Have a Great Ride, Emily!!!

This morning at 9:00 AM, Emily Anderson and some friends set out on a great transcontinental adventure. They departed from 1930 Broadway in New York City heading for San Francisco as a reenactment of Alice Ramsey's 1909 drive across the country. Alice was the first woman to drive an automobile across the continent. Emily will be driving a 1909 Model DA Maxwell, exactly like the car Alice drove.

My 1932 Plymouths are direct descendents of the Maxwell. On June 6, 1925, Walter P. Chrysler reorganized the Maxwell Motor Company (est. 1904) to form the Chrysler Corporation. The engineering in the early Chrysler products bears a strong resemblance to the last Maxwells.

I recall the excitement I felt leaving Tacoma, Washington, in 1998, as I started on my first Great Race, heading for Haverhill, Massachusetts. My best wishes to Emily and her friends for a safe and successful trip!

Check out their Web site at http://aliceramsey.org

Moving Day!!!

The '32 Roadster

After only ten years of waiting, the 1932 Plymouth roadster went to the shop today. It will begin the conversion to a V-8 Hemi-powered streetrod. The engine and transmission are ready to go, but we have a lot of work to do to get the body and chassis ready.

My friend Monty Love came up early today and helped load the car onto the trailer. Then he and I rode to Dan and Deron Shady's shop where most of the work will be done. Monty drove my truck and trailer back while I drove my '32 Plymouth coupe, which had been at Deron's. I couldn't have done this without Monty, who is recovering from neck surgery. What a champ!

The Other '32 Plymouth -- "Winston"

The roadster currently has a 1951 Plymouth 6-cylinder engine and a transmission of unknown origin. Deron Shady will start yanking these out on Monday. I can already hear the glass packs...

Would You Trust Your Child to This Man?

The Naval Science Instructor -- 1967

St-e-e-rike One!!!!

Mary Ann's gift shop is named Ebabe's Gifts. This year, we have sponsored a first-grade girls' softball team in our county league. Naturally, they're called 'Ebabes." They had an undefeated season going into the last game on this past Monday. We watched them lose a squeaker to the Frito-Lay team. We're still going to the playoffs. We credit our devoted coaches and parents. Thanks to all. Here are a few highlights:

Back to the Past...

The Cars on Display at Guptill's Arena

This weekend deserves to be documented. It all began several months ago when I was notified that the Lincoln Zephyr Owners Club was planning to conduct a meet at Latham, New York.

I have been a member of the LZOC since the early 1970's. For several years, Margo and I were the membership chairmen of the club, and I developed and maintain the club's Web site. On that Web site, among other features, I have for several years included a calendar of events that might interest members of the club. For any major club event I usually create a special Web page describing the details with links to the host hotel, a map of the area near the site of the meet, a link that permits the user to print an application form, and a schedule of activities. So I was not simply being notified that a meet was going to take place in Latham, near Albany, New York. I was also being asked to create the Web page that would publicize it to our club members who use the Internet.

Coincidentally, I was born and raised in Schenectady, New York, so I saw this as an opportunity to not only attend a national meet of the club, but also to visit my old “stomping grounds.” I had lots of frequent flier miles stored up from my recent years' travel, so I talked it over with Mary Ann and decided to go to the meet. She had to stay at home to keep the gift shop open, but she encouraged me to go. It had been several years since I had attended a club event and I also saw it as an opportunity to renew some old and very dear friendships.

I planned to fly to Albany on Friday morning as early as possible so I'd only have to use one day of vacation. I knew that the Concours d ‘Elegance and judging were planned for Friday afternoon. My hope was that I would arrive in time to get a few pictures at that event while the cars were on display. I made it in time. My flights to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Albany both arrived early. I picked up my rental car and dashed up the road to Guptill's Arena, a 1950's-era skating rink in which I skated as a kid.

The front parking lot of Guptill's was the site of the car display. What a perfect setting. And as I expected, I started seeing a lot of familiar faces – John McAdams, one of the founders of the club in 1968, and his lovely wife Ellen; club President Jerry Emery and his wife Roz; past club president Al McWade and his wife Charlotte; Jerry and Mary Richman, Carolyn Henderson (the Chief Judge of the club), Tom Brunner (club Treasurer), and many more.

After we returned to the hotel, the technical seminar proceeded, hosted and presented by Ed Spagnolo, of Color-Ite Refinishing Company of Bethany, Connecticut, a car restoration business of long standing. Ed and his associates probably have more experience with high-quality restorations of Lincoln-Zephyrs (1936-1948) and the early Lincoln Continentals built on the Zephyr Chassis than any other restoration shop. He came equipped with a computer full of PowerPoint show-and-tell presentations of restorations, unique problems and solutions, and great personal stories. The audience really appreciated his sharing of experiences.

Friday evening was concluded with a social hour at our host hotel, the Century House Inn, a delightful buffet dinner, beautifully presented, and our traditional parts auction. Jerry Richman was his usual entertaining and fund-raising self as the auctioneer. Fines were levied for talking, laughing, and other innocent behavior. Ultimately, through the generous contributions of the Lincoln Motor Car Division of the Ford Motor Company and many club supporters, we raised over $2,000 for the club’s treasury.

Saturday morning’s activities opened with a “poker run” in which participants drive to five predetermined locations to gather playing cards. At the end, the best poker hand wins a prize. I was asked to staff one of the locations, so I drove to Schuylerville, New York, to the residence of General Philip Schuyler, a revolutionary war hero. His residence is now maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Saratoga Battlefield National Historical Park. I handed out cards to each of the club members who drove to my location. It was thrilling seeing these wonderful vehicles being driven and enjoyed.

The Philip Schuyler Home, Built in 1777

After the last car had visited my site, I decided to take the guided tour of the Schuyler residence. The park ranger who escorted me through the house, Joe Craig, was exceptionally well informed and the hour flew by. Then I headed back to the hotel where a bus was to take us to a private collection of very early cars that are located in Schenectady, my home town. Traffic was very heavy. I made a couple of wrong turns. By the time I got back to the hotel, the bus had left.

Fortunately, Debbie Schneiderwind, one of the club members hosting the meet, was still at the hotel. She very graciously took me to the location of this incredible automobile collection. Amazingly, as we approached the site, I realized that it was within a block of one of the schools I attended as a kid. Small world!

The Gerald Sichel collection is made up almost entirely of automobiles from 1915 and earlier. As I entered the building, I knew I was in a very special place. To top it off, when I met the curator and caretaker of the collection, it turned out to be Bruce Armer, a fellow whom I had known 50 years ago when we were members of the Automobilists of the Upper Hudson Valley, a local car club. Bruce and I exchanged reminiscences and I had a chance to savor these magnificent cars. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the Awards Banquet.

Some Scenes from the Sichel Collection

I had a couple of hours to spare, so I gathered up my cameras and headed back to Schenectady. I stopped to pay my respects at the cemetery where my brother Richard, sister Ann, mother, and maternal grandparents are buried. Then I proceeded to the neighborhood where I grew up. I took some photos of the house I lived in for 18 years, the garage where I worked and pumped gas, and some of the neighboring streets. Then it was back to the banquet.

The club President, Jerry Emery, asked if I could act as the official photographer, so I flitted around taking pictures as the awards were made. I didn’t envy the judges who had to decide on best this and best that since there had been so many gorgeous cars presented at the meet. At the end of the evening, I was shocked to hear my name as the host, Harold Schneiderwind, presented me with a beautiful desk clock in recognition of my service to the club. It was a total surprise, and a very considerate gift.

At the end of the evening, I think everyone agreed that this had been an exceptional weekend. Harold and Debra Schneiderwind did a terrific job of preparing for and hosting the meet. The hotel staff had been superb. The accommodations and food were excellent. We all considered ourselves fortunate to have participated.

Ed & Pam Avedisian's "Best-in-Show" 1940 Lincoln Continental

A Summer on the Riviera...

The Italian Riviera

In the summer of 1961, I was scheduled to go on my senior Midshipman cruise.  Standard practice was that the Navy would send a "shopping list" of available billets to each NROTC unit.  The top-ranked Midshipman would get first choice, the second-ranked would get the next choice, and so on.  I was the third or fourth to make my choice.  I remember being torn among three options -- a submarine cruise (tempting, since I was considering sub school), an arctic cruise on an icebreaker, or a mediterranean cruise on a destroyer.  I chose the third option and chose to go to France and Italy.

We left Norfolk, Virginia, on the USS James C. Owens (DD-776) and spent a couple of weeks getting to the Straits of Gibralter.  On board the Owens, we had about twenty midshipmen, some from the Naval Academy, and several from NROTC units.  I recall that Rochester, Villanova, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Iowa State were represented.  When we arrived in the Med, 10 of us were transferred to the USS Robert L. Wilson (DD-847), which at that time was the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 32.

U.S.S. R.L. Wilson (DD-847)

Capt. Isaac C. Kidd, Jr., USN, in 1961

As the flagship, she had the Squadron Commander and his staff embarked.  The recently-appointed squadron commander (addressed by the honorary rank of "Commodore") was Navy Captain Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.

The Commodore, who was known to his friends and colleagues as Ike, was born into a Navy family in Cleveland and had graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1942.  His father, Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd Sr., was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, aboard his flagship, the battleship Arizona.  Admiral Kidd, Sr., was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Shortly after we arrived on board, the Commodore announced that he wanted one of the midshipmen to serve on his staff.  The fellows from the Naval Academy were tripping over one another trying to figure out a way to be selected.  Isaac Kidd was extremely well known and was assumed to be a shoo-in for Chief of Naval Operations in the future.  Ultimately, the Commodore's Flag Lieutenant drew a name from a hat.  I was the lucky selectee.

I became the "Flag Midshipman" for the duration.  Essentially, I became attached at the hip to the Flag Lieutenant.  I even dined every evening with him and the Commodore.  It was a wonderful assignment.  The Commodore was a passionate military man, very disciplined and expecting the same from those around him.  He clearly loved what he did.

Soon after we reported to the Wilson, the ship pulled into Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, where we celebrated the 4th of July.  I took a bus to visit Monaco.  I had just finished reading James Michener's "Hawaii," and I visited the Oceanographic Museum in Monte Carlo that was described in the book.  After we left France, the next several days were filled with multiple-ship exercises involving carrier operations and anti-submarine warfare.  Admiral George W. Anderson, Jr. was the 6th Fleet Commandant.  As a long-standing friend of Isaac Kidd, he sent several challenges to our squadron.  Ike Kidd relished every one.

At one point, a submarine periscope was sighted in the wake of the USS Wasp (CV-18), the carrier that we were following close aboard in "plane guarding" station.  We broke away from the carrier formation to pursue the sub for the next thirty-six hours.  We recorded Russian language conversations when listening to the submarine on our passive sonar.  Ultimately the submarine surfaced.  It was American!  Admiral Anderson had planted it, along with several Russian-speaking officers, as a challenge to our Commodore.  We had passed the challenge by not losing track of the unidentified submarine.

I learned a great deal.  For a few days, we participated in the filming of producer Darryl Zanuck's "The Longest Day," a film about the Normandy invasion.  (We actually "invaded" a desolate part of Cyprus that had terrain similar to the beaches and cliffs of Normandy.)

And then unexpectedly, we developed some serious boiler malfunctions and had to enter port for repairs.  I was initially very disappointed.  We anchored at the newly-reconstructed Italian naval base at LaSpezia, on the eastern end of the Italian riviera.

The La Spezia Naval Base

Commodore Kidd called me to his stateroom the morning of our arrival.  He pointed to the hills overlooking the city.  He informed me that he and his wife owned some property and might retire to this area some day.  He was a man who appreciated places of great beauty.

Then he made an interesting proposal.  He suggested that it would be a shame for a young Midshipman like myself to remain on a ship under repair when there was so much to see in Italy.  He informed me that his wife was having a marble table top made in a shop in Pisa.  If I was interested in seeing Italy, he suggested that I go on shore leave and asked only that I pick up the marble table top on my way back to the ship. He also advised me that when I returned I would be responsible for coordinating the air transportation that would carry all the midshipmen in the Mediterranean back to the US.

I couldn't believe it!  I countered with a request.  One of the other midshipmen spoke fluent Italian, so I asked the Commodore if that gentleman could accompany me.  He agreed without hesitation.  That is why for the next week and a half, Nick Valenti and I went to Pisa and Florence.  The plan was to continue on to Rome and then go to Venice and then back to Pisa to retrieve the table top.  But Florence proved so enchanting that we couldn't leave it.  We ran into some teachers from Kansas who were on their way to Egypt to teach in a military school.  We spent every day, accompanied by our new friends, sightseeing and visiting art galleries and eating marvelous Italian cuisine.

I returned to the ship in one piece along with Mrs. Kidd's table top.  I followed the Commodore's career in the years that followed.  He never did become CNO, but I believe that was all about politics.  Coincidentally, he headed the investigation into the Liberty incident, which I have cited in this blog.  He did become Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Commander in Chief Western Atlantic Area, Commander in Chief Atlantic and Commander in Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet in 1975.  He retired in 1978 with over 40 years of naval service.  The Commodore who treated me so kindly passed away in 1999 at the age of 79.

Musical Weekend...

In 1996, a gentleman named Steve Masterson started hosting a music event in his front yard.  He lived on top of a large hill near Hayden, Alabama.  The area on one side of his home formed a natural amphitheater.  He did what anyone who loves music would do -- built a stage and invited a lot of people to come and enjoy some music!

For the last thirteen years, Memorial Day weekend on Mr. Masterson's property has been known as the Acoustic Cafe.

I have had the pleasure of participating in this musical extravaganza for many years.  He has hosted some well-known performers over the years -- Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Sam Bush, the Redstick Ramblers, John Hartford, Dread Clampett, Vassar Clements, Norman Blake, Butch Baldassari, the list goes on.

This year's lineup will include Scott Ward, The Mayhem String Band, The Brickroom Boys, Dread Clampett, The Herb Trotman Band, Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall, and the John Cowan Band.  One of the pleasant surprises every year is that Steve Masterson has "discovered" another incredibly good band or individual musician that we've never heard of.

It's one of Alabama's best-kept secrets!  Mary Ann and I will be there, along with several of our friends.  A little rain may dampen the proceedings, but we'll have our ponchos and umbrellas.