Hello! First of all, I'll be picking up my membership once again, once summer hits. At least it looks like I'll be able to do that. I sure hope so, anyway!
Regarding Merrill Field and all sorts of history in that regard, our family has a relative who was involved way back when.
Bob Reeve was a first cousin (a number of times removed, I believe) to my grandmother Berenice Smith.
When his biography/autobiography (it's both) was written and published by Beth Day Romulo, my Grandma was sent an autographed copy of it. When she passed away, it was willed to my mom (Phyllis A. Minish, of Valdez, Alaska), and when she passed away, two brothers, my sister, and I were willed the book, which is now in my custody.
You can read about the book ...
Glacier Pilot: The Story of Bob Reeve and the Flyers who Pushed Back Alaska's Air Frontiers
An article from the Municipality of Anchorage also mentions Bob, along with all of the rest of the people involved with Merrill and the wonderful pilots from way back before I was born (November 29, 1949).
Ray Peterson was the father of my best friend in West High school 1968. I got to fly around the state with them when he got new airplanes. Wein Consolidated. I also got to work at his fishing camp Kulik one summer. Also an aviation pioneer in Alaska!
Hello! First of all, I'll be picking up my membership once again, once summer hits. At least it looks like I'll be able to do that. I sure hope so, anyway!
Regarding Merrill Field and all sorts of history in that regard, our family has a relative who was involved way back when.
Bob Reeve was a first cousin (a number of times removed, I believe) to my grandmother Berenice Smith.
When his biography/autobiography (it's both) was written and published by Beth Day Romulo, my Grandma was sent an autographed copy of it. When she passed away, it was willed to my mom (Phyllis A. Minish, of Valdez, Alaska), and when she passed away, two brothers, my sister, and I were willed the book, which is now in my custody.
You can read about the book ...
Glacier Pilot: The Story of Bob Reeve and the Flyers who Pushed Back Alaska's Air Frontiers
... at the link below.
https://books.google.com/books?id=xd4mAAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Merrill+Field
An article from the Municipality of Anchorage also mentions Bob, along with all of the rest of the people involved with Merrill and the wonderful pilots from way back before I was born (November 29, 1949).
https://www.muni.org/Departments/merrill_field/pages/history.aspx
Thank you very much for sharing the Russell Merrill story. Merrill Field has always been a wonderful memory to me.
Linda - Wow! Great information. Thank you for sharing.
Ray Peterson was the father of my best friend in West High school 1968. I got to fly around the state with them when he got new airplanes. Wein Consolidated. I also got to work at his fishing camp Kulik one summer. Also an aviation pioneer in Alaska!
Aposticon - great story - thank you for sharing -