France On Fragile Wings

A Libertyman's Adventures 1917-1919 in the 168th Aero Squadron, AEF

THE AUTHORS



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Bill and Sharon Stine.

The authors, William and Sharon Stine, are both faculty emeriti from the Cal Poly Universities, she with a PhD in Human Development and he, a PhD in Engineering. William, graduate of West Virginia University, was an early member of Cross and Cockade in Southern California where he worked for North American Aviation on the B-70 program before entering university teaching where he attained the status of Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Both are authors of major textbooks in their fields and have written multiple papers dealing with their common interest of sustainable design.

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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES


LEAGUE OF WW1 AVIATION HISTORIANS BIENNIAL SEMINAR / DAWN PATROL FLY-IN - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE US AIR FORCE, WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, DAYTON, OHIO

On Sept. 24 - 26, 2014, the
League of World War One Aviation Historians will have their biennial seminar at the Museum of the United States Air Force situated at historic Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. We have been invited to do a presentation on France on Fragile Wings at this seminar.

This event coincides with the "
WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous" on September 27-28, 2014 also at the museum of the US Air Force, which will feature vintage, original and reproduction WW1 aircraft, radio-controlled models and period re-enactors. The WWI Dawn Patrol Rendezvous is free and organized separately from the League seminar.


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RECENT ACTIVITIES


OLD RHINEBECK AERODROME - NEW YORK


On our way north to visit our kids and grandkids, we stopped by the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in the Hudson River valley of New York. The propose was to deliver a copy of France On Fragile Wings for their fundraising auction, and to witness the first flight of their newly rebuilt Albatross DIII.

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The Aerodrome's newly restored Albatross DIII just lifting it's tail-skid on it's first public flight.

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SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

We were invited to do a second book-signing at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Sunday, May 18, 2014. It was a great chance to meet people with an interest in WW1 aviation and to share stories. We signed many books and those who bought them said that they wanted something as a remembrance of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the 100th anniversary of the beginning WW1. We were surprised at how many copies were sold to visitors from foreign countries, especially France!

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LEAGUE OF WW1 AVIATION HISTORIANS, MID-ATLANTIC CHAPTER SPRING MEETING

We were invited to give a talk on France On Fragile Wings at the League of WWI Aviation Historians, Mid-Atlantic Chapter Spring meeting at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on May 17, 2014. Attached is a copy of the program announcement.



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3:15PM - 4:00PM – In NASM Briefing Room: Presentation by Drs. William and Sharon Stine, Historians and Authors
“France on Fragile Wings, the story of Harold Stine”

An up front and personal look into the story of Harold Stine who never traveled far from his home in Charleston, West Virginia, a place of forested mountains, deep valleys and muddy, lethargic rivers. Friends and family, church and school were the secure web that encased his life. And yet he left this life to fly in France as a reconnaissance pilot in The Great War. His two years in France were the singular sojourn of his life, catapulting him from comfort into chaos. To better understand his father’s odyssey (based on pilot’s log, diary and a box of some 300 photographs and postcards), William Stine and his wife, Sharon, (both are PhD faculty emeriti from Cal Poly University) retraced his journeys in France. They found Harold’s flying fields, located towns where he was stationed, matched his photographs and postcards with the scenes that unfolded before them and used his photographs to engage local people.

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You can watch video of our presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ElaGsZxbY .

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RETURN TO NORTHEASTERN FRANCE WITH COPIES OF FRANCE ON FRAGILE WINGS

In the winter of 2014, Sharon and I tossed a box of copies of France on Fragile Wings into our car and drove to north-eastern France to give them to those who helped us identify people, places and activities. We went to Issoudun, Beaune, Chatillon-sur-Seine, the American Meuse-Argonne Cemetery at Mountfaucon, Nancy and Saint-Maxient-l'Ecole. It was a great trip with everyone remembering us from years past. When we got to Chatillon-sur-Seine, the members of the Aero Club du Chatillounaise again hosted a party for us. Being in the Champaign region, we had all of the excellent champaign we could drink with lots of toasts.


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Fet at Chatillon-sur-Seine Aero Club. From left: Phillippe Vincent who took me flying (described in book), the Aero Club President and the authors. (Chatillon-sur-Seine, 2014)


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The authors with Jean-Pierre Lachaud-Mnotte who has become our good friend. A toast to France on Fragile Wings. (Chatillon-sur-Seine, 2014)


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A great dinner after the presentation of books and party at the clubhouse. (Chatillon-sur-Seine, 2014)

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Even in the famous Beaune wine store The Athenaeum, we found a table of WW1 books. (Beaune, 2014)

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When we revisited the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery we found that our helper, Joseph (Phil) Rivers, Superintendent had passed away. (Mountfaucon, 2014)


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GARCIA STREET BOOKS - SANTA FE, NM

Saturday, November 9, 2013 book signing; 376 Garcia Street; Santa Fe, NM 87501 from 2:00 to 4:00.



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SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

The authors were invited to Washington DC to do a book signing of
France on Fragile Wings on Sunday, October 19, 2013. at the National Air and Space Museum, 601 Independence Ave. NW, from 12:00 to 5:00.

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Signing at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (2013).


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OLD RHINEBECK AERODROME

The authors were invited to do a book signing on Sunday, October 13, 2013 for the season's final air show at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Red Hook, NY. The authors were there from 10:00 until closing. If you have never been to the Aerodrome, they have a number of operational pre-war, WW1 and barnstorming era aircraft along with many museum pieces of similar age. The air show is spectacular and for the whole family!

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Signing at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome under the wing of their Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis (reproduction)(2013).



WW1 HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, SOUTHWEST BRANCH

Presentation - France on Fragile Wings, A Libertyman's Adventures 1917 - 1919 in the 168th Aero Squadron, AEF; presented at the Southwest Branch meeting, Schertx, TX, June 8, 2013. Well received!