Daring young men and their flying machines ...

Maj. Homer "Al" Smith

Bassel Blakesmith

The likelihood that the United States soon would be fully engaged in what we now call World War II  seemed remote in Lucas County as spring approached during March of 1940 and flight was for the most part an adventuresome pastime for a few young men.

Five --- Bassel Blakesmith, Jack Callahan, Lloyd Moore, Al Smith and Paul Show --- were sharing the expense involved in regular trips to airports in Ottumwa and Des Moines for flying lessons.

There was no airport, but a farm field north of town called "Brown's field" offered a makeshift landing place. Don Davidson was the only Lucas Countyan who actually owned a plane, a Piper Cub kept at the airport in Ottumwa.

The Chariton newspapers, that month, set out to find out more about daring young men and their flying machines, publishing the result on March 7 under the headline "Interest in Flying Is at New 'High' in Chariton."

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The next time you hear a pane roaring along overhead and flying low over some of Chariton's homes, don't think that some flyer is way off his course and is flying low to check his bearings.

Nine chances out of ten it will be one of the fourteen Chariton flyers who do considerable flying around these parts every now and then.

Yes, fourteen flyers and there may be even more in this city that have taken lessons at one time or another or who may have even soloed --- the first hurdle of the flying enthusiast.

Most of the younger flyers had their training at either Des Moines or Ottumwa while the older ones are either war-time flyers or learned in private schools.

Dean of the active flyers in Chariton is W. D. Jones, manager of the Western Auto Supply Store an captain in the air corps reserve. Captain Jones was a war-time flyer, having been commissioned in the air corps at Kelly Field in 1918.

After the war he dropped out of flying for a while. In 1929, however, he was commissioned in the Reserve Corps and has been actively engaged in army flying ever since. He has attended several camps with air units during past summers and when weather permits, he flies army ships from Fairfax field  in Kansas City. He is attached by reserve commission to the 8th Corps Area Service Command.

Jerry Gerbracht, manager of the Ritz theater, is another of the more experienced flyers although he no longer flies steadily. He learned to fly in 1912. For a while, he was pilot of a "flying office" equipped and maintained by H. L. Ogg, Newton, Ia., washing machine tycoon.

Gordon Standing is another of the more colorful figures in Chariton's aviation circles, having been on the bottom side of a  parachute on three occasions. He has 200 flying hours logged since he learned to fly at the Siddel's Airways school in Lincoln, Nebr.

For a while he studied at the Lincoln Airplane Flying School where Charles A. Lindbergh started learning how it was done.

Don Davidson is the only one of Chariton's flyers to own his own ship. He recently purchased a Piper Cub which he keeps at the Ottumwa airport. Davidson learned to  fly at the Ottumwa port and is a member of the Sunset  Patrol, group  of flyers at that  port. He has been in the game for about two years.

Paul Show and Bassel Blakesmith have both soloed, having their instruction at Des Moines. Both have been in flying for about a year and are now working for their private licenses.

Among the newer flyers in Chariton is Homer "Al" Smith who has soloed and who is now working for a private license. He had his instruction at both Des Moines and Ottumwa.

Alva Chandler has two hours solo while Bris Gookin, Jack Callahan, Steve Pardock, Trefor Jones, Lloyd and Mecan Moore are all experienced to various degrees either in student training or at solo flying.

There is a Chariton boy in the Amy who is turning in a good job of becoming an airplane mechanic. His name is Joe Storey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Storey of Chariton.

Recently, young Joe was ordered to the Curtis-Wright  Institute to study airplane engine mechanics for the  Army. He enlisted at Des Moines last October. Official reports said that his ability to obtain an appointment to the Curtis-Wright school in such a  short time was "considered exceptional."

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Joe Storey

With the advent of war, William Dale Jones was recalled to active duty and rose during the war to the rank of major. He died during 1972 in Florida. Joe Storey, too, became a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, one of the original "flying sergeants," and made a career of the military. He retired a major, too, and died during 2015 at the age of 94 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Bassel Blakesmith and Al Smith, brothers-in-law as well as friends, enlisted together and both were U.S. Army air Corps pilots. Blakesmith was career military, too, and retired a colonel after serving in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He died Dec. 8, 2003, and is buried in the Chariton Cemetery.

Al Smith, also a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, rose to the rank of major during the war. He was ferrying a P-51 Fighter to Shanghai when his plane went down on Nov. 19, 1945, near Hweichow, China, exploded and burned. There were no remains to recover. His cenotaph is located in the Chariton Cemetery.