1946 Manifests of UNRRA Crews
One bewildering, unfamiliar U. S. Immigrations Crew Manifest surfaced in Ancestry. There were others.
Martz_Jr._Edward_Francis
1st Prague crew returns. 23 April 1946. UNRRA
1946 press clipping with prized photo. 2015 face-to-face details from Martz and Cowart! Come see.
1946 film of UNRRA Prague crew arrival
A pride hard to verbalize shudders through me every time I see this film footage of my Dad’s crew members disembarking from the Veterans Air Line DC-4 in Prague. Saunie Gravely was 22 when he got the idea of an all-Veterans air service. And this amazing footage is proof of his dream-become-reality. Come watch. Sorry, no popcorn today.
Broughton, Martz, Cowart: Breaking News
Look who I found!! Two sons, Craig & Robert, of 1945 1st Officer Richard Broughton. And two original crew members, Edward Martz, navigator, living in NJ and Thomas Cowart, flight engineer, living in SC. They ALL flew multiple trips for the Veterans Air Express United Nations war relief contract to Prague, Warsaw and Athens. It’s intriguing! And I am psyched!
Thomas E Cowart. International Flight Engineer. Walker Recruit.
In 1942 & ’43 the Army Air Corps turned Thomas E. Cowart from a farm boy into an aircraft mechanic and later a flight engineer. He flew the world as part of an Air Transport group led by Captain Cooper Walker. And after the war, Walker encouraged Cowart to join him at Veterans Air Express and fly the world again. Thomas tells me his vivid-memory story. Come meet him.
Edward F Martz Jr. International UNRRA Navigator
Veterans Air Express Navigator Edward Martz regaled me with stories I have not heard before. In our face-to-face meeting last month in New Jersey, Ed Martz shared vivid memories from his 1946 flights behind the Iron Curtain. You don’t want to miss the full story!
1945 Crew list grows from 22 to 62
Researching the airline in April 2015, the list of men who flew, crewed and managed this non-sked airline was 22. Within months, it grew to 62.
Edward F. Martz, Jr. In Memoriam.
I am deeply sad to write this post. Veterans Air has lost a precious member. I have lost a cherished friend. Edward J. Martz, Jr. Veterans Air Express Navigator, died this week. He was 91. I’ll be forever grateful for having met him personally, known his smile, reveled in his stories about his role in my Dad’s airline. God speed, Ed Martz. Say hello to Saunie for me.
Drove 4,874 miles to visit families
I am beyond honored to get better acquainted with the men and women who made my Dad’s 1945 airline “happen” by meeting their family members. Come meet these very special people in a photo review of my second 2017 trip visiting Veterans Air Express families. This extraordinary RV trek took 37 days and 4,874 miles to VA, MD, PA and NJ.
TVC YouTube features VAE ground transport RV
Team me up with Liz Wilcox, creator of The Virtual Campground and TVC YouTube…and watch us go! Liz gave me eleven minutes. And I gave her the story of how Gracie, the Veterans Air Ground Transport RV, enhances and extends my research. Come watch…and bring popcorn.