Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-05-22 | Page 20 | Changes Spark Plugs in Sky Aviator Also Versatile Actor

Changes Spark Plugs in Sky! ,3 w Aviator Also Versatile Actor OVERSEAS comrades of the navy and marine air service meet in Salt Lake. J j Lieutenant Paul Dichey cf the United States marines, on right, is , 1 "welcomed to our city" by Eusi3n J. Leo Meehan of the naval air service, ; i on left. The two men trained together iu Florida and later were in the , northern bombing group in Trance. ! .w r ir-w i-w 'p.wimTm wit j '. 1; ' , - 1 - . - S; -i J J . H f s i v f t ' I r-, ' ''SX 1X -i - r; "f v Si i , t Comrades in Aerial Bombing Bomb-ing Service Meet Again in Salt Lake. TWO former "buddies'' in France "buddy" being the war word for pal are having a reunion iu Salt Lake this week, visiting each other for the first timo since they left France last fall at the conclusion of hostilities. They are Lieutenant Paul Dickey of tho United Stales marine flying corps and Ensign J. Leo Meehan of the naval reserve flying corps. Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Idckey is headlining the bill which opened at the Urpheum last night in a sketch of his own called "The Lincoln Highwayman." Mr. Meehan is a member of Tho Tribune staff, and when iu France both men were attached at-tached to the big naval aviation unit known as the northern bombiug group, located between Calais and Dunkirk on the North sea coast. The "north- em bombers," as they wci'o known, ( had as their objectives the great German Ger-man submarine base at Ostend, Bruges aud Zeebrugge. Yesterday the two former airmen were recalling the peculiar circumstances circum-stances of their last meeting. Dickey was seriously ill with influenza at the British hospital in Calais, and for a few davs was not expected to live. When lie was ou the mend Median and another officer of the group went one Sundav afternoon last October to call upon Dickev at the hospital. They took him a basket of fruit. Dickey was still too weak to eat it. "So to help mo enjov it those two fellows sat by my bed "and ate it for me," said Dickey yesterday. "That shows a real fraternal fra-ternal spirit, doesn't it?". Dickev was a noted playwright before be-fore he" went into .the marine flying service. He is the author of a number of Broadway successes, and also has been leading man for a number of America's best known actresses. His versatility and genius is widely known in the theatrical world, and his popularity popu-larity has been further' enhanced by his splendid record in the service. When Lieutenant Dickey and L nsign Median were iu training at Miami, V la., a vcar ago the past wint'Cr, preparatory prepara-tory to going overseas. Median witnessed wit-nessed a remarkable feat in the annals of aviation which was performed by Dickev. Dickev 'and a pilot named Joe Bennett, made the declaration that thev could go up and change spark plugs on their motor while iu the air, a feat which had hitherto never been j done. Referees and official witnesses were secured, the plugs in the motor marked, and a spare plug, also identified, was given to Dickev. The two men climbed t.o an altitude" of 10.000 feet. Then, stopping the motor and gliding. Dickey climbed out on the wings and crawled forward to the motor, unscrewed a plug, replaced it with the extra, attached at-tached the wire connection and resumed his sent in the forward cockpit. During Dur-ing this operation Bennett handled the controls. The motor was started again and the men came down to earth safely, setting a new and interesting record for motor repairs while iu the skies.