Left to right: Win Stites, Bill Maris, Ed Spromberg, George Lindsay, Dolan Lannan, Adolph Meisch, Gene Guthrie
(Photo courtesy of PBYMA)
We should give credit to the PBY Catalina International Association as Dick Klinge and I (Gene Guthrie) created it for that organization and Jim Thompson, the secretary/treasurer who is the titular head of the organization, created the formal certificate and sent some copies of them to me at my request. - Jim was Dick Klinge's co-pilot during Dick's 2nd tour in PBYs in the South Pacific. - Further background: Dick Klinge was Ens. S. O. "Pappy" Cole's co-pilot who picked up Ens George Gay, the only survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8 from the USS Hornet, after the Battle of Midway. - Pappy Cole was my C.O. in VPB-43 in the Aleutians. Pappy retired in Oak Harbor and died of cancer about 10 or so years ago. |