Show Utah Boy in Gon Gondola ola On Stratosphere Hop Three Army Fliers Members of Balloon Crew v Veterans of Aeronautics RAPID CITY S. S D. D July 28 UP The Th The three men inert who today started a spectacular flight into the strato- strato in in the balloon Explorer have lave had long and varied expert expert- ence nee in aeronautics and other fields of adventure Th The three members of or the crew of ot the huge balloon largest free baloon bal bat loon Joon oon ever constructed are Major William Villiam E. E Kepner pilot Captain Albert Albert Al Al- bert W. W Stevens observer and Cap Cap- tam ain tain Orvil And Anderson formerly of ot SprIngville Utah assistant Major Kepner Is recognized as one of the worlds world's famous lamous balloonists He Hewon Hewon won von both the national and international international lonal balloon races in 1928 reedy reedy- Ing rg the Litchfield and King Albert of ot Belgium trophies He is striking In appearance has I dark wavy hair and a ruddy complex complex- Son ion on He Is ii somewhat below the average average aver aver- age height but strongly built Major Kepner looks very young youn for liLt his a age e and a n constant smile adds to his youthful appearance Born in Miami county Indiana 41 years ago aso Kepner attended public schools there and enlisted in the marines marines ma ma- rines in 1909 for service in Hawaii and the Philippines In 1916 he went to o the Mexican border with the Indiana Indiana In In- Ini diana national guard Served Overseas Oversea A short time later he was transferred transferred transferred trans trans- to the regular army and commissioned commissioned com a second lieutenant He went vent overseas soon after the United States declared war on Germany and participated in six major enga engagements engage engage- ments suffering several bayonet and bullet wounds After Alter service with the army of occupation oc cc- in Germany German Kepner was returned to this country and in 1920 he ic was transferred to the army air corps He attended the army lighter lighter- than air schools and later was assigned assigned as as- signed as assistant navigator of the dirigible Los Angeles Kepner was placed in charge charse of the than lighter than air branch of the material division at Dayton Ohio in 1929 In 1932 he attended the heavier heavier- air than school at Riverside CaL and then hen returned to the material divi sion slon Major Kepner is married but has no children Stevens Is Scientist Captain Stevens observer for the flight has the appearance of a man who has spent many years in s scientific scientific ien study He is tall and lanky with stooping shoulders and graying hair Spectacles add to his serious and nd studious appearance He is quite calm and unhurried about everything he undertakes but very thorough in each task he performs He was born at Belfast Me in 1886 He holds the bachelor of science science sd- sd ence master of s science i nce and doctor of engineering degrees from the University University Uni Uni- of Maine After graduation Stevens served as 05 engineer of mining gold operations operations operations opera opera- in Idaho Montana and Alaska Alaka He enlisted as a private In the signal corps in 1917 and before he was sent overseas had advanced to the rank of second lieutenant As an observer from airplanes he witnessed many major engagements on the western front In Iii October 1918 he was promoted to captain and appointed chief photographic officer of fleer of the First American army Captain Stevens made the first firt photographs photographs photographs pho pho- of the moons moon's shadow on the earth during a total eclipse of oC the sun in 1932 He has made many remarkable long distance photographs photographs photo photo- graphs graph including one taken in contral con con- California that showed Mount Shasta miles away Captain Stevens is unmarried Anderson Utah Boy nor Captain Anderson who was included ed as a member of the crew due to toa toa toa a last minute dee decision sion that thal three men would be needed to handle the balloon balloon bal bal- loon and its complex car cargo o of instruments instruments ments is a Utah boy He is 39 years old and has been in the army since 1917 Born at Spring Utah he was educated at Brigham Young un university university uner er sity and enlisted when the United States entered the war In 1919 he became a second lieutenant in the theair theair theair air corps after he had spent the war years as a balloon instructor in the army school at Omaha He has had much experience with free balloons dirigibles and airplanes airplanes airplanes air air- planes and is a skilled pilot and navigator navigator navi navi- gator for all three He aided Major Kepner in sel selection of a site for the takeoff of today's flight and was yas definitely assigned as alternate pilot for tor the flight At the same time he was given his promotion from first lieutenant to captain And Andy as he is known to everyone everyone every every- one who has known him more than five minutes is a big husky handsome handsome hand hand- some fellow with graying hair and a ade adeep adeep de deep p voice He is married but bul has no children |