Show 4 4 t i r I Covered Wagons of the Air 4 1 ca- ca 5 f ri t. t C N THE outside of the envelope was Vas writ writ- fr ten To be opened only after my 1 death eat 1 This had been penned and sealed by i C Captain pt i HYde Hyde V. World war a flier and a airi air i mail iI pilot Death cam cams dam to him mm when his hi's hisA i A plane crashed among the Pennsylvania hills r while carrying mail from New York westward I This was the he message left inside the envelope envelope enve- enve t lope To my beloved brother pilots and pals 21 i I igo west vest but I enve-I go with a cheerful heart 1 I hope what small sacrifice I ha have e. e made may be of if use to the cause When we fly we are r damned fools they say When we are dead t te we e weren't half bad fellows But everyone everyone r in this wonderful a aviation via ion service ervice i is doing the i J f world orId far more good th than n the the public can appreciate We risk our necks we give our olives lives we perfect a service for the benefit of the world at d t large They mind you are arc the tle e ones who c. c call ll u us f ol But ut stick jQ j to it r f boys Im I'm still very very much with yo you all See I y yau you u all again gain This brave flying captain was as surely a I pioneer and explorer as the courageous Americ Americans Ameri Ameri- c cans cans ns who only a few generations ago w went nt into the unknown West on horseback or in covered wagons The men who fly are developing developing developing de de- de- de a great new transportation service They have the prophetic vision to realize the thern I future of aviation Willingly they gamble their lives A t thoughtless public c may imagine the fliers risk their necks for the sheer adventure adventure adventure ture and thrill of flight Truth is they areas areas are aretas tas as serious about their work as the mounted scouts who invaded invaded our Western Vestern plains at atthe atthe the th head of millions of settlers to follow Flying is a 13 serious business not a circus per- per This much we learn learns from the life and last m message of Captain Hyde The captain quite evidently had a premonition premonition premonition pre pre- monition of death It is not the custom of men unless th they y have such premonitions to leave envelopes marked To be opened only aft after r my death Many will wonder what he meant by his closing lines Stick to it boys 1 Im I'm m still very much with you all See you all again In those lines is the firm belief that death is only a ch change change change-a a a farewell flight I into unknown but better regions |