his life.
Gene became rich, real rich, left show business and, as I recall, bought and ran the California Angels baseball team for sometime. When he did that, I lost track of him generally. But, I still recall one night late a bus in which I traveled stopped in a small town. I chanced to open an eye to peak at a sign, and lo and behold, I was in Chelsea, Oklahoma. I remember then how pleased I was that I opened my eye to see that sign and to know of being in Chelsea, Oklahoma. That was because Chelsea is a town where Gene Autry worked as a telegraph operator for the Rock Island Railroad, and one night none other than Will Rogers came in to have is daily newspaper column telegraphed to New York.
The story goes that Gene played his guitar and sang a few songs for Will Rogers, and that Will Rogers subsequently encouraged Gene to take his talent to New York. I think it was New York, but wherever, he encouraged Gene.
The other thing I remember now in thinking back to all of this is that I stayed most summers at my grandmother's home near Choctaw, Oklahoma. And, on those cool Oklahoma summer nights when the whole world seemed so perfect I heard the train called the Rock Island Rocket clatter along its tracks as it passed through Saviche woods. And, when it did, it always blew its whistle, and when it did that the wolves in Saviche's woods began to howl..
Gene would surely have heard the Rock Island Rocket, and. maybe he even heard wolves howl when that train blew is whistle.I like thinking that.When It's Twilight On the Trail' by Gene Autry

C-119 in a movie? Who'd ever thought it?

Fun! Just caught a clip of a movie featuring an really ancient aircraft, the C-119 or "Flying Boxcar." It really flew in the movie, though the last time I saw one in use was at Ft. Yukon, Alaska. It was being used by the US Bureau of Land Management. Here is the one at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton.
I know of at least three pilots who say they flew it in to the museum, though the aircraft only required two. But, I think I know why so many can say that. When they flew the last C-141 into the museum, I was told six crews were aboard that.
This particular C-119 has a peculiar tail, one that opened like an alligator's mouth. It was used to snare a space craft coming to earth back in the 1960's.
The last unit I knew of personally that had the C-119 was a US Air Force Reserve Unit, the 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing, then at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. Lockbourne was later renamed Rickenbacker.

Dozens of Horse Drawn Wagons, Carriages Parade though Lebanon, Ohio

The first weekend of December is a special day in Lebanon, Ohio, a day when you can see dozens of horse-drawn carriages driven through the town by proud owners. How fun to see these vehicles and their special horses. Some of the houses go back to the 1840's and are interesting as well as fun to see. And, of course, you can never go to Lebanon without going to the Golden Lamb for dinner. After all, Charles Dickens, the famous British novelist, did! How great it all can be!