Celebrites At Army Air Fields In WW II?

Construction of Army Air Fields brought the war to rural and small towns in Kansas and Nebraska.

The airfields also brought celebrities.

For example:(Source is NebraskaStudies.org)
"...
It was statewide news in 1943 when Lieutenant Clark Gable was stationed briefly at the Kearney Army Air Field. Who could blame a young woman, such as Joyce Anderson, if her most vivid wartime memories were of three dances she shared with Lieutenant Gable at a Kearney dance. Jackie Coogan, "the Kid" from the silent movie era, trained with gliders at the Alliance air base. Orchestra leader Glenn Miller, serving in the Army Air Forces, set up the base band at Lincoln..."


Caption: After training in Kearney, Nebraska, Clark Gable was stationed in Europe.

If anyone has any information or stories about similar "celebrity visits" to Pratt Army Air Field, please contact me via email.

CleanUp Time!

(Click each image to see larger version)
Help Arrives For Neighbors! CleanUp Begins.


Expert At Work!


Progress!


The Big Cat At Work Down The Street!

Thank you Kent Domsch!!!

Pratt Kansas March 2009 Snow Storm

A slideshow of pictures in my neighborhood showing result of 28 inches of snow:

A Snow Storm and "Spirits"

Here is a snow storm story about Pratt Kansas from an earlier time in 1944 during WW II...


Date written: February and March, 1989
Written by: Henry Pisterzi and Paul Goreski
Subject: Hauling a Heavy Load Back from Denver

"Henry Pisterzi Reports: We were informed that our Christmas furlough would be granted. Plans were made so that all of the people could be sent home and returned as quickly as possible. The reliable and almost indestructible B-17's we had were assigned for the job. One was assigned to fly to Denver and was flown by a pilot and crew from the Group whose homes were in Colorado. So near as I can remember, there were eleven or even thirteen of us. The only names I can recall are "Chuck" Thornsberry, "Speedy" Miller and Paul Goreski. A day or so after we arrived home, Mother Nature was to help us. We had a good snow (probably six inches or better), and the temperature stayed rather low. Our furlough was over, but the weather conditions had not improved. We called the officer in charge of the Colorado contingent (probably Thornsberry), and he told us all air travel was grounded. He relayed this to the Pratt command and was told to leave as soon as takeoff was permitted.

This day-to-day business went on for four or five days, maybe more. Anyway, our furlough extended from three or four days to somewhere near a week to ten days. Pratt got "antsy" and called the pilot in Denver, told him to charter a bus and get our 'tails" back to Pratt. The pilot did as he was ordered and notified everyone of the departure time of the bus. We were all to meet at the bus station in Denver.
All went as scheduled except for the "fly in the ointment," me. The bus driver was ready to leave but was informed "we are one body short." Much to his dismay, he had to wait a little while.

Paul Goreski Reports: Finally Hank's dad drives up in his '41 Ford, and Hank rolls out and gets his B- 4 bag out of the trunk. The bus driver was trying to be helpful in loading the B-4 bag, but it was so full of booze he couldn't raise it to the overhead luggage shelf. All the troops were laughing. (I had my share also, but managed to get it up without help.) It was a 17-hour trip back to Pratt.

Hank Pisterzi Resumes: I had been asked by some squadron members to bring back some spirits. Kansas was a dry state at that time. While Paul and I were on furlough, Paul, his dad and I made the rounds of the Denver liquor stores. However, we ran into a problem. The whisky was available, but in order to get one quart of whiskey, we had to buy three quarts of rum. Decisions, decisions--what the hell am I going to do with all that rum? You either do as the liquor dealer says or you go back empty handed and face the wrath of those people relying on you to bring them whiskey. We brought back as much as we could cram in to that B-4 bag. I had "riled" the bus driver by being a little late for takeoff. He wasn't any happier when he tried to put the B-4 bag on the overhead rack. In desperation, he left it on the floor. The squadron mates were glad to get the whiskey and after that was gone, the rum
soon was consumed. For some who might be wondering how good a business venture this was for me, you decide. I sold for what I paid. I looked for no profit--making my squadron mates happy was enough for me."

More stories like this can be found at the Pratt Army Air Field History Center.

Did You Know...?

Received this in email from David Dunn (former Pratt resident):

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8Th of July
this year, the time and date will be

04:05:06 07/08/09.

This will never happen again.

Swiss Alps?

No, its Pratt Kansas USA after 24 inch snow fall!
(Click to see full size)

No Hope For Newspapers?

The problem is declining revenues shown by this graph:


The solution?:


The Newspaper business looks bleak, but help may be on the way.
View and Listen (realplayer format) to Robert McChesney on “The Death and Life of Great American Newspapers” for his ideas to solve the problem.

If you prefer, you can read about it in this article of the DemocracyNow website.

Free College Textbooks?

It could happen... click video below:

Read more at Flat World Knowledge.
Hear more at this Podcast (mp3).

Kansas - A Very Nice State

Click to see this video about my home state:

Wichita State University - A Very Good School

Click to listen to the song of my Alma Mater:

Wichita - A Very Nice Town...

Click for a song about where I was born and raised ...

Better Than Quicken?

Judge for yourself by clicking image below to watch the video:

Help Salvage the "Lady Of The Lake"

Source:KearneyHub.com
By: Dale Cotton, McCook Nebraska
Date: 03/20/09


Caption: Courtesy
A B-29 rumbles into the air at McCook Army Air Base, where pilots received final training on B-29s and B-24s during WWII.

"I’m asking for Nebraskans’ help to salvage Lady of the Lake, a B-29 bomber at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The airplane has been mired in the lake for years and is deteriorating, but it could become part of a major historical attraction for Nebraska.

By saving this B-29 and moving it to McCook, we will be able to tell the story of Nebraska’s contributions to the U.S. war effort. We can establish this airplane and the McCook Army Air Base as a national landmark honoring those of all wars.

The McCook Army Air Base Historical Society formed in 1987 to preserve the base. We have established a Veterans Memorial Garden, erected a building and listed the Norden Bomb Site Vault on the National Historic Registry. We have annual reunions and are often working on various projects but would be available to guide a tour of our facilities.

In 2004 we purchased about 20 acres and three hangars for B-24s and B-29s.

Our immediate goal is to get the Lady of the Lake B-29 onto dry land. Long term, we want to leave a monument at the lake and have the aircraft moved to McCook. By bringing the B-29 to a historic 1940s hangar, we can proceed with a history display of the McCook base and Nebraska’s other WWII air bases, including the former facility in Kearney, where a large hangar still stands.

This project is important, relevant and educational. It reflects the teamwork of Nebraskans, Alaskans and the military. It would stand as a monument to future generations and as a tribute to those who served.

We are interested in your comments regarding the Lady of the Lake salvage operation. You can mail them to: McCook Army Air Base Historical Society, P.O. Box B-29, McCook, NE 69001-1082.

Dale CottonMcCook"

Note: Mr. Cotton has suggested that some of the Army Air Fields/Memorials could cooperate to establish a B-29 History Tour in western Kansas and nearby Nebraska towns.
Interesting idea... don't you think?

Why Have A B-29 Museum In Pratt?

Caption: B-29 Memorial At The All Veterans Memorial Complex In Pratt, Ks

Why have a Bombers-On-The-Prairie Museum in Pratt Kansas USA?
The answer to this question is provided by Don Severe, a volunteer at the Pima Air & Space Museum, in his excellent opinion piece in the TusconCitizen.com website as follows:

"Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

Those were the words of Lou Gehrig during his commemorative day of retirement at Yankee Stadium in 1939.

Lou was dying of ALS. He held the record for consecutive baseball games played until that was broken in 1995 by Cal Ripken Jr.

Having seen the movie "The Pride of the Yankees" many times, I have thought of those words through much of my life.

I share the thought and consider myself lucky to have been living during the time of the "Greatest Generation" in the greatest nation ever to exist on the face of the earth.

As a volunteer at the Pima Air & Space Museum, I am continuously reminded of the wonderful men and women who united to face the Axis powers during World War II.

At a time when we, as a nation, were not prepared to fight a war of any kind, much less a war on two fronts, these people mobilized a war effort like never before experienced in history.

The stories of sacrifice are endless. I am a docent in Hangars 3 and 4, which house WWII aircraft, such as the B-24 Liberator (more than 18,000 manufactured); the Mitchell B-25 (flown by Jimmy Doolittle and 15 other crews to bomb Japan five months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor); the C-47 "Gooney Bird" (one of the most reliable cargo and troop-carrying airplanes ever built and still in service around the world); the F4U-4 Corsair of "Pappy Boyington" fame; and the B-29 Superfortress responsible for bringing the war in the Pacific to an end.

In these hangars, I rub shoulders with some WWII veterans who share their war experiences with interested visitors to the museum. Further, I am amazed at the number of museum visitors with relatives who were crew members on many of these airplanes. They were fathers, brothers and uncles who served their nation with quiet aplomb. These people were patriots and great Americans.

In the span of 10 minutes, I met the daughter of a B-24 pilot whose father's airplane was shot down over Romania and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp; then a brother of a B-24 pilot who experienced the same plight. They are very proud of their kin. This is a regular occurrence.

I meet women who built the machinery of war. Others who had mothers, sisters and aunts doing the jobs needed to win the war. They were exemplified by "Rosy the Riveter."

Aircraft were flown by the women who were ferry pilots, moving airplanes from manufacturing plants to Air Corps bases around the nation. The women of America kept the home fires burning and were the backbone of our nation in those difficult and challenging times.

These men and women valued their freedom so much that they were willing to make huge sacrifices to be sure their families would continue to enjoy their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

As I chat with visitors to the museum, I find myself reminded that, prior to the beginning of WWII, the U.S. military had about 800 first-line combat aircraft and a like number of qualified pilots.

By the end of the war, the U.S. military had built more than 125,000 aircraft and trained more than 150,000 pilots.

More than 15 million men and women were inducted into the military services. Nearly 6,000 ships were built, and huge numbers of other equipment were manufactured.

In just over four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle raiders bombed Japan. U.S. citizens moved immediately to save our republic.

This happened because the citizens of the America united for a common cause. They were behind the war effort and, as such, the United States of America prevailed in winning the war.

...
You can read the rest of the opinion here.

Don Severe is a full-time resident of Green Valley. He is a retired president and chief executive of an insurance marketing company and a retired U.S. Air Force pilot.

Note: If you want to help with the Museum project, See the B-29 Museum Inc. website for more information.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Celebrated

Today, Google celebrates Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar!


The book, published in 1969, still sells one copy every 30 seconds in the world, 40 years after it was originally published.

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle (a graphic designer who later became art director of an advertising agency before moving into book illustration), it has sold more than 29 million copies, and is published in 47 languages.

Closer to home (i.e. Pratt Kansas USA), one of our own folks, Mike Blair, has also written a series of children's books about the life cycle of "Monty Monarch" described as follows:

Monty Monarch: The Story Of A Butterfly

This is the first in a continuing series of Children's books to illustrate the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. It features Monty Monarch as he grows from a tiny caterpillar through adulthood. Monty learns about his world through such friends as Laura Ladybug and Oliver Owl. Written to capture the wonder of a child, this book simply explains metamorphosis, how a larva feeds and grows, and how it changes to a beautiful, flying creature through pupation. Appealing as a story to youngsters 4 through 10 years old, it is also ideal as a nature-based reading exercise for grades 3-4. The color book is 39 pages long. Written and illustrated by the author.

Monty Monarch Grows Up

This is the second in a continuing series of Children's books to illustrate the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. It features Monty monarch as he learns to fly and eat nectar while helping to pollinate flowers. Monty narrowly escapes being eaten by a bird and learns to avoid other predators while preparing for his long flight to Mexico. Written to capture the wonder of a child, this book simply explains the adulthood of a monarch butterfly prior to migration. Appealing as a story to youngsters 4 through 10 years old, it is also ideal as a nature-based reading exercise for grades 3-4. The color book is 38 pages long. Written and illustrated by the author.

Monty Monarch Takes A Trip

The third book of the Monty Monarch series. In this fact-based tale, Monty makes the long migration from Minnesota to central Mexico. On the way, he is tagged and released by a group of Kansas school children, delayed by rainstorms, and finds the magic place where monarchs overwinter. Written to capture the wonder of a child, this story is appealing to youngsters 4 through 10 years old. It is also ideal as a nature-based reading exercise for Grades 3-4. Color, 39 pages. Written and illustrated by the author.
You can buy the "Monty Monarch series and other Mike Blair books at lulu.com.

What Is Recycling?

Part 1

Part 2


For the rest of the stories see "Explore The Cycles".

Shopping Local With Style!

Read more about "Shop local -- and feel good about it" written by Marci Penner. (By "Local" she means "Kansas")

Pratt Bomber Down - Revisited

On Thursday, April 5 1945 a B-29 crash was reported in The Pratt Union as follows:
Date: Thursday, April 5, 1945

"Pratt Bomber Down

A four-engined bomber from Pratt Army Air Field crashed on an over-water combat training flight Saturday evening, March 31. Three of the crew members are reported as missing; none of the rescued personnel aboard was seriously injured. The announcement was made by Col. Kermit D. Stevens, Station Commander of Pratt Army Air Field, Pratt, the bomber's home station.

The three missing crew members, all of whom are assigned to the bomb group stationed at the Pratt field, are 2^nd Lt. Joseph F. Linnane, son of Mr Frank P. Linnane, 7 Everett Street, Taunton, Mass.; Flight Officer Henry DiBenedetto, brother of Miss Phyllis DiBenedetto, 1211 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Cpl. Carl D. Gilmore, son of Mrs. Winona Allen, 217 North Washington Street, Bloomfield, Indiana.

The next of kin of the missing flyers have all been notified."

The wreckage of the B-29 may recently have been found.

Read more about Serial Number 42-65287.

The B-29 In Kansas

The B-29 Museum Inc. Organization is actively planning to build a museum in Pratt Kansas USA about the B-29 in Kansas and its role in WW II.

The inspiration for this project began in 2003 with the broadcast of a Smoky Hills Public Television program called "Bombers On The Prairie".

Click the image below to view a trailer of this video:

(Note: A copy of the entire video is available at the Pratt County Historical Museum and you can purchase your own copy from Smoky Hills Public TV)

If you are interested in helping with this project with your time, treasure or talents, visit the B-29 Museum Inc website for more information.

B-29 Museum Inc.

Background of B-29 Museum Inc. Organization

In 2002, a local Pratt Kansas citizen and retired businessman, Jack McCawley, had an opportunity to view a video about the role of Kansas Army Air Fields in the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.

The video was produced for Smoky Hills Public Television and titled “Bombers On The Prairie, The B-29 In Kansas”. Jason Cromer a Pratt Kansas native, who is the son of John and Patty Cromer, was instrumental in the production of the video.

Mr. McCawley started thinking that Pratt should build a Memorial to honor the servicemen who trained at the Pratt Army Air Field in WW II. In fact, that is what happened and Pratt dedicated its Memorial in 2003. The Memorial scope was extended to honor all of Pratt's veterans as well as those who served at the Pratt Army Air Field. The Memorial is located on the grounds of the Pratt Industrial Airport and was named "B-29 All Veterans Memorial". The Memorial and the surrounding area has been recently (2006) renamed again as the “Pratt All Veterans Memorial Complex”.

Subsequently a 501(c)3 nonprofit Organization was established in 2004 to explore the possibility of building a Museum near the Memorial honoring the Pratt Army Air Field which existed from 1943 – 1945 and which later became the location of the current Pratt Industrial Airport.

After an unsuccessful attempt to secure an old WW II Hangar at the Pratt Industrial Airport, the B-29 Museum Inc. organization decided to expand its scope in 2008. They now plan to establish a Museum and additional structures to honor all of the Kansas Army Air Fields who were involved with the development of the B-29. The name of the Museum will be “Bombers On The Prairie Museum”. Smoky Hill Public Television has graciously allowed B-29 Museum Inc. to use the "Bombers On The Prairie" phrase and a variation of its associated "logo" for the Museum project.

Read more about the mission, values and the vision of B-29 Museum Inc. Organization at their website.