Enola Gay Hangar Placed On Preservation List

"... The hangar that housed the airplane which dropped the atomic bombs on Japan and where training missions took place is in terrible shape. On Tuesday, the hangar was put on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2009 list of the nation's most endangered historic places."
View the news story about it:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

By the way, Paul Tibbets who flew the Enola Gay, spent some time on this project in Pratt Kansas early in the project.

Great Bend Army Air Field

Great Bend Army Air Field's history will be one of the Army Air Fields featured in the planned Bombers On The Prairie Museum in Pratt Kansas.

The 444th Bomb Group trained at Great Bend AAF in WW II.
View this video trailer for the upcoming documentary: "Liberty Through Victory" - The story of the 444th Bomb Group in World War Two:

Chute Shop Lifesaver

Chute Shop A Lifesaver - Source: Pratt Tailwind,
Vol.III, Issue No. 44 ,Dec. 15,1945

Transcribed by Milt Martin 04/23/2009 05:54 pm

Caption: "TAILWIND's cameraman invaded the parachute shop the othe day to gather illustrations for this week's story on 'chute riggers at Pratt and came up with the maze of silk and shroud in the drying tower, and the two riggers, Mrs. Hattie Peacock, left and Miss Lavona Wymer finishing a 'chute."

For a man to have his life “hanging by a
thread” is a strictly unprofitable situation, but there's one
time, chum, that you can bet you'll be pretty happy about even that
thread . . . we mean of course, at the precise second that you're
preparing to bail out of an airplane.

Your thread, in this case, happens to be a scrap
of nylon or silk attached to a lot more threads called a parachute.
And take it from those who know, it's a handy gadget to have around
at the right time!

Down by Hangar 5 at the gate-end of the field is a
small building with a 50-foot tower where these gadgets are treated
better than Pfc's with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Under the
guiding eye of Mrs. Gladys Trekell, the shop supervisor, seven
civilian women and a dozen able GIs take between 60 and 75 lives in
their capable hands daily.

Packing parachutes is different than any other
occupation in the world, in that if it isn't done right, you don't
get another chance! It's a constant game of poker with death, nothing
wild, and bluffing strictly out!

Take, for example, the chute itself: it must be
perfectly dry; it mustn't be in any contact whatsoever with grease,
acid, dirt or any foreign matter of the like; dampness and heat are
strictly taboo; the chutes don't like them at all.

Making allowances for all these things alone would
be enough to gray the hair of most people, but parachute packers are
quiet, efficient individuals, sure-fingered and tireless.

“We once packed 121 chutes in a single day,”
Mrs. Trekell told us, “but that was an unusual sort of rush.
Normally we average about 60-75.”

Down at the end of the room in the tower, about a
dozen chutes are hanging full-length, drying. “It might simply
have been that some coffee was spilled on one, but we have to be
careful,” Mrs. Trekell confided. The room was cool, air
conditioned, and the atmosphere was extremely dry.

When you stop and think that it takes some 30 to
45 minutes to pack a chute for use, you can get some little idea of
what type of job these GIs and their feminine co-workers are doing.

“I find that women are a bit more adept
handling the silk,” Oklahoma-resident Trekell went on, “but
the GIs really learn quickly. It's hard to do any choosing between
them.”

Mrs. Trekell took over supervision of the shop
back in May 1944, but she's been here at Pratt since the field swung
open its gates. Today, her most active job is to train personnel to
replace the fast-shifting faces that move rapidly in and out of the
Parachute shop. 75 expert packers have been trained by this
girl-friend of the air crews in the year and a half that she has been
running things, 7 of them Wacs. The training period is of about 30
days duration, at the end of which time the GI or civilian packer is
given a 2AF license to ply his or her trade.

In addition to packing the chutes, all repairs . .
. patching, washing, changing harnesses and the like . . . are
performed here at the shop. In short, the chute owes Mrs. Trekell and
her crew its living!

Flying clothing is also repaired at the parachute
shop, everything from jacket name tags to B-4 bag zippers, flying
suit snaps to electric gloves.

Results? “Two of our boys, an officer and an
enlisted man, have jumped overseas in chutes we've packed here. Both
of them have come back to tell us about it. All our dummy-tested
chutes have opened OK also, at least so far!” Mrs. Trekell
avowed.

Well, say, supposing one of the chutes you packed
didn't open some time, and the unfortunate lad made the trip from the
plane to ground without it?

“Well,” smiled our heroine, “we
hope that never will happen. If it should, though, he could always
bring it back and we'd be glad to give him a new one!”

Note: This Parachute Shop is scheduled to be restored and will become the Bombers On The Prairie Museum.

Kansas Army Air Fields In WW II

The Hummingbirds Are Coming ...

They have been spotted in Independence Kansas.

Read the Kansas Birding List report below:
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:54:24 -0500
From: Charlotte Bloomfield
Subject: Hummingbird Update

Update from Independence, KS

Yesterday I was thrilled to see my first of the season RT Hummingbird - a
very brightly colored male. Well TODAY I have seen at least four at my back
feeder and at least one of them is a female. Looks like spring has arrived
in Southeast Kansas at last!
Charlotte

For KSBIRD-L archives or to change your subscription options, go to
http://listserv.ksu.edu/archives/ksbird-l.html
For KSBIRD-L guidelines go to
http://www.ksbirds.org/KSBIRD-LGuidelines.htm
To contact a listowner, send a message to
mailto:cotte@ksu.edu


See this migration map and check it daily to see the progress.
The video clip below may inspire you to become a Hummingbird advocate!


Be sure to put up your feeders soon.

From Doolittle's Raid To First B-29 Raid

Listen to this World War II Chronicles Broadcast:
Japan Attacked (requires mp3 player)



Many of those B-29 crews who participated in the B-29 Raid were trained at Pratt Army Air Field such as the Dauntless Dotty crew.

Preparations For The Doolittle Raid

In 2008, four surviving members of the Doolittle Raid discuss their preparation for the Doolittle Raid at the American Veterans Center's 2008 conference.
View the stories from those who flew this mission:

Doolitle Raids Japan - 67 Years Ago

View this video clip about the raid:


"On April 18, 1942 Jimmy Doolittle led 16 B-25 Mitchell Bombers off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet (CV-8). Admiral Halsey commanded Task Force 16..."

Explore this historic event by visiting the Pratt Community College Library.

A National Treasure - SR-71

View the following presentation (Adobe Flash Required for viewing):
SR-71 Blackbird Story

Go see it at the Kansas Cosmosphere.

Some Say YOUTUBE Has No "Class"...

However, you may change your mind after viewing this video clip:


"After holding auditions in December and announcing the finalists last month, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra has now released the first product of its efforts. Tonight, the 90 members of the orchestra will perform live at New York's Carnegie Hall, but this morning, the project released a mash-up video that features all the finalists, who perform the world premiere of a specially commissioned piece by Tan Dun." - Source is ReadWriteWeb.

Airport Authority Approves Request

Today, the Pratt Airport Authority voted 5 - 0 to give the B29 Museum Inc. Organization the Parachute Shop to be restored and used as a Bombers On The Prairie Museum.

Phil Schulz, President of B-29 Museum Inc., thanks each board member for this opportunity:


A photo of the Parachute Shop (part of the Pratt Army Air Field in WW II):

Gone, But Not Forgotten

See a slideshow of the demolition of a WW II B-29 Hangar at the Pratt Industrial Airport (formerly PAAF ) on 04/06/09.
Pictures were taken by Phil Schulz who is President of B-29 Museum Inc .

Community Funded and Directed News Reporting?

Yes, it is possible. Click to view this approach:


"It’s a marketplace where independent reporters, community members and news organizations can come together and collaborate" according to Spot.us.
This sounds like a win/win situation for communities who implement this approach with the help of existing print media organizations.

Sonrise Does Not Appear Imminent

Sonrise Does Not Appear Imminent
by Kathy Pritchett


Easter morning the alarm yanked me from a comfortable sleep far too early. Deep darkness still pressed against all my windows. “Sunrise does not appear imminent,” I thought, as I stumbled across the room to shut off the insistent alarm. Sunrise had to be further away than an hour. The odd thought repeated itself in my head, like a chorus — Sunrise does not appear imminent. Why didn’t my mind simply say, “It’s still dark?” I yawned and swayed between staying up and resetting the alarm. Trust in wisdom beyond mine (the wisdom of the pastors who had set the time for the sunrise service after consulting solar-lunar tables) held me up, and I set about waking my daughter and her friend, who had agreed to attend with me. We made coffee, and even stopped for cappuccino on the way to the island in the center of our county lake. Still, even though pale light now surrounded us, the thought came back — Sunrise does not appear imminent.

The service had already begun as we walked along the low causeway that allowed access to the island. Other people followed us. We joined the crowd, huddled close for both fellowship and warmth. I glanced at the treeline as the congregation, combined Methodists and Friends, sang and worshiped. A great blue heron rose majestically from the lake, while a trio of ducks dipped and rolled in an acrobatic show above us. A chorus of wildlife joined our hymn. Sunrise does not appear imminent. As my pastor stepped to the podium to begin his sermon, rays of light broke through the low cloud bank that hovered just above the treeline. Like a fanfare of trumpets, these rays heralded the coming of the true dawn. Within seconds, as Don spoke of the risen Lord, a radiant sun, too bright to behold directly, rose to shine its light upon us.

Sonrise does not appear imminent! Suddenly, the message was as clear to me as the brilliant day. Sonrise does not appear imminent. As we go about our daily lives, absorbed in the many details of modern life, how many of us notice the heralds of the dawn? I know that most mornings I arise in the dark, then realize that while I went about my business daylight has come without my taking note of it.

Will we treat the Christ the same way? Sonrise does not appear imminent. Do we listen for the trumpets? Do we watch for the heralds? Do we heed the wisdom of those who read the signs? Or do we arise in the dark, thinking, Sonrise does not appear imminent? Will we be suddenly faced with the presence of the radiant majesty of God, too bright to behold directly, and realize that a new day has come?

Sonrise does not appear imminent, but it may be closer than we think. Will we be ready?

The Bad and Good About Kansas Wind

Source: Kansas Dept. Of Wildlife and Parks

Murphy's Law Connection To Pratt Kansas

What does "Murphy's Law" have to do with Pratt, Kansas USA? Read on to find out...

What is "Murphy's Law"? (Source is Xpergo):
"Edward A. Murphy, Jr. was one of the engineers on the rocket-sled experiments that were done by the U.S. Air Force in 1949 to test human acceleration tolerances (USAF project MX981). One experiment involved a set of 16 accelerometers mounted to different parts of the subject's body. There were two ways each sensor could be glued to its mount, and somebody methodically installed all 16 the wrong way around. Murphy then made the original form of his pronouncement, which the test subject (Major John Paul Stapp) quoted at a news conference a few days later. Within months `Murphy's Law' had spread to various technical cultures connected to aerospace engineering. Before too many years had gone by variants had passed into the popular imagination, changing as they went. Most of these are variants on "Anything that can go wrong, will"; this is correctly referred to as Finagle's Law. The memetic drift apparent in these mutants clearly demonstrates Murphy's Law acting on itself!"

How is this related to Pratt Kansas? Keep reading...
"General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, in his farewell address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." An old soldier has faded away – retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) John Paul Stapp. Colonel Stapp, regarded as the "fastest man on earth," died at his home Saturday at the age of 89. On Dec. 10, 1954, Colonel Stapp rode Sonic Wind No. 1, a rocket-powered sled, down Holloman’s high-speed test track. Achieving a speed of 632 mph, Colonel Stapp was braked to a stop in 1.4 seconds and endured the force of 40 Gs – roughly 40 times his own body weight. The purpose of Colonel Stapp’s now famous ride was to test the effects of deceleration on man. His work resulted in better ejection systems in military aircraft and the seatbelts that are mandatory in virtually all vehicles in this country. An autographed photograph of Colonel Stapp, taken at the end of his famous final sled ride, hangs on the wall at the 846th Test Squadron headquarters, where he was a frequent visitor. His sled is on display at Stapp Park on the grounds of the International Space Hall of Fame and Museum in Alamogordo. Upon learning of Colonel Stapp’s death, Col. Timothy G. Cloonan, flight surgeon at Keelser Air Force Base, Miss., said, "Colleagues: Dr. Stapp is a true American hero, breaking ground for the science of high speed ejection. His work eventually led to saving hundreds if not thousands of airmen’s lives. "I call to every flight surgeon, look to Dr. Stapp as a role model who truly lived a career of ‘service before self.’ He dared to look a few paces ahead, saw what was needed, knew what had to be done and did it. "To our ‘high fast drivers’ it was Dr. Stapp’s ground-breaking work, self sacrifice and mission dedication," Colonel Cloonan said. "His work led to the development of a means to enable and survive high-speed ejections that we depend on every day. The ACES II seat just didn’t fall out of the sky one day." Colonel Stapp was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, April 12, 1955. Airman Magazine featured him in its April 1998 issue. That article can be found at www.af.mil/news/airman/0498/sled.htm. He was scheduled to be interviewed at Holloman Nov. 18 by RDF Television out of London on his early work with test dummies. A NOVA crew traveled from London to Holloman to interview the colonel on his role in the coining of Murphy’s Law when he was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Murphy’s law is "If anything can go wrong, it will." Murphy refers to Edward A. Murphy, Jr., an engineer with the U.S. Air Force in 1949. In one experiment, sensors were mounted backwards, to which Murphy said, "If there’s a wrong way to do something, then someone will do it." Then Maj. John Paul Stapp quoted Murphy at a press conference a couple of days later. Murphy’s law quickly caught on. John Paul Stapp was born July 11, 1910, in Bahia Brazil, the first of four sons of the Rev. Charles Franklin Stapp, from Burnet, Texas, and Louise Shannon Stapp of Burleson, Texas. Both were Southern Baptist missionaries. He was home-schooled until 1922, at which time he attended one year of school at Brownwood High School in Texas. He graduated from San Marcos Baptist Academy, Texas, in 1926 and then attended business school there for a year. He received a bachelor’s degree in zoology and chemistry in 1931 and a master’s degree in the same in 1932 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In 1940, he received a doctorate in biophysics. He received his master’s from the University Medical School, where he also served his internship. He continued his education at the Medical Field Service School, at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., in 1944, then completed his residency in Military Medicine at Lincoln Army Air Base Regional Hospital, Neb. In 1945, he attended the Flight Surgeon course at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Colonel Stapp entered the Army Air Force Reserve in 1942, as a second lieutenant, while attending medical school. He entered the Army Student Training Program at Medical School. He became a first lieutenant in the Medical Corps, Army Reserves, in 1943 while an intern. He was called to active duty on Oct. 4, 1944, at Pratt Air Base, Kansas. Then Lt. Col. Stapp came to Holloman in 1953 as senior flight surgeon and chief of the Aeromedical Field Laboratory. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1954. The colonel left Holloman in 1958 to become chief of the Aeromedical Field Laboratory at Wright-Patterson. He became chief scientist of the Aerospace Medical Division at Brooks Air Force Base in 1960. He was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1979; was elected an honorary member of the Military Order of the Daedalians in 1981; was elected a Fellow, Society of Automotive Engineers in 1984; and was elected to the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1985. He garnered many other honors too numerous to mention. Colonel Stapp is survived by his wife, Lillian, of Alamogordo; a brother, Wilford, of San Antonio; and a cousin, Shannon Wells Hucid of Houston, who flew a shuttle mission several years ago. A memorial service will be conducted Nov. 22 in San Antonio. Colonel Stapp’s remains will be cremated and his ashes buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, in El Paso. Plans for a graveside service are pending."


So there you have it!
John Paul Stapp is one of many "famous" people who served at Pratt Army Air Field in WW II.
I am sure there were many others, and I will post information about each as they are discovered.

The Bat Bomb Project In WW II

"The Bat Bomb is a great story about an idea that wasn't. The following quote from McCracken's correspondence with R.A. von Doenhoff of the United States National Archive concerning Project X-Ray (McCracken, 1990) briefly summarizes this debacle. "Project X-Ray was an experiment undertaken by the Department of the Navy to determine if incendiary devices attached to bats would be useful if they were released form aircraft over major Japanese cities. The theory was that the bats would be released just before dawn with incendiary devices with timers attached to each bat. As daylight approached, the bats would head for dark recesses of wooden Japanese houses. When the bats were safely asleep, the incendiary devices would ignite, thus producing a conflagration of unprecedented proportions. A test run of this theory was carried out in the southwestern United States. However, the advent of the atomic bomb rendered this experiment moot." Source Link: Wikipedia



Watch this video clip about the development of the Bat Bomb.