Comments on: USS Akron and USS Macon http://www.airships.net The Graf Zeppelin, Hindenburg, U.S. Navy Airships, and other Dirigibles Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:24:21 -0600 hourly 1 By: Don Brandes http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3342 Don Brandes Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:22:50 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3342 I have several books on airships and one in particular is excellent. It is THE AIRSHIPS AKRON & MACON-Flying Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy. The author is Richard K. Smith. Published by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. Copyrighted in 1965 and had two more printings in 1972 and 1977. The book has many great pictures of both airships as well as a complete specifications list, pictures of the construction - almost everything you wanted to know about these two great airships. The only error I could find was that Dad's last name was misspelled in the index. Dad gave this to me in 1982, six years before he passed away, one of the last survivors from the Macon crash. I have several books on airships and one in particular is excellent. It is THE AIRSHIPS AKRON & MACON-Flying Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy. The author is Richard K. Smith. Published by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. Copyrighted in 1965 and had two more printings in 1972 and 1977. The book has many great pictures of both airships as well as a complete specifications list, pictures of the construction – almost everything you wanted to know about these two great airships. The only error I could find was that Dad’s last name was misspelled in the index. Dad gave this to me in 1982, six years before he passed away, one of the last survivors from the Macon crash.

]]> By: Kevin Olson http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3266 Kevin Olson Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:34:38 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3266 My parents told a wonderful story about seeing a rigid airship (most likely the Macon) fly over my mother's house one evening. They were dating in the 30's and were sitting on the porch in Rockford, Illinois, just west of Chicago. It was a dark, clear night and they talked about hearing a low rumbling noise that they couldn't quite identify. They looked up and saw a long row of lights passing overhead among the stars that my mom said looked like a train. They went out into the yard and watched it as long as they could until it disappeared over the trees and was gone. I later learned that the Macon had made a flight in the area, so I'm pretty sure that's what they saw. They said it was the coolest thing to see that long row of lights and hear the sound of it up there in the night sky. My parents told a wonderful story about seeing a rigid airship (most likely the Macon) fly over my mother’s house one evening. They were dating in the 30’s and were sitting on the porch in Rockford, Illinois, just west of Chicago. It was a dark, clear night and they talked about hearing a low rumbling noise that they couldn’t quite identify. They looked up and saw a long row of lights passing overhead among the stars that my mom said looked like a train. They went out into the yard and watched it as long as they could until it disappeared over the trees and was gone. I later learned that the Macon had made a flight in the area, so I’m pretty sure that’s what they saw. They said it was the coolest thing to see that long row of lights and hear the sound of it up there in the night sky.

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3263 david helms Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:28:34 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3263 hi kevin. i have been to the crash site twice.fascinating. when you get time check out the career and credentials of the airship operations commander during the era of airships. he died in 1977 and his name was charles e rosendahl. what a career.keep in touch. david hi kevin. i have been to the crash site twice.fascinating. when you get time check out the career and credentials of the airship operations commander during the era of airships. he died in 1977 and his name was charles e rosendahl. what a career.keep in touch.

david

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3160 david helms Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:23:29 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3160 hi lee. would it be possible for me to get in touch with john lust? i would be thrilled . please respond and thanks.also, can you tell me how to reach him? david hi lee. would it be possible for me to get in touch with john lust? i would be thrilled . please respond and thanks.also, can you tell me how to reach him?

david

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3158 david helms Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:15:47 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3158 thanks john. hope to hear from you very soon. take care. david thanks john. hope to hear from you very soon. take care.

david

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3157 david helms Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:13:47 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3157 thanks don for sharing. i really appreciate it. david thanks don for sharing. i really appreciate it.

david

]]> By: Don Brandes http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3131 Don Brandes Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:03:02 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3131 Hi, David- I'm not sure if there are any survivors from the Macon crash any longer alive. There were only two crewmen that lost their lives in the crash. One was the radioman who was only one of three or four survivors from the Akron. He had just been notified that day that he was promoted to Warrant Officer. His name was Dick Daley. The other crewman was one of the stewards assigned to the Macon. My dad was probably the last one to see the steward alive. Dad said he saw him climbing up the girders to the highest point of the inclined ship. Dad said he himself, couldn't swim but learned rather quickly. He slid down a rope that ended about 25 feet from the water then dropped. Said he paddled "like hell" to one of the rubber rafts. Dad painted a picture of the crash from a piece of the "skin" that he got at the hanger after the crash (not from the ship itself). It was quite good, and he had all of the officers and men sign the back of the painting. Unfortunately, it was stolen from a storage place in his garage in 1945. I'll look through the books I have on the Macon and see if I can find the names of all of the crew. If I can perhaps I can copy them off, scan them and send them to you. I'll see what I can do. Don Brandes Hi, David-
I’m not sure if there are any survivors from the Macon crash any longer alive. There were only two crewmen that lost their lives in the crash. One was the radioman who was only one of three or four survivors from the Akron. He had just been notified that day that he was promoted to Warrant Officer. His name was Dick Daley. The other crewman was one of the stewards assigned to the Macon. My dad was probably the last one to see the steward alive. Dad said he saw him climbing up the girders to the highest point of the inclined ship. Dad said he himself, couldn’t swim but learned rather quickly. He slid down a rope that ended about 25 feet from the water then dropped. Said he paddled “like hell” to one of the rubber rafts.

Dad painted a picture of the crash from a piece of the “skin” that he got at the hanger after the crash (not from the ship itself). It was quite good, and he had all of the officers and men sign the back of the painting. Unfortunately, it was stolen from a storage place in his garage in 1945.

I’ll look through the books I have on the Macon and see if I can find the names of all of the crew. If I can perhaps I can copy them off, scan them and send them to you. I’ll see what I can do.

Don Brandes

]]> By: John http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3124 John Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:43:24 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3124 still got the photo on my shelf about six feet away (looking at it right now). i don't have the capability here but i'll see what i can do about getting a scan made. thanks for your interest... still got the photo on my shelf about six feet away (looking at it right now). i don’t have the capability here but i’ll see what i can do about getting a scan made. thanks for your interest…

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3122 david helms Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:29:42 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3122 hi lee. when you hear , please let me hear. this stuff fascinates me. thanks for sharing. david hi lee. when you hear , please let me hear. this stuff fascinates me. thanks for sharing.

david

]]> By: david helms http://www.airships.net/us-navy-rigid-airships/uss-akron-macon#comment-3121 david helms Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:27:37 +0000 http://www.airships.net/wordpress/?page_id=237#comment-3121 can you possibly share a picture of that aircraft with me? i would be indebted and thanks. david can you possibly share a picture of that aircraft with me? i would be indebted and thanks.

david

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