Just learned something new

NC Hokie · October 13, 2009, 01:21:09 AM

I just finished reading The Giant Airships from Time-Life Books and was quite surprised to find the final words of the book attributed to one of the founding fathers of CAP.

QuoteThose of us long in the air know what it is to reach out in salute to the embodiment of our hopes, and suddenly find our fingers filled with ashes.

Who said it and what was the context?

MSgt Van · October 13, 2009, 02:09:26 AM

Let's just say it was the supervisor at Lakehurst...

NC Hokie · October 13, 2009, 02:21:11 AM

Quote from: MSgt Van on October 13, 2009, 02:09:26 AM
Let's just say it was the supervisor at Lakehurst...

You got the gold star without ruining it for everyone else. NICE!

SarDragon · October 13, 2009, 03:47:37 AM

Initials CER? CDR or VADM USN?

The person I'm thinking of was certainly much more than a "supervisor".

NC Hokie · October 13, 2009, 04:03:50 AM

Quote from: SarDragon on October 13, 2009, 03:47:37 AM
Initials CER? CDR or VADM USN?

The person I'm thinking of was certainly much more than a "supervisor".

Nope, but our guy apparently worked for Rosendahl when an era of aviation history came to an end.

SarDragon · October 13, 2009, 04:48:26 AM

Very interesting!

NC Hokie · October 14, 2009, 03:32:16 AM

The quote is attributed to Gill Robb Wilson, landing supervisor at NAS Lakehurst the night that the Hindenburg crashed, effectively ending the era of the rigid airship.

SarDragon · October 14, 2009, 04:25:42 AM

I was stationed there for three years, and drove through the crash site area every day on the way to work. They finally put a memorial for the crash on the site in 1987. During his lifetime, VADM Rosendahl actively discouraged efforts to erect any memorial, based on his belief that it was inappropriate to memorialize the end of the airship era.