Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 7/12/11) Final Chapter

[bigcreekdad]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

My God!! I've been reading this thread for 45 minutes. It's absolutely incredible. It is wondeful you have taken the time to connect the families of the flyers, heroes all. My uncle perished from a kamikaze hit on the carrier Bismark Sea. I have tried internet searches to learn more about his ship and the incident (it is briefly described in "Flags of Our Fathers"), so I'm certain that many of the families of all those in the material you have found and researched have done the same. You have given them some wonderful things. And donating to the museum your treasure says much more about you. You done good lad!

AS for that letter from the RAF flyer to his mother....what can I say. Someone mentioned showing it to Glen Beck. If you listen to Beck, you'll know he could never read this on air without weeping. Hell, I damn near wept just reading it. Sadly, I think the spirit embodied in this young mans letter is a thing of the past.

 

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[Moonlight]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

This is one of the greatest post, find, story. that I have ever read!!....This story of this man's life and the hero's along with him needs to be made into a movie!...Thank you for sharing this amazing find and story. I think fate put this man's belongings into you hands and what good hands they are!!..

All I can say is that I want more, more....It is such an amazing historical story and it hits you right in the heart!.....To think that this history almost got thrown in the dump!...Stephen Spielberg could make a great movie of this man's life..


Thank you for posting this amazing find of a lifetime.

 

[cwishman]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Hi all -

My grandmother's brother was on Liberty Hound, which I just found out by searching his name. I, nor do I think she ever knew that anyone survived the crash. He was William P. Heaford. He was the tail-gunner. I have at least two different crew photos of them, his flag, and more. She kept everything, if you are interested I can scan some stuff in. I am a younger person but this story means a lot to me because he meant so much to her.

 

[cwishman]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

I guess I also have to add that I am really sad that she passed away (20 years ago now) and never connected with the heroic crew that her brother served with. He was her baby brother.

 

[Felinepeachy]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

I would contact the National Naval Aviation Museum.

http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/AboutMuseum/MuseumHistory.aspx

 

[foreverRich]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

The "treasure" you found, far exceeds anything you might have found detecting that day. Thanks for sharing it. It says a lot about your character. It was one of those posts that you couldn't stop reading until the end. You certainly did a great job of presenting the information.

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Gyps, that statement coming from you is an honor in itself, thank you very much.
I figured the knife Asian or Polynesian as he spent his time in the Pacific arena from Hawaii to the East.

When I saw the sword I thought that it may from the Philippines or possibly Indonesia

 

[Potter Poker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Congrats, this find is more valuable than if you had found a couple of gold coins! Much of that material deserves to be in the WWII Museum- I'm referring to the one in Eldred, Pa. I've been there a couple of times and their material is priceless, as is what you have found!

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

I haven't revisited this post for a long time. Thanks to all that have commented recently on this post. Cwishman, by all means add anything you have to this post. You have blood in your veins that also flowed in one of these men so this post is more yours than mine!

 

[Gaijun1]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Pretty Cool Pictures I Enjoyed Them

 

[goldenrod]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Backpacker
did you ever try to get in touch with Jeff Underwood at the Dayton Air Force Museum?
He is an aquaitence of mine and would be interested in you finds.

 

[phifly04]

Re: Had every intention to detect (UPDATE 4/21/10)

Awesome!!!! The whole thread was an absolute great story--And great follow-up

 

[packerbacker]

Thanks to all who have commented on this posting. It has been a long time coming but this stuff has found a resting spot and is now viewed and commented on daily by the general public. It has it's own display case at the Northern California Veterans Museum in Redding, CA. I'm so proud to have been given the privilege to caretake all of Mr. Wallace's property from his birth certificate to his death certificate. One of the first wounded at Pearl Harbor to being shot down over Marcus Island. I agree with what some have said about his story making a great movie or book. Anyway, I'm posting a pic of his items in their display case at the museum. The curator there said that Maurice, his crew and his story have become a favorite at the museum and they are very surprised that all of the items have been kept in such great shape and kept together and not sold off like so many WWll items have been. I didn't say "final" resting place because the museum there is temporary until the big museum is built. His items will then be transferred to the new building. There are still a few items not yet displayed but will be eventually.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

***** packer, excellent story, and ***** for you personally.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Cheryl]

Oh wow!! I can see why it is a favorite!! Wish I didn't live so far away, I would love to see it in person. So is someone working on a book? So glad you found a wonderful place for his history. I still can't believe he had no relatives to give these things to. But probably it worked out good this way, his relatives maybe wouldn't have kept it all together all these years. Thanks for sharing the pictures, Mike. Glad I could help. 8)

 

[packerbacker]

Yeah Cheryl, the curators even trid to locate family but couldn't. Mr. Wallace and his wife, Danny, never had any children. When you first said the word "museum" it put a spark in me and I knew then that this stuff HAD to be in one no matter where it was. You know what's ironic about this whole thing?? The museum it is in is less than a mile from the storage unit the items were found in.

 

[diggummup]

I'm so glad to see that this man's miltary career will always be remembered and repected as it rests in a place of honor for all to see. Thank you for preserving it Packer, it says alot about your dignity and character as a human being. A good deed is never forgotten.

 

[packerbacker]

I do appreciate the accolades but it was basically a no-brainer. We just felt that it wouldn't be proper to profit from someone else's accomplishments, courage and heroism. It would have been like stealing from, not only the man, but from his crew, his squadron and all that served during that time. Much better that the items and the story be kept intact and get them all credited for what they did and preserve it for others to see and possibly learn from.

 

[HISPAN]

awesome find!

 

[AgentX]

This is one of the most fascinating stories I've read. My work productivity went way down for a day when I first found this thread.

Thank you for preserving history for the rest of our great nation to see.