Posts Tagged Saunie Gravely

Veterans Air Express story at NJ Aviation Hall of Fame and more to come

By on January 26, 2018   /   People, Veterans Air Express   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

Jammed ten pounds in a five-pound bag…and still had more to share. But I sure had fun telling the Veterans Air Express story at NJ Aviation Hall of Fame last November. I was delighted (and pleasantly stunned) by Executive Director Shea Oakley’s introduction. There’s a YouTube in this post that captures the evening…Dad’s concept, the WWII vets who joined him, a historic UNRRA flight, some conjectures why the airline folded…and more. Give it a look-see.

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2017 friendship between daughter Ellen and Gaye Lyn engendered by 1945 Veterans Air pilot Jack Stettner

By on August 17, 2017   /   Jack Z. Stettner, People   /   2 Comments
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Saunie Gravely

Our Dads would have loved the role they played in friendships that have developed between their “kids.” Just three weeks ago today, Ellen Stettner and I met for a second time and had dinner. Like sisters, we talked and talked. So lovely. Her dad, Veterans Air pilot Jack Stettner, helped my Dad found the airline.

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Michael Frome Veterans Air Navigator and Pop

By on July 22, 2017   /   Michael Frome, People   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

One thing to read about a man you never met. Another thing to hear first-hand stories about him from his son. I spent precious time this week in Texas with Will Frome, son of Michael Frome who navigated the Veterans Air DC-4’s to Prague and Warsaw in 1946. Very special. Come meet Will.

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Fabulous meaningful delightful first stop on Veterans Air family trip

By on July 20, 2017   /   John Joseph Noll, Michael Frome, People, Veterans Air   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

Join our dinner party in Texas hosted by John Noll’s daughter, Buffy, and her husband, Jack. Another guest is Will Frome, son of Michael Frome. My good fortune found this daughter and son of two Veteran Air essential crew members, a pilot/founder and a navigator/journalist, living within miles of each other.

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Veterans Air Express Prague 1946

By on March 14, 2016   /   Saunie Gravely, Seeking   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

My Dad’s 1945 airline won a war-relief contract with the UNRRA. His crews flew five DC-4 trips, each loaded with 5 tons of hatching eggs to Prague and Warsaw. Seventy years later, to commemorate the Veterans Air Express Prague flight in May 1946, I am going to Prague.

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Chief Pilot Robert Chambers

By on February 24, 2016   /   Aircraft, People, Robert C. Chambers, Robert Montanarella   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

A new treasure…a photo of Robert C. Chambers standing with our first DC-3 in 1945 while she still looked like the government surplus Army C-47 she had been. And breaking news…Chambers was the DC-3 Chief Pilot with Veterans! Bet you didn’t know that! I didn’t before today. Come see.

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Veterans Air Express Navigator Edward Martz

By on December 22, 2015   /   Background, Edward F. Martz, Marilyn Gries, People, Richard (Dick) Broughton, Saunie Gravely, Veterans Air   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

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!

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1946 Veterans Air Express crew

By on November 28, 2015   /   Constantine J. (Gus) Kaloss, Edward F. Martz, Jack Z. Stettner, Marilyn Gries, Morgan Cooper Walker, People, Richard (Dick) Broughton, Saunie Gravely, Thomas E. Cowart   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

(POST UPDATE 9/19/2016: Constantine J. Keloss (Kaless) just identified in 1946 Veterans Air photo.) On 10 November 2015, I launched my second-ever “road trip” to meet crew members. The result? Face-to-face meetings and first-hand details from 1946 Veterans Air Express crew: flight engineer Thomas Cowart and navigator Ed Martz. Plus I received grand old photos taken by VAE pilot Richard Broughton. Come see.

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Broughton, Martz, Cowart: Veterans Air Express Breaking News

By on November 3, 2015   /   Aircraft, Edward F. Martz, People, Richard (Dick) Broughton, Thomas E. Cowart   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

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!

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Veterans Air Express contract with UNRRA flown by Stettner, Jakeman, Noll, et al.

By on September 8, 2015   /   Aircraft, Arthur Brenner, Harvey G. Stevenson, Jack Z. Stettner, John Joseph Noll, Nellie Brenner, People, Saunie Gravely, Veterans Air, William Jakeman   /   Leave a comment
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Saunie Gravely

An “experimental” DC-4. A high-energy group of hardworking ex-servicemen. A Veterans Air Express UNRRA contract for cargo flights behind the iron curtain. And Newark/Miami winter passenger flights. By mid-1946, the all-veterans organization was becoming recognized and starting to thrive.

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Contact Gaye Lyn

Always happy to see your Comments at bottom of a Post you've just read.

Or, for one-on-one exchanges, please click HERE to use the Contact page. I'd very much enjoy hearing from you.

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Then & There…

A RECOMMENDED READ and irreplaceable for me: "Memories of the Jing Bao & Beyond," Authors Choice Press, 2001. Written by our own JACK Z. STETTNER - Veterans Air Express Co-Founder, Investor, Pilot and Operations Manager. As well as his considerable WWII experiences, Jack's book revealed new details about Veterans Air Express...plus the spirit and character of this organization that Jack obviously loved!