August - 2014
Volume 7 • Number 8
Summary of FAHS Meeting – August 2, 2014
St. Petersburg Museum of History - Attending: Joe Rubin, Ron Streicher, Dr. Warren Brown, Mary Fletcher, Bill Buston,
Bill Barnes, Eric Orford, Dave Wilgus, Ed Slattery, Chris Fiore,Joan Karins, Terri Griner and Clive Newcomb.
Secretary’s Report: July meetings minutes were accepted without FAHS web-site: Mary Fletcher reported that our web-site www.
floridaahs.org is averaging around 60 hits each month.
additions or correction.
Treasurer’s Report: Dr. Brown reported that out of 754 members, St. Petersburg Museum of History: Joan Karins talked of the
including four new, that 108 have been delinquent at least 5 years. museums banquet November 21st which will be herd in Hanger
one at Albert-Witted airport. The casual event “100 Years of
Delinquent notices will go out in the next “Happy Landings” news
Commercial Aviation” will focus on the 50s and 60s when St.
letter.
Pete to Cuba flights were popular. Park Shore Restaurant will
John McLeod a long time member from Jacksonville died recently
cater the event.
and willed the association $1000.
EAA Chapter 282: The airframe for the Acro Duster Sport is together and work is proceeding laying out the canopy. Runway 16/34
at Clearwater Airpark (kclw) has been extended and resurfaced.
- now 4108’ x 75’ The Florida Department of Transportation has
named the airpark “2014 General Aviation Airport of the Year”
A.W.A.P.S and EAA Chapter 47: The EAA is sponsoring a Young
Eagles Free Flight Event for children 8-17 years old on September
20th.Volunteers should contact Terri at 822-1532. lAlbert Whitted
Airport (kspg) has given free flights to over 3600 kids. Now 5 continents participate and 1.5 million youths have been given free flights
world wide. Terri Griner discussed her recent trip to Africa to visit
her daughter Alison, a Peace Corp volunteer stationed there. The
itinerary included trips to Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Fla. Hall of Fame: Dr. Brown will be sending out nomination
requests for the straw poll. He and Chris Fiore will attempt to set
up a meeting with Rob Williams at Sun-n-Fun to discuss plans for
There will be a band and a raffle. An effort is being make to have
next years awards event. Chris has not been getting replies to his
E-mails from them. Terri Griner offered to make inquiries with con- antique aircraft of that period on display. Tickets for this fund
raiser will be $150 each.
tacts she has there. It was suggested a written request be mailed
asking for a reply within two weeds. Members felt it important to ex- The Spanish Exhibit is planned at the Museum for the end of Auplore the possibility of some future events held at the St. Petersburg gust or early September celebrating Juan Ponce de Leon landing
Museum of History. Joan Karins thought that the museum would be at St. Augustine 500 years ago. It’s unclear whether or not the
Spanish ship will obtain permission from the Coast Guard to
amiable and she could help in working out the details. She
come into the Vinoy’s shallow basin.
thought Hops and Props at the museum could possibly cater the
Benoist Model: Bob Walker has submitted a claim to IATI for the
event. She suggested sponsors could defray expenses. Mary
damage the model received in transit from Qatar. Once the insurFletcher suggested Jessie Woods as a worthy candidate for the
Hall of Fame (Note: This early aviatrix – wing walker performed at ance claim is settled a place to store the model is needed and a
decision about its future disposition be determined. Terri Griner
Sun-n-Fun a few years ago when she was about 83.
has hanger space at Albert Whitted that may be suitable.
You should check the web-site where she describes those early
A group went to check out the Dave Wilgus trailer. Size is suffiyears barnstorming with the Flying Aces Airshow which she and
cient and they estimate $500 is needed initially for new tires,
her husband Jack started. She said in the video she didn’t know
much about aviation in those days. She mentions how she only fell door repairs and modification of the trailer. Ron Streicher has a
source for the tires.
off the wing twice. Once was with a chute.
Polk County Chapter: John Stemple sent a photo of the plaque
http://eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=1454974951)
continued on Page 2
August - 2014
Volume 7 • Number 8
Continued from Front page
the club commissioned to be placed over the grave site of WWII
RAF pilots who died in training at the airport in Arcadia.
At the end of the meeting members shared a birthday cake for
Dr. Brown and Terri donated items to lucky drawing winners.
Meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.
Clive Newcomb, Secretary
Happy Birthday to
Warren Brown
A Litle Bit of History
Interesting photos of the preparation of Surrender of
Japan in August 1945.(Officially signed on the USS Missouri in the Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945) A delegation
of Japanese Representatives flew to an American Base
close to Okinawa. The Japanese planes were requested
to be painted in white and have the”Meatballs” replaced
by a Green Cross.
Really rare archives......
Here are photographs of some of
those Green Cross
flights and Green
Cross aircraft,
starting with the most
photographed of
them all the Green
Cross Bettys of
Lejima.
The island of Iejima today. In 1945, it was the place where
the Japanese and the Allies met in peace for the first time
in nearly four years. Today, the 9-square-mile farm island is
sometimes called Peanut Island, for its general shape and
peanut crop, or Flower Island, for its abundant flower production. Photo via Wikipedia
Let the surrender begin. B-25J Mitchell bombers of the 345th
Bomb Group (The Apaches) lead two Green Cross Mitsubishi
G4M Betty medium bombers into the island of Iejima (called
IeShima by the Americans). The 345th Bomb Group (the
498th, 499th, 500th and 501st Squadrons) was based on
Lejima and was given the task and the very special honour of
escorting the Bettys from Tokyo to the rendezvous with United
States Army Air Force C-54s, which would take the Japanese
officers and envoys on to Manila to meet with no less than
DouglasMacArthur himself. Photo: USAF
As thousands of suspicious, curious and anxious young men look on,
the Japanese pilot brings his Mitsubishi Betty down on to the bleached
coral airfield of Iejima. Photo via Pinterest
Chief Warrant Officer James Chastain, an air force photographer/photo lab
technician, with camera in hand, gets one of his buddies to snap a photo of
him with a Green Cross Betty. Of that day, Chastain remembers, “Prior to the
envoys landing, GI troops had been positioned approximately six feet apart
on either side of the landing runway. One of the Betties[sic] had part of the
Plexiglas of the tail gunner’s position missing and the person in that position
could be plainly seen. As the Betty settled to the runway for a less than perfect
landing the person in the tail gunner’s position saw all of the people standing
behind the GIs that lined the runway and it appeared that he wasn’t sure what
action our guards were going to take, he immediately scurried forward out of
sight. Massive rolls of barbed wire prevented us getting in position for close up
shots of the Envoys transfer to the awaiting C-54s. Later when we were able
to view the Betties more closely, one could see that paint jobs were slightly
streaked as if they had been hurriedly applied by brush. One could even see
After the Japanese delegates boarded the American C-54
Skymaster at Iejima, they were flown 1,500 kilometres over
the South China Sea to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Here, we see General DouglasMacArthur watching
the arrival of the Japanese entourage from the balcony of
the ruined Manila City Hall. Most of the city’s fine old Spanish-style buildings were destroyed in the battle to retake
the city from the Japanese in February and March of that
the old redmeat Ball through the thin white paint.
However the green crosses had been applied with
more care.” Photo: via James Chastain, 36 Photo Recon
Squadron
year. Americans and Filipino citizens look on warily. More than 100,000
Manilans and 1,000 Americans were killed battling the Japanese, so
this crowd would not be considered to be welcoming.
Photo: U.S. Naval Historical Center