Beech Tree News Network

Of people, things and stuff; people are most interesting.

You may remember John Wayne, the actor.  His real name was Marion Morrison.  His nick name was, “Duke”.  Wayne did a lot of his own movie stunts. He went to the chiropter once a week, sometimes twice. 

One of the best-known western writers was Zane Gray.  Perhaps his all-time best seller was “Riders of the Purple Sage” He also was a doctor of dentistry.

Some friends of ours were flying back from Florida to Nashville.  Before they landed the hostess on the cabin speaker and sang Happy Trails to You.  Then she added, “My grandmother wrote that song.  Her name was Dale Evans.

Do college coaches ever smile? Maybe they don’t enjoy their work or maybe their shorts are too tight.  They are certainly paid well.

Sometimes we never know the names of heroes.  When I was a kid during World War II, my neighbor, Willard Wright, was pinned down in his foxhole in Germany, along with his buddy.  The Germans were shelling them with everything they had.  Suddenly Willard grabbed his right side down low.  The buddy thought he had been hit.  After Willard fell over the buddy called for a medic.  The medic crawled over and examined him.  He could find no wound.  When the medic pressed his lower abdomen, Willard cried out.  His appendix was about to burst.  The medic knew Willard couldn’t move.  He must operate or Willard would die. Having no scalpel, the medic found a razor blade in one of the boy’s packs and took out the swollen appendix.

No one knew or remembered the medic’s name.  I’m sure he would have said, “I ‘m no hero.  I was just doing my job.”

My friend and neighbor Willard Wright came home and married his girlfriend.  Her maiden name was Ted Edwards.  But what’s in a name?

Ernest K. Gann was a captain with American Airlines when air travel was first coming of age: late 30’s early 40’s.  He flew piston powered engine DC- “s, from Oakland, California to Hawaii.

Once on a night flight before take-off he was informed that his plane had been refitted with new dash-

 engines.

On climb-out everything was fine until her got above, feet; all four engines suddenly quit.  He turned back toward the airport and trimmed the quiet airplane in a very slight decent.  When he got below, feet, all the engines came back to life as if something had happened.  He landed safely back at Oakland.

After the passengers were unloaded, three company engineers came aboard and began to question him.  They were suspicious that Gann had done something wrong. He let them talk as they explained the procedure handling the new dash-13 engines.

The next day they wanted to test fly the plane; “You control the plane, we’ll control the engines they told him. 

When they got above 3,000 feet nothing happened for a moment. “Do you understand now Captain?” they asked him, like a school boy caught cheating.  He nodded slightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gann noticed the hands one of the fuel flow gages beginning to slightly jump.  He kept quiet…knowing what was about to happen, confident he could handle it.  Suddenly all four engines quit again.  The plane became as quiet as a church mouse.  The engineers began crying and begging like frightened children to go-back! go-back!

Captain Gann finally calmed them some and began his little speech. “Now, consider yourselves flying this plane, at night, with a plane load of men, women, and children.  What then, after wetting your pants?” He suddenly remembered God saying, “Vengeance is mine,” sayeth the Lord,” He chided himself a little for the speech.

When they got below 3,000 feet, again the engines began to run okay.  They never found out why the dash-13 engines weren’t compatible with that plane.  Its old engines were put back on.

Gann flew in World War II and after going back to American Airlines after the war he began to write: You may remember, “The High and Mighty”, “Fate is the Hunter”, and “Band of Brothers.  Three of his best sellers.

Remember, “Always drink up-stream of the herd.

Kindest Regards,