Salt Lake Telegram | 1933-06-14 | Page 9 | Crash Victims Paid Respects by Guard Unit

CRASH VICTIMS P PAID AID RESPECTS BY GUARD UNIT Military Honors Await Two Fliers Killed During Air Maneuvers Br BY Press resa BOISE June 14 A. A A saddened na national national guard encampment resumed its ill program today and prepared to pay military respects to the two fliers Lieutenants George Hallett and Whitney Whitney Whitney Whit Whit- ney Clo Close who were vero killed In an airplane air air- plane crash during the first opportunity opportunity of local officers to maneuver r with such uch craft The bodies were to be taken to the he train this afternoon n. n escorted b by a squadron of cavalry Major James Tames McDonald of ot the cavalry aide to Governor Governor Gov Gov- Ross was wu selected to accompany accompany pany them to Spokane for buriaL Meantime a military board of Inv Investigation In In- v continued studying the Ute data taken after alter the two fliers mers sUnu simu lating an alt attack ck on a column of trucks and troops locked wings and plunged over a foot drop to a bench below below be be- low that on which the trucks were located Captains Claude Owen Claude Owen and Robert W. W Owen not brothers who accompanied panted the other two aviators from Spokane to Boise Sunday to take part this week In the maneuvers remained here with two extra plan planes brought from front Spokane which will be used in place of ot the wrecked wreck d ones The board took ook a mass masS of t testimony from the scores of witnesses who saw the two planes in their mad struggle in m mid midair air and their later crash Major MajorR R. R B. B Breene of ot Spokane commander of ot the aviation squadron of which the the- two fliers mers were members also investigated the crash It probably will never neve be known whether the accident W was U c caused used by bya a or by some fault In flying condition Major Breene said They were both experienced pilots I would not have been afraid to fly with either of them They were flying as u they were Instructed to and andina in a a forma formation they had been taught Lieutenant Halletts Hallett's plane turned over after a wing dropped of off In mid midair air and landed l nd d upside down in a field about yards from m where the plane of Lieutenant Close crashed in a road over which the truck train had already already al al- ready passed Neither plane burned but the pilots were so badly b crushed identification was difficult A report of the accident nt was was' made by guard officers to Governor Ross who prepared to send a letter of regret regret re re- gret to Governor Martin of ot Washington Washing Washing- ton from which the planes and pilots came I I 1 am sincerely sorry that such an accident occurred the governor said The Washington national guard had generously lent us the services of of- these two pilots in the training of this states state's guard and I regret egret deeply such JUch JUchan an accident happened 5