…the continuation of Jack Stettner’s story and the Veterans Air Express UNRRA contract.
Dear Reader, our Diva’s name was difficult to trace – and eventually provided courtesy of the Santa Fe (NM) Public Library InterLibraryLoan Librarian, one of my highly valued Veterans Air “network.” Gaye Lyn
The United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration awarded Veterans Air Express a UNRRA contract as part of the UN’s World War II war relief efforts. In so doing, Veterans became the first civilian air cargo service to fly behind the “Iron Curtain.”1
Jack Stettner flew copilot with Captain William Jakeman on the company’s first flight to Warsaw, 7 May thru 17 May, 1946.2
The aircraft they flew, NX58003 named GLOBETROTTER, had delivered tons (literally) of hatching eggs on two back-to-back trips to Prague less than a month prior. [April christening photo shown here.]
The United States Immigration Manifest for the Warsaw flight is missing, so far, from official U.S. documentation so we don’t know the other Warsaw crew members. Fortunately for this research, however, the dates were garnered from Jack’s Fllight Log during our face-to-face meet-and-greet in Florida early August 2015. (Big grin!)
“Experimental” aircraft. Really?
An explanation for you aviation buffs wondering about the “X” in the “NX” tail number: During the entire period of the company’s start-up phase [and perhaps short history], time was of the essence. According to Jack Stettner and other sources, the DC-4 needed major overhaul and modifications, but also re-certification from military to civilian life which could drag out. In what later must have proven to be highly uncustomary cooperation from “the powers that be,” this DC-4 was given “Experimental” designation in order to expedite the UNRRA war relief flights. Thus the “NX” tail. (And when/if more is known, perhaps a story for future coverage.)
7 May to 17 May, 1946. Warsaw.
55,000 hatching eggs. Russian approvals.
For this first Warsaw flight, Jack describes the crew’s concern with and attention to vital temperatures in the DC-4. As in the first two previous flights for the UNRRA to Prague, the DC-4 temperature had to be closely regulated. “The hatching eggs had to be kept warm (within certain limits)…on the ground as well as in the air. If the temperature was too low, the eggs would no longer hatch. If too high, they would hatch prematurely (and die of starvation). So timing became critical.”6
A different matter of life-and-death was flying over Russian-controlled Germany and needing Russian approval to do so. (While the war had been over nearly a year, the jittery Russians had quite recently shot down a U.S. C-47 – known in civilian terms as a DC-3). “Russian communications with their own anti-aircraft batteries was very poor and we would be shot down if we deviated in any way” was how Jack explained the criticality of their designated flight corridor.7
In his film footage here, which I hope you will or have already watched, John Noll, an early Veterans Air Core Founder, recalls a Russian fighter escort “sitting on our wing” just to be sure Veterans did not deviate from the flight “plan” as they flew through that corridor. Jack Stettner remembers the Russian approvals for sure, but doesn’t recall the escort. (More rubrics cube information to investigate.)
And, “just like that,” the company began to thrive.
Like the other Veterans Air “lads,” Jack Stettner did more than fly for the company. As one of those self-described “bunch of cocky kids,” it became evident that to be successful they had to get their act together. They had to do more than fly from Point A to Point B. Prompted by a “hard” lesson having to do with 30 barrels of lobsters (subject for another story), the Veterans founders/crew members decided to self-select areas they liked or suited their talents. So, Jack volunteered for Operations ‘cause he could organize things. And someone who said “I-like-buying-things” volunteered to become Purchasing Agent. And the high-flight-time member stepped up to become Chief Pilot. Just like that8.
(Since I’m still searching for who did what and when, I’m missing some names here.) Plus some photos (like this one) lack clarity. But I’m using what I have gathered to show just a portion of media attention Veterans Air was garnering. National news magazines. National and daily newspapers. Aviation news publications. Journalists with their imaginations captured by the venture supplied readers with coverage – from 3-line entries to full features with photos.9
Dear Reader, if you know any of these men, please contact me! Only Saunie Gravely is recognizable to me – 4th from back end with hat brim jauntily tipped down. That’s my Dad! Gaye Lyn
And what was Saunie, the President, doing all this while? I know he wasn’t flying, because my Dad didn’t become a pilot until after his Veterans Air endeavor. I do know Saunie worked along side the company attorney, Harvey G. Stevenson. No doubt. The photo caption in Air Transportation calls the two men “Guiding Lights.”10 Harvey was the attorney for Brenner Produce Company and was brought into Veterans by Arthur and Nellie Brenner11. Nellie had become Vice President Finance for Veterans. I’ve seen her signature and corporate title — on company stock certificates and warrants that Jack Stettner gifted to me. Thank you, Jack! Hugs. (Excuse us, folks, while we have a private moment!!)
My Dad also made arrangements in Sebring, FL., (where I also visited one week ago today – last Monday!) for an aircraft maintenance & refurbishment hangar and for refrigerated storage capacity for fresh produce cargo flights. (The rest of that Florida trip is here: Breakfast with Marilyn Gries!12 Hours with Allen Altvater at Sebring Airport and the Sebring Historical Society13. And, an even longer ago special event, cocktails with Paul Eason and son Evan in Santa Fe!14
And…and…and…as soon as I catch up with myself!
My apologies, Dear Reader. This Post was originally drafted on 8/18/2015…and I’ve just gotten back to edit and add photos (9/8/2015). So references like “visited (Sebring) one week ago today” are terribly outdated! Gaye Lyn, 2015