Video & Audio Library of Veterans Air.
Veteran Air Express website launches Video & Audio Library on the 5th Anniversary of this research project. The contents vary. From a few one-on-one interviews with crew members of the 1945 non-sked air service founded by Saunie Gravely. To public presentations made for aviation audiences at the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum (Teterboro) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Arizona campus. There is also 1946 footage shot by a Veterans Air crew member, John Noll, and footage shot in Prague (by unknown videographer) as the Veterans Air crew disembarks from their DC-4. They have just delivered hatching eggs for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. This latter footage was procured from the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive.
As you watch…
As you watch or listen, from time to time you will catch “conflicting” information. What you are more likely hearing is either corrected or expanded information. Both are the strongest proof to the on-going nature of the research and to why I am not inclined to write a book…though several folks encourage me to do so. I’ve not yet reached “the” place for “the” final period. 🙂
Some long videos are segments, linked together…so as one ends, the next begins automatically. Others are single videos that may also appear in Posts on the website. A LIKE or a COMMENT would be appreciated.
So you understand, this photo of the crew was taken during an unscheduled stop in Portland, Maine, en route to Prague.
That story is told here.
You are about to watch the arrival of this Veterans Air DC-4 Crew and the cargo offloading of 60,000 war-relief hatching eggs in Prague. The Crew are greeted by UNRRA officials in June 1946.
This incredibly rare film footage was obtained from the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. We cannot thank them enough for providing it to us with permission to show it on our website.
PRAGUE CREW
William C. Jakeman
Joseph Neigel
William Moroz
Gerald A. Rowland
John Michatowski
Charles R. Freeman
George Cannock
Roy M. Lynnes, UNRRA
VAE Army-drab DC-3 stands nose-high and watches the DC-4 get champaign-christened by Czech-born opera diva.
John Noll, Veterans Air co-founder and pilot, shot this footage in 1946 and added narration decades later. John’s voice-over anecdotes provide new, startling info about permissions and jet escorts required to overfly portions of Russian-occupied Germany en route to Warsaw.
Just a Sneak Preview to the first-ever presentation on Veterans Air made to an audience.
Shea Oakley, then-Executive Director of the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of the first “mentors” and cheerleaders of this Veterans Air research project. On November 15, 2017, Shea hosted and introduced an hour-long presentation. This video clip is an incitement to watch the entire talk.
New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum hosts talk on 1945 Non-sked airline research
Two years into researching the 1945 non-scheduled airline founded by her Dad, Saunie Gravely, his daughter shares her findings in November 2017. Gaye Lyn talks about the people, aircraft and accomplishments of Veterans Air Express and Veterans Air Line. This cargo and passenger air service history unfolds in story, clippings, videos and photos – including a DC-3 bearing her name.
2019 ERAU students meet 1945 Veterans Air Express … as they interview Gaye Lyn about her Dad’s air line.
Fun, touching and revealing anecdotes about 1945 Veterans Air Express unfold during an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student interview in July 2019 on their Florida campus. Four ERAU students researching the Non-Sked Era of Commercial Aviation developed and filmed this hour-long, 3-part interview.
1945 Veterans Air Express history as told by founder’s daughter on ERAU Prescott campus.
Local Prescott residents and ERAU students attend the Embry-Riddle January 2020 Aviation History Speakers Series on the Arizona campus. This hour-long talk, divided here into 4 videos, presents the unfolding history of Veterans Air Express. It encapsulates five years of research in videos, news clippings, photos, and first-hand anecdotes gathered from Veterans Air crews and families.
Edward Martz, Jr. describes Berlin Tempelhof airdrome on Veterans Air historic 1946 flight to Warsaw
Edward F. Martz, Jr., DC-4 Navigator, describes Berlin’s Tempelhof airdrome, where, in 1946, Veterans Air lands en route to Warsaw. Under contract to deliver war-relief cargo for United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), the crew requires Russian permission to overfly a Soviet-controlled region of Germany. They receive designation of a 20-mile-wide flight corridor to reach their destination…and become the first civilian flight of its kind behind the Iron Curtain…privately-owned American company…in an American-owned DC-4.
Thomas Cowart tells me about Gus and Elsie
Showing 1946 media coverage to Thomas in person, sitting beside him in November 2015 was great fun and an honor. He hadn’t seen the three young calves loaded on his flight up the passenger staircase.
KQNA Prescott, AZ,
live radio interview promotes upcoming ERAU evening presentation on campus open to the public.
Embry-Riddle arranged a publicity event the day before I am to be their January 2020 Aviation History Speaker guest. That was whipped cream atop an ice cream sundae. Plus, it was a conversation, not an interview due to the energetic, fun host who had done his homework – D. J. Fone.
Click the Play icon under the image – and take a listen.
Gracie, the RV, became Veterans Air Express “Ground Transport” in 2017
This is the story of how Gracie became cross-country transport for research about Veterans Air Express. Gaye Lyn was invited by The Virtual Campground to tell its viewers a unique story of RV life on as research “library” and home away from home on multiple trips 30+ days each from New Mexico to Florida and New Jersey.