Writer’s Retraction and Apology…4, 874 miles:
Yikes! the trip was admirably far in reality, but certainly NOT the 9,500+ miles originally stated! Let’s correct that to 4,874 miles. Looking at the story at arms distance, I said out loud “…9,500 miles??? That can’t be!!!” And I’ll bet many of you reading this said the same thing!!! My apologies, Gaye Lyn, 23 January, 2018.
Visiting Veterans Air Express families.
Second trip of 2017.
The Veterans Air men & women who inspire me. Who made it happen. And the surprise and joy of meeting their families 70 years later.
I’ve not done this before to show and tell my stories of visiting Veterans Air Express families. But, I am testing the theory Picture = 1,000 words. Mostly you have photos and captions here. Hope they do the trip justice.
Oct-Nov 2017
My October-November, 37-day RV road trip took me from Santa Fe to the doorsteps of six families in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Route of travel across the country in Gaye Lyn’s 24-foot magic carpet named Gracie. Looking at it from a 30,000′ perspective sort of entices you to journey forth. [The dots are where Gracie & I over-nighted; you can disregard their different colors.]
U.S. Library of Congress and NJ Aviation Hall of Fame
I researched Veterans Air at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. And on 15 November I accepted an invitation from Shea Oakley, Executive Director of the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum at Teterboro Airport, to present the findings-to-date of my research.
Come with me on my journey visiting Veterans Air Express families…and meet some really special people.
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- 24 OCT 2017: Six nights on the road crossing seven states brings Gracie & me to the Stettners’ in Virginia. This is Al – Jack Stettner’s eldest son. I was blessed to meet Jack at his home in Florida in August, 2015, along with Al, Ellen and Scott. Having researched Veterans Air for his dad long before we met, Al makes a great sounding board for my project. BTW: It only looks like we are at the beach. This mural graces the restaurant where Stettners took me to dinner tonight!
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- 25 OCT 2017: This is NOT Al Stettner! But Al is a volunteer at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Specifically, he’s a Docent!!! and is treating me to a tour of the Hazy Center. I snap a photo of this photo in the World War I Exhibit after I gleaned from Al that this man was really, literally dropping a bomb.
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- Now, I know the Lockheed SR-71 (Call Sign: BLACKBIRD) is NOT a bomber…but think about the technological chasm between the previous photo and this one!!! More extraordinary to know that this Blackbird was retired in 1990!!! It is the first aircraft I see when I walk in. Its incredible presence perfectly fits the Concorde, Space Shuttle Discovery, and the oh! so many! awesome residents of Hazy Center. Not to be missed!
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- Do not twist or turn your viewing device…this photo IS correctly positioned. The aircraft is hung from the ceiling and I’m standing under its retracted landing gear. Pretty evil grin, isn’t it?
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- There she is …Air France Concorde and Friends on the ground and in the air. [Remember, you can click on any of these photos for a bigger, better look-see.)
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- My smile says it all! Thanks, again, Al, for a very special Docent Tour. What a treat…all the incredible aircraft displayed in taunting juxtaposition of each other. Look at the pontoon aicraft “overflying” the Blackbird. Brilliant!
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- 28 OCT 2017: I didn’t take this photo, but it has a story. You recognize The Washington Monument, of course. See the road in the foreground? Imagine Gracie and I driving that road! It’s Saturday morning. Very little traffic. So I look right and see The Monument. And I get monumental goose bumps. Then I sneak a quick peek left. Yep! I cannot SEE President Lincoln sitting in his monumental chair all the way down The Mall. But I know he’s there! And I say to my RV, “Gracie, we’re in D.C.” [Photo Credit: Dreamstime Stock Photo Freeimage 942366]
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- A treasure given me at The Library of Congress yesterday — their “Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of The Library of Congress.” A 461-page Comprehensive Guide! This page depicts some of the bomber types flown by Dad’s men in WWII. I need not tell you how proud I am that they NEXT chose to fly the DC-3s and DC-4s of Veterans Air Express!!!
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- Sharing a lovely time with Michael Frome’s daughter. Lunching outside at an Italian restaurant with Michele Frome this fine October day. We are near her Maryland home in a D.C. suburb. Michele and I met the first time in November 2016 at her father’s home in Wisconsin. We have chatted up myriad topics for hours on the phone since then. Wish we were neighbors. But, at least, she and her husband Bill will attend the Veterans Air family party tomorrow being hosted by Peter Eason.
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- 29 OCT 2017: Highlights of my VAE family visits often occur when we rummage together through boxes of old photos and letters. Like Peter Eason and I do today. He proudly produces this snapshot of Charles Eason, Sr., during WWII serving in the CBI Theater. (I am proud that my research teaches me things like CBI stands for China, Burma India.)
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- A tease and hint regarding his service in WWII. Charles Eason, Sr., if you recall, is our VAE co-founding member who always responded, “They told me not to tell,” when his four sons inquired, “What did you do in the War, Dad?”
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- The Eason brothers (LtoR): Paul, David and Peter – and their families. Peter, 4th-of-4 Eason sons, hosted a party at his home in Maryland…for his clan and for three other Veterans Air families – Al Stettner, Michele Frome and her husband Bill Taylor, and Saunie Gravely’s daughter (me). We had so much fun! Thanks, again, Peter.
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- Evan and Paul, Charles Eason’s grandson and #3 son. We first met in 2015 in my hometown of Santa Fe while Paul and Evan were on vacation. Terrific getting together again this afternoon.
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- David and Terry Eason, our first-ever meet and greet at Peter’s party. Two more very genuine and welcoming members of this family! Lucky me.
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- Peter, our host, and his sister-in-law Susan, the lovely and cherished widow of Charles Eason, Jr. Missing the party is Dana, Peter’s wife, but we met that night and had coffee together the next morning before Gracie and I took off for Pennsylvania.
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- 30 Oct 2017: Today I finally met John Greenleaf, Jr. in person in Pennsylvania. We’ve exchanged lots of photos, documents and phone calls since August 2016. That’s when his son, John, III, goggled his own name – and came across his granddad, John Greenleaf, Sr., on the Veterans Air’s website! Son and grandson were both pretty surprised! Me, too. Mission accomplished for my website! It brought the Greenleafs to me! And, today, I got to enjoy John, Jr. and his wife Linda’s company in their home and over lunch with delightful conversation.
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- 31 OCT 2017: Meet Robert Chambers and his son Bruce…and hear my true confession. On two occasions of meeting Bruce (May 2016 at lunch in Lambertville NJ and today at his home in Pennsylvania) I failed to take ANY photos! So, in place of my double-blunder, I offer you this lovely photo of Bruce and his dad some years ago. Bruce and his wife Janet and I had lots to talk about over the terrific lunch they prepared. I’m extremely grateful for the numerous photos and documents Bruce has added to my project from his dad’s records.
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- Marie Martz and I have spent many precious moments together, like this one. Sadly she is the widow of Edward Martz, Jr., who enriched my life during our short personal acquaintance. Marie also is a treasure to me. This delightful, creative, life-engaged woman makes our time together spin by. Next time I visit New Jersey, I hope she invites me to tea again. I’ll bring my knitting and plan to stay longer. Love to you, Marie.
That’s it for now, Dear Reader.
Next will be the tale of telling our Veterans Air story at the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum. What a tremendous compliment. Plus, I’m going to do a stand-alone story dedicated to Gracie. She deserves most of the credit for my two journeys visiting Veterans Air Express families in 2017.
Watch this space.
Gaye Lyn
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