6 AIR CLASSICS/August 2022
F
irst, I would like to thank readers for taking time to reply
to the questions posed in last Month’s “Message From The
Publisher.” The results are just beginning to come in and,
as expected, they are diverse as well as illuminating. There have
been lots of “five-star” ratings on certain stories and I expected
those but there have also been some negative comments on a
few of the smaller stories dealing with lesser-known aircraft and
aviation events. It takes some time for all this correspondence
to arrive but when it does, we will make sure everything is
sorted and will present the “grades” received as well as some of
the more vocal comments.
I expect our features and departments to be proactive. By
that, I mean we want readers to get involved. For example,
one of Mark Bingham’s “Log Entries” resulted in some really
good back and forth correspondence regarding a set of lost
medals that apparently belonged to a WWII fighter pilot. The
reader and his wife came across the medals quite by accident
as they were in the process of being thrown out during a
house clearance. Even though they did not exactly know —
at least initially — what the medals were, they
took time to find out and this has led them on
a quest (still continuing) to discover the pilot’s
identify. Mark’s column provided the catalyst
for this search. To me, this is what Air Classics
is about — all of us working together to preserve
and expand history during a time period when
that history is derided by the general press and
politicians.
Every photograph we feature has a story
behind it and those stories should be researched
as fully as possible (when we can find the time!)
and then presented to the readers to further
spread what we have learned. I can’t think of a better example
than the rather tattered small snapshot we found of Capt.
Chester Coggeshall and his P-38. This eventually turned into
the full-length article “The Murder of Captain Coggeshall.”
Basically, it was just a shot in a box packed with other small
personal photos. Through research, we were able to trace the
life of this heroic young man who had completed his tour of
duty, which allowed him to return home where he could have
been an instructor or taken part in some other form of non-
combatant activity. Instead, he signed up for a second tour
and transitioned to P-51 Mustangs. We should note that early
response to this story has been both positive and negative and
that surprised us. When the time comes, we will present the
pros and cons.
“Colors of War” continues to receive positive comments
and that has led to more searching through the files to find
further photographic gems. While doing so, we have run across
all sorts of other intriguing photos and some will become full-
length articles once all the supporting facts and data have been
unearthed.
The readership has been most generous in passing on
photographs and data for us to study. One recent arrival came
from a subscriber in South Carolina and comprised a lot
of 8X10 B&W photos combined with official USAAF inter-
office documents — the type of stuff copied and printed on
extremely flimsy paper that is now falling apart and fading
with age. The first thing we do is place each document andphotograph in archival sleeves, which helps stop deterioration.
Then everything is placed in a file folder and when there is
time, we will begin to study what has been received. In this
instance, it appears that a remote relative of the reader was
in the SeaBees and was assigned to the construction of a
B-29 base. Going through the documents, we have learned
how the base was planned and how orders were issued for
supplies and manpower to construct the facility. The photos
show construction underway along with the arrival of the first
Superforts. We copied the documents and really cranked up the
contrast so everything would be easier to read and this led to
identifying bomb groups and squadrons along with the names
of important USAAF personnel involved. Eventually, once
the data has been compiled and extra photos added, we will
be able to present an article on how young Americans built a
major airbase to allow the B-29s to strike Japan in a remarkably
short period of time. These Herculean efforts have been mainly
forgotten today. Just look at how long it takes for politicians to
get the most minor of road repairs done in your neighborhood.
We have had several long-time readers cancel
their subscriptions. They state Air Classics
has become too political. We do not think so.
However, we do firmly believe that the current
collection of scoundrels occupying political
offices could have a great deal to learn from the
young men and women of WWII —individuals
often still in their teens —that went forth to
accomplish the nearly impossible and defeat
the greatest enemy known to mankind. Their
heroism and spirit is overlooked in Washington.
That fact is bad enough, but these qualities are
often derided. A while back, I went to Clover
Field in Santa Monica where a DC-3 had been mounted on
a pylon and was being dedicated. Clover Field was, of course,
home of Douglas Aircraft where tens of thousands of great
aircraft were designed and built — including the Douglas
World Cruisers. The DWCs were the first aircraft to fly around
the globe and they proudly carried the stars and stripes on this
mission for rest of the world to see. Today, there is not a single
memorial honoring the great feats accomplished by Douglas.
When the mayor took the podium, he had a rather rambling
speech in which he constantly referred to the DC-3 as a “DC-
10.” This rather noxious individual then talked a bit about
Douglas, referring to the company as part of “the so-called
arsenal of democracy.” Today, the airfield is being destroyed
by the City of Santa Monica to make way for high-end office
buildings and condos (by the way, there was a nice bronze
sculpture placed in downtown Santa Monica honoring the
DWC crews but when I asked city officials where it was I
was told it had been removed for storage but has since been
“lost”). Soon, there will not be a trace of what is now the oldest
airfield in southern California and the site where Americans
toiled to build the greatest air force ever known. “So-called?”
Really! I guess if our comments on this form of idiocy make us
“political,“ then so be it.MICHAEL O’LEARY/PUBLISHER
CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS
[email protected]A
MESSAGE
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