Searching As A Mourner In Winslow, Arizona
CREDIT: © Craig A. Fuller/AviationArchaeology.com
WHERE: Winslow, AZ. WHAT: air wreck site investigation.
MAP: Winslow. Thumbnail pops-up source web page.

We think the term 'Renaissance Man' is overused, applied in an age of specialization to anybody who has more than two areas of interest. We have heard it said that Leonardo da Vinci, a true Renaissance man if for no other reason than he lived 1452-1519, was the last person to fully grasp the whole body of human knowledge. That excludes so many peoples, the First Americans and the Sino-Japanese groups without even pausing to think, that it is close to offensive as well as shallow, but it does at least provide a kind of yardstick to the specialization of Euro-American knowledge after Leonardo.

One of the specialists we have come across recently was Craig A. Fuller, who is an 'Aviation Archaeologist'. Although we find archaeology exciting, Craig is at pains to point out on his 'What is Aviation Archaeology?' page that sites with major airplane fuselage remains are rare. More normally the remains are a burn area, with only a few scattered small parts. The AAIR 'Welcome & Mission Statement' has more details.

It seems that aviation archaeology is not one of the areas of knowledge reserved to cloistered academics: the requirement for numbers of ambulant searchers probably precludes such exclusivity. Craig's research is openly inclusive, and we reproduce below an invitation to join him in Arizona on a hunt for evidence:

From: Craig A. Fuller

This Sunday I am going to look for two crash sites just east of Flagstaff: 12 FEB 44 B-17G s/n 42-31705 from Kingman AAF crashed 30 miles west of Winslow. Capt. John R. Knox and a Naval Lt. E.H. Johnson were killed in the crash. 1st Lt. Frank Rowe, 2nd Lt. Jack N. Wallace, Sgt. Elwyn E. Epstein, Cpl. John E. Beeman, Sgt. H. P. Sharetts, and 2nd Lt. W.R. Helm all received minor injuries. 28 MAR 43 BT-13A s/n 41-1586 and BT-13A s/n 41-1602 from Twentynine Palms, CA collided 30 miles west of Winslow near light 43B on Green Airway # 4 and near Gordon Dam. Civilian Glenn Robert Leach and F/0 Keith W. Travis were killed in 586. 2nd Lt. Joseph L. McClellan Jr. parachuted safely, while Norman H. Webber was killed in 602.

If interested in joining the search send me an e-mail for more details.

Craig Fuller, AAIR Aviation Archaeological Investigation &, Falcon Field Station, Box 22049 Mesa, AZ 85277-2049 t.480.218.8198 aair@juno.com

We would appreciate hearing from anybody who joins Craig this weekend, especially if there are any details and photographs accompanying your report.

The headline is not meant to be light hearted, or disrespectful in any way. We recently watched a PBS [Public Broadcasting Service] documentary in the 'History Detectives' series, centered on two propellors displayed on an hotel lawn in Newport, Rhode Island. The investigation gave closure to two brothers, Bob & Paul Westerlund, whose father had died on the USS Eagle 56, torpedoed by a German submarine, the U-505, from which the propellors had been retrieved.

The investigation also discussed a probable cover up by the authorities, and a later correction to the official version of events, which resulted in the retrospective award of Purple Hearts to those aboard the ill fated USA ship. The descendants of the crew of the German boat were not mentioned, but if they hear of these facts there may be closure for some of them, too. We thought that program was at least one possible answer to the question, "What use are history and archaeology?"

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