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

[packerbacker]

I was going to detect last Saturday but cleaned out a 10 x 20 storage shed instead. Was told I could have everything in there to keep them from paying $80 per month. Most of it was just junk and yard sale type items. Along with all the junk was a box. Inside this box was a Purple Heart. The guy had earned 2 Purple Hearts. One he received on Dec. 7th, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Another medal in there was a Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a Naval aviator and was shot down in combat. By the way, the guy who earned these had no children and passed away years ago. His casket flag was in there and a 1940 "Flight Jacket" class book. He has updated the pictures in the book with captions like "Killed at Midway", "Lost at sea", "Shot down over Pearl Dec.7th, survived" etc. etc. One was even captioned "Court Marshalled" His citations were signed by Forrestal and Nimitz on behalf of the President. All the books needed to maintain a B24D, including the armament book, were there too. Also a pair of black leather USN bomber pilot, cold weather flying gloves in mint condition. There were also a bunch of photos of various aircraft and some photos that were stamped "Restricted". Lots of photos of various flight crews by their aircraft were in there. His uniform including the officer's cap was there but the cap is beginning to deteriorate. This is what I found most exciting. He was a photographer while he was attending flight school. President Roosevelt visited the base during this time. He took photos of him adressing the class, riding in a car and fishing. These are professional-looking pictures that I'm sure were taken with a Navy camera. Some of the photos were printed in their class book. The thing is, the ORIGINAL NEGATIVES for these photos (excuse me for shouting) were in a large envelope and in pristine condition. Some may have never been developed. Amongst all of this are newspaper clippings and handwritten accounts of crashing at sea and their rescue by a sub 7-1/4 hours later. It's amazing stuff and will take some time to sort it all out but, although it wasn't detected, it's my best find. Hope I posted in the right place.

 

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[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Re: Had every intention to detect

HOLA : guard this with your life my friend, extremely rare in ths condition and completeness. It will gorw more important as history is rewritten, incorrectly most of the time.

Unfortunately, I never kept pictures or documentation, what little I did have has long gone into the discards of time and neglect.

Sigh, snifff

Till Eulenspiegle de La Mancha

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect

A little update to this story. Also in the box was a large piece of shredded metal, about 3 inches long. At Pearl he was wounded in the leg by machine gun fire and he still managed, with another officer, to direct anti-aircraft fire. Then a bomb went off killing the other officer and wounding him in the back. We are guessing the metal is the shrapnel from the bomb that hit him in the back. Also found 3 pictures (no negatives yet) of Amelia Earhart taken in 1929. We are now thinking his father was also a photographer, not sure. One picture of Amelia has her standing by a plane with an older woman. We are going to see if this older woman might be her mother or possibly Grace Coolidge; the presidents wife.

 

[dg39]

Re: Had every intention to detect

As Curator of a museum, one bit of advice.... Don't let anything out of your hands till you reserch it all. That will be the most fun. You have a super story in the making. He left no heirs? Fantastic Find!!! I would love to have copys of the plane photos for my museum. My home town was the center of training for armyand aaf during ww2.. The famous Louisiana Manuvers took place here and the prototype jeep was also tested here...Check out my web-site.

 

[roswellborn]

Re: Had every intention to detect

That is one awesome find! Waaay beyond just "outstanding!"

I'm with the curator; do the research yourself and have a ball.

You might think about getting those negatives checked out though, seems as if negatives - or films can get brittle over time.

Terrific find

HH
Nan

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect

Finding more stuff in the boxes. This is a silk map used by aviators so if it got wet it could still be used. This map is of the Pacific area with China and Japan etc. on it. The map gives navigational info. but also has the ocean currents on it in case they hit the drink and became sailors. It's two-sided with the same map on each side but one side shows summer currents and the other shows the winter currents. Mint condition except for the creases. I'm afraid to iron it. Measures about 27" X 35"
Thanks for the comments folks. dg39, I may be able to get you some pics but may be a while.

 

[dg39]

Re: Had every intention to detect

dg39, I may be able to get you some pics but may be a while.

No problem. Email me if you wish...Dont iron map just leave as is..Sounds like great finds. I would be like a kid in a candy store.....

 

[trk5capt]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

PACKER, Just Doesn't Get Much Better Than That, You Have Truely Found A Treasure. Congrats. trk5capt...

 

[Chagy]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

WOW!!! very nice finding.

I have always said that some peoples trash is others peoples treasure.

Best,

Chagy........

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

More stuff found. Some of this stuff is captivating me. First, there is an original oil painting of this guy in his Lt. Commander uniform with his medals. Can't figure out the artist's name as the paint is cracked right over the name. A little cleaning and magnifying glass may help. Also found his "Blood Chit". It's a silk or rayon cloth with the Chinese flag on it. Written in Chinese it states, basically, that he is an American flyer there to help in their war effort and they are instructed to help him get back to his unit.
There are some small photos (US Navy Photos) of scenes of pearl harbor during the attack. A couple have some devastating explosions occurring at the time the photos were taken ; not just smoke. At least one of them shows sailors on their ship carrying rifles. These are black and white photos and small but, they are super clear. These are copies of some I've seen before, not taken by Wallace. I'm sure they could be enlarged and not lose much detail. No pixels here.
Have the letter he wrote his wife after he was shot down in his B24D explaining he couldn't say too much about it because only 5 made it. (At the first writing of this, I thought it was a B24)
He became a photographer after the service and there are tons of photos, slides and negatives to go through. One packet with 2 negatives in it has "Slim Pickens" written on it. Slim was on the rodeo circuit before hollywood and these are rodeo pics. Also have a negative of a cowboy standing on 2 horses while they jump over an old car. There is a photo of a guy with full Indian headress on standing on 3 horses jumping over a hedge. There are some really great rodeo pics in the rest of the stuff.
I could go on and on about the pictures. Some of an old lady, some of a "Tramp" and a lot of others. They are not just photos, they are very artistic shots taken by a pro.
Found his wife's scrapbook with individual class photos, valentines and postcards from the 30's.
There are also negatives and photos of "Mother Tusch" and her air museum. Mother Tush is a long story. If interested, do a google on her. Very interesting. The house she lived in became, basically, an air museum. All of the items, including the wall paper from her house are now at the Smithsonian. These photos were taken before it was dismantled. Aviators and other famous people signed her walls next to tracings of their hands. This guys hand tracing and signature are on the wall along with guys like Nimitz. Nimitz had lost part of a finger and his hand tracing shows that. It's great stuff!
We are thinking now that the picture of the woman with Amelia Earhart isn't her mother or Mrs. Coolige, it's highly possible it's Mother Tusch. She had received a medal and, in the photo, the woman is wearing a medal.
Even found a first edition of Mitchner's "Hawaii" in mint condition.
I am not releasing the name of this flyer yet for various reasons.
None of the photos indicate any copyrights and, even if there were copyrights, they may be outdated. I'm not sure. I don't know if I can obtain copyrights as I didn't take the photos so if anyone has any info on it let me know.

 

[dg39]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

Nimitz grandson was my roommate at college. You have a real treasure trove of military history as well as other things.
As to copyright, the time period has been so long on most of that stuff that its pretty much public domain. You can do as you wish with it. I have 3 or 400 photographs at my museum. I allow copying as long as I am given credit in the lower right hand cornor, as owner of the original.

 

[diggummup]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

Incredible,just incredible.I think this will end up on "The Best of Treasurenet".I would contact a pro in this genre of ephemera and have this all appraised,even if for nothing other than insurance purposes.

 

[Blue_dog22]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

Backerpacker,

When you snap a photo it is automatically copyrighted for the life of the photographer plus 50 years. I would think that given the time frame of the photos you could consider them public domain. The photographer's heirs would own any copyright rights that remain, but try to find them. In any case they probably don't know they exist or that they might have any rights remaining. Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[goldencoin]

Re: Had every intention to detect (picture added)

simthosian would love those pics of rosevelt....
-GC

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

I took more pics of some of the pictures with a digital camera. Need a scanner to capture the clarity. Jeff, if this gets to be too much, let them stay on a few days for the regulars to view and then you can delete them if need be.
This first pic is his crew taken before they were shot down. Only 5 lived.

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

This is a neat pic of a flyer over Hawaii with cockpit open. Wish you could see depth of photo.

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

This is a flight of bombers over Hawaii off Diamond Head. Note the lack of hotels.

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

This is just a flyer and cool looking plane

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

One of many ice cream lids. This one is Clark Gable

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Had every intention to detect (MORE PICS)

This is a partial pic of Cecelia Earhart news clipping. She crashed and survived a year after Amelia