Back Home in Ohio

Jerry With Uncle Mike, 
a WW II Veteran

Airstreams from Yesteryear at the Factory

After arriving in Jackson Center, Ohio, the Airstream factory concluded that our trailer slide problem (see previous post) had to do with a faulty circuit board, and they did not have one in stock. It would take several days for the part to arrive. Seems strange that the board was not available, but it should be noted that Airstream had not made a slide since 2006. While parked at their wonderful shaded terraport with full hookups at no cost, we took advantage of the down-time to visit several family members and friends. We were born and raised in Ohio, so it was good to renew old acquaintances. We probably will never get to see a few of them again. Gloria’s uncle Mike in Lima is 92, alert, and still drives. He is still an interesting conversationalist. An old friend, Mildred, also 92, was one of our favorite inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women where Jerry worked as Supervisor of Social Services in the early 1960s. She loved interacting with our little children when Gloria frequently visited the Reformatory. She has sent an annual Christmas present ever since she was paroled. Mildred is still very sharp mentally, is a devout Catholic, and resides in a Columbus nursing facility. She held the anti-poverty job she took upon her parole until retirement and never married. She’s rooting for the President to win the election in November.

Judy and Terry

While in Columbus we visited his second cousin, Judy, and her husband, Terry. Judy followed in her mother’s footsteps and retired as a career teacher. Her parents were special Christians. They gave generously of their time and talents to many of the less fortunate of their community. They had big hearts for retarded children and their parents. Judy’s younger sister, Mary, had many special needs, and she was her parents’ inspiration. Judy’s dad, Chuck, a WW II hero and veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, was Jerry’s scoutmaster. Bernadine, Judy’s mother, was the one who first introduced Jerry to church and Sunday school during the War. No couple did more to positively influence Jerry’s values that still guide his life.

Gary, Gloria, and Dale Ann

In Dublin, Ohio, we had dinner at the home of Gloria’s niece, Dale Ann, and her husband Gary. Dale Ann is a true gourmet cook, and her delectable, colorful veggie menu was one to remember. We dined on the patio of their lovely, newly purchased home, and the late afternoon weather was perfect. Not one insect intruded the premises.

Each year we get our truck’s red paint resealed at Ziebart, and after four years, it still glows like new. Since there is no Ziebart outlet near us, we always try to visit the one in Lima. Having accomplished the paint protection task this time, we drove on to the Olive Garden to have dinner with more of Gloria’s family members. In all there were 14 of us: 

Dale and Laurane

Lowell and Linda

Included were Gloria’s younger brother, Lowell, and sister, Laurane, with their spouses, Linda and Dale. Also present were Dale and Laurane’s three sons, their spouses, and two grandchildren.

Gloria's Family at the Olive Garden

 With so many great visits and meals with our Ohio friends and family, Jerry’s head began to calculate some northern ventures where the weather would be cool. Gloria was doing well, and our travels seemed to agree with her. Maybe we should drive on up to Michigan to have our Hensley Hitch inspected. While there we could visit Jerry’s cousin in Dearborn and Gloria’s older brother, Carroll, in Northern Michigan. We began to reminisce about the Airstream caravan we had led back in 2001 when we took 15 RVs across the Mackinaw Bridge to the Upper Peninsula and on into Canada. We had followed Route 17 east to Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Wouldn’t it be fun to relive part of that wonderful tour?  Let’s give it a shot! If Gloria falters we can always turn back and head home. As soon as our trailer slide was repaired we headed north to the Hensley Hitch factory in Romeo, MI.

Oldsters Visit The St. Louis Zoo

Reliving a dream trip

While we were camped at Longview Park near Independence, Missouri, our trailer slide malfunctioned. Fortunately, when it quit working it was closed rather than extended. We had planned to visit Topeka, KS and then head back to Texas via Oklahoma City to see the memorial. However, we did not want to trust the trailer slide to just any RV dealer.  So instead of traveling south, after visiting Kansas, we elected to go to the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio.

As we contemplated our route to Ohio across Indiana, Gloria told Jerry of her first visit to Missouri at the age of 16. She, along with her 17 year old brother, Carroll, at the wheel, and her grandfather drove all the way from their farm in Northwestern Ohio to Scott Air Force Base. The purpose of the trip was to visit Carroll and Gloria’s cousin, Kay, and her Air Force husband. Gloria went on to say that one of the highpoints of that trip was a day at the wonderful St. Louis Zoo. Now decades later she was saying that she would like to relive that memorable zoo experience and see if the monkey band was still a feature. So we made the zoo visit a goal.

The Hungry Hippo

We had not been to any zoo since our daughter, Courtney, was small. Courtney is now age 34. Zoos have changed a lot in 30 years. No longer are many cages visible. The animals live in what resembles a natural habitat. As well, the circus-like monkey band that Gloria had enjoyed as a teenager is a distant memory. This is a huge improvement in animal care, and most of the animals seemed content with their healthy lifestyle. 

No longer a star performer in the monkey band

As we visited the various habitats, we noticed something strange. We were easily the oldest visitors at the Zoo. However, age notwithstanding, we were having as much fun as the kids and their parents. It was a good day to be in St. Louis, mingle with the animals, shoot some photos, and smile at the gleeful children. The next day on our way out of town we could not take our eyes off the awesome St. Louis Arch rising into the white, swelling clouds. Gloria got to relive a special teenage dream trip, but she still missed seeing the monkey band. 

Eisenhower Library & Museum: Abilene, KS

Eisenhower Museum

Ike's Wartime Staff

At the Eisenhower Center, on the same grounds as IKE’s boyhood home in Abilene, KS, is his museum and library—two separate buildings. The museum is filled with memorabilia from the WW II years and the Eisenhower presidency (1952-1960). With U.S. entry into WW I in 1917, Ike requested an overseas assignment. Instead, he was destined to be a training instructor and saw no combat. He attained the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, but with the Armistice on Nov. 11, 1918, he was returned to his regular rank of captain. During peacetime he attended the General Staff School and the Army War College. He once served on the staff of GEN Douglas MacArthur. Just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, his command of a large scale Army maneuver would give him his first star. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, BG Eisenhower was summoned to Washington as Assistant Chief of Staff for War Plans. In March of 1942, he received his second star (major general). Promotions were rapid in wartime! And in July of that year he was promoted to lieutenant general (three stars) as the commander of Allied forces in Europe. Eisenhower never commanded a combat unit in the field throughout his career.

Ike's Staff Car: His cozy relationship with his
attractive female Irish driver was controversial.

IKE commanded the invasion of North Africa, Sicily and Italy and by February 1943 was promoted to four-star general. In December of that year President Franklin Roosevelt appointed him Supreme Allied Commander. The greatest invasion in history, known as Operation Overlord, would be in the making and take place on June 6, 1944, D-Day. In December, he was made one of only five five-star generals in American history. (The others were George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley and Henry [Hap] Arnold.) In May of 1945, Eisenhower accepted the surrender of Germany. The war in Europe was over. In November he became the new Army Chief of Staff under President Truman. In 1948 he resigned from the Army and assumed the role of President of Columbia University until 1950. He took a leave of absence to accept a military position as NATO Commander in Europe until May 1952.

Ike & Mamie at the White House

During his run for President of the United States, the media learned that Ike had never confessed a Christian faith, nor had he ever been the member of a church. His response was that he would take care of that when he got around to it. Just days after his inauguration in 1953, he was baptized and joined a Presbyterian church in Washington D.C. During the Korean Conflict, he signed a truce that brought an armed peace along the border of South Korea that same year. We were graduating from high school at that time; the Cold War with the Soviet Union was in full swing. Jerry enrolled in ROTC his freshman year in college thinking that if he had to go to war, he wanted to go as an officer. Both Russia and the United States had developed hydrogen bombs. With the threat of such destructive force hanging over the world, Eisenhower, with the leaders of the British, French, and Russian governments, met at Geneva in July 1955. That same year Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in Denver, Colorado. After seven weeks he left the hospital, and doctors were optimistic regarding his recovery. In November 1956 he was elected for his second presidential term. That would be our first chance to vote. It was a proud, exciting November day when we strolled to the polls, hand-in-hand, as seniors at Bowling Green State University to cast our votes for IKE as 34^th U.S. President.

In domestic policy IKE continuing most of the New Deal and Fair Deal programs fostered by Democrat predecessors while emphasizing a balanced budget. As desegregation of schools began, he sent troops into Little Rock, Arkansas, to assure compliance with the orders of a federal court; he also ordered the complete desegregation of the armed forces which Truman had begun. "There must be no second class citizens in this country," he wrote. Eisenhower concentrated on maintaining world peace. He watched with pleasure the development of his "atoms for peace" program--the loan of American uranium to "have not" nations for peaceful purposes. The Interstate Highway System was perhaps his greatest peacetime accomplishment.

Ike and Mamie's Tomb at Eisenhower Center

Before he left office in January 1961, for his farm in Gettysburg, PA he urged the necessity of maintaining an adequate military strength, but cautioned that vast, long-continued military expenditures could breed potential dangers to our way of life. He concluded with a prayer for peace "in the goodness of time." Both themes remained timely and urgent when he died on March 28, 1969. Ironically, he lived four years longer than Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson, his opponent in the 1956 election. Adlai had insinuated during the campaign that IKE’s health should be a concern to voters.

IKE was only an average student in high school and West Point, but he studied hard and excelled in courage, persistence, and keen insight. He was an excellent athlete, avid golfer, and completed many paintings during his retirement years. We continue to display prints of two of these on our living room wall.

Five Star General Dwight D. Eisenhower who would
become President of the United States

When this library is filled with documents, and scholars come here to probe into some of the facts of the past half century, I hope that they, as we today, are concerned primarily with the ideals, principles, and trends that provide guides to a free, rich, peaceful future in which all peoples can achieve ever-rising levels of human well-being." Dwight Eisenhower at the groundbreaking for his library in 1959.

Kansas Capitol & Ike's Boyhood Home

We have visited many Capitols, but one we had not toured was Topeka, Kansas. Since we were already in Kansas City, MO, it seemed a good time to drive 150 miles west to Topeka. We found a beautiful campground with all of the required amenities located only a few miles from the capitol. It was a lovely sunny day and not as hot as it had been in Sedalia, Missouri (108 degrees being the warmest). We found Topeka to be rather lackluster with very little traffic. Parking at the capitol was a breeze; only one other couple was on our guided tour. We were disappointed to learn that the capitol dome was being renovated, which precluded our seeing some of the usual points of interest. There is some wonderful wall art in the main edifice, but overall, the building lacks the pizzazz we have seen in other capitols. Nevertheless, our guide was interesting and had many stories to entertain us as we walked from room to room. No one but a secretary was in the Governor’s ceremonial office as we entered.

Where Ike and his six brothers spent their childhood

Harry Truman had decided not to run for President again in 1952. The United States was embroiled in the unpopular Korean Conflict. As well, because Truman had relieved popular WW II hero, GEN Douglas MacArthur, in Korea, most Americans had not forgiven him. Hence, he would probably have lost the election anyway. Ike had been a five star general and Army Chief of Staff under Truman. He had been given most of the credit for defeating Hitler and winning the war in Europe seven years earlier. He went on to become president of Columbia University after the War. But as a moderate conservative hero he was coaxed into running for President of the United States by the Republican Party in 1952. He won by a landslide. The much-published slogan, "I like Ike." proved irresistible to voters. His Vice President was Richard Nixon.

The room where Ida Eisenhower spent her last days

In 1961 we had driven to California from Ohio as tent campers, celebrating Jerry’s Master’s Degree from Ohio State University. With us were our toddler daughter, Robin, and teenage foster daughter, Judy. Along the way we stopped in Abilene to visit IKE’s boyhood home. Now, 51 years later, we decided to leave the Airstream in Topeka and drive a little farther west to spend another day at the Eisenhower home, museum, and library in Abilene. Admittedly, the memories of our 1961 visit were hazy.

IKE was actually born in Texas in 1890, but moved to Abilene with his parents when he was age two. In touring his boyhood home this time we learned that he was the third of eight boys (no girls) who lived there. One son died in childhood. His parents were David and Ida, originally Mennonites. However, they switched to the Jehovah Witness (JW) faith when the boys were young. After 1915 the father, David, and the boys gave up on the JW church because many of its dire prophesies had failed to come true. IKE would never again affiliate with any church until his second term as President. His mother, Ida, however, was a pacifist and remained active in the JW faith until her death in 1946. At that time she was still living in the Eisenhower home featured in this post. The furnishings we saw are essentially as she left them.

Prayer Chapel at Eisenhower Center

Dwight excelled in sports in high school, and received an appointment to West Point. He graduated in 1915 in the lower half of his class. Stationed in Texas as a second lieutenant, he met Mamie Geneva Doud, whom he married in 1916. He and Mamie are buried in the lovely little chapel on the grounds of the Eisenhower Center. IKE never again lived in the family home after he left for West Point.

Eisenhower believed that there was something special about growing up in the Midwest just as Harry Truman did. Neither of these great Americans would be remembered today had they died by age 50. Both were late bloomers who will be forever tied to our freedom. They worked closely together to gain victory in WW II but did not always agree. When Harry was ready to leave office, IKE was called to the presidency in 1952. Both are listed by historians among our 10 best presidents.     

The National World War I Museum In Kansas City

World War I National Historic Landmark

The Liberty Memorial, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I. It houses The National World War I Museum, as designated by the United States Congress in 2004. Groundbreaking commenced November 1, 1921 and was completed and dedicated on November 11, 1926. On September 21, 2006, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

Kansas City as Viewed from the Memorial

The National World War I Museum uses its comprehensive, world-class historical collections and exhibitions to inspire its efforts in the areas of exhibition, education, research, and interpretation. The state-of-the-art exhibits are truly astounding. The museum collections and exhibitions tell more than an American story. They cover the entire war from the first shots in1914 to the last attempts at peace in 1919. All the nations involved, reflecting both the battlefield and the home front, are represented. Ascending to the top of the great tower, Jerry enjoyed a spectacular view of Kansas City on a perfect-weather day.

The War

French Tank

Doughboys in the Trenches

World War I was a global war centered in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until the start of World War II in 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter. It involved all the world's great powers, which were first assembled in two opposing alliances. It was largely a war between France-Russia-Great Britain against Germany-Austria-Hungary. These alliances expanded as more nations, including the United States (1917-1918) entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. The primary tactic was trench warfare, but air to air combat also occurred for the first time. Over 116,000 U.S. troops died in the war. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history.

World War I Ambulance

Great Athletes of the WW I Era Honored Here

President Woodrow Wilson

The president who led the nation through the hard years of World War I was Woodrow Wilson. He was a brilliant student and teacher as well as a statesman. He had been a college professor, President of Princeton University, and the author of books on American government. He had also been Governor of New Jersey. Woodrow Wilson worked out his political beliefs in the classroom. Then he entered politics to put his theories of government into practice.

The United States built an army of 4 million men by conscription, sent 2 million men overseas to France, and united the entire population behind the war effort. A vast propaganda machine was created under the title of the Committee on Public Information. The words of President Wilson reached the German people by radio for the first time in history. Leaflets were scattered from airplanes, shot from guns and rockets, and smuggled behind the enemy lines. Wilson said that this was a "war to end war." He spoke of "peace without victory" and without revenge. On Jan. 8, 1918, he announced his Fourteen Points as the basis for a peace settlement. They were more than peace terms; they were terms for a better world.

President Woodrow Wilson

The war came to an end on Nov. 11, 1918. The German proposals for peace came in the midst of the congressional elections. Wilson appealed to the people to support his policies by returning a Democratic majority to both houses. The party was defeated, however, and with a Republican majority in control, Wilson was no longer able to lead the Congress. The peace as agreed upon in June 1919 contained many of his ideas. His greatest success was in writing into the Versailles Treaty the Covenant (constitution) of the League of Nations. On July 10, 1919, he laid it before a hostile Senate, led by Henry Cabot Lodge and a "little group of willful men," as Wilson called them. They were opposed to the League of Nations, but Wilson refused to compromise his dream. In search of popular support that would overwhelm the Senate, he toured the country in defense of the League. Exhausted, he collapsed in Pueblo, Colorado late in September. A stroke left him paralyzed. The Republicans took control of the White House in 1920 with Warren G. Harding as President. He turned out to be one of our worst presidents. Woodrow Wilson, on the other hand, is generally ranked by historians just below Harry Truman in terms of presidential competence. The League of Nations functioned until the mid 1930s and served as the foundation for the United Nations.

President Harry Truman 1884-1972

HST Museum Courtyard

Our second day in Independence was dedicated to touring the Truman Museum and Library located about a mile from the Truman residence. This is also the burial place of Harry, Bess, Margaret, and her husband. The building is larger than it looks in front and is situated on a lovely, quiet, grassy knoll. Harry and Bess oversaw it’s design and construction, and Harry walked there nearly every day in his retirement years. His walks were so brisk that Secret Service men had trouble keeping up. We were nine years old when Truman assumed the Presidency, and we had never heard of him until Roosevelt's (FDR) death. There was no TV in those days. FDR had kept him uninformed and out of the limelight. It was great for us to tour the museum and relive those days when Harry became leader of the most powerful nation in the world. He was a common man, but a man of great courage and charisma. He would be our last President with only a high school diploma. Poor eyesight prevented Truman from participating in sports but led him to two of his greatest passions, reading and music. He was an excellent student and often played the piano in the White House. 

Following his high school graduation in 1901, Truman worked briefly as a timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor, then as a clerk in two Kansas City banks. In 1906 he returned to Grandview to help his father run the family farm. He continued as a farmer for more than 10 years. Truman served in the Missouri National Guard. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, he helped organize the 2nd Regiment of Missouri Field Artillery, which was quickly called into federal service as the 129th Field Artillery and sent to France. Truman was promoted to captain and given command of the regiment's Battery D. Many predicted that he would fail as a combat line officer. He and his unit saw action in three campaigns, and Truman never lost a man. He joined the Reserves after the war, rising eventually to the rank of colonel. He sought to return to active duty at the outbreak of World War II, but Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall declined his offer to serve.

Failed Haberdashery

From 1919 to 1922 Truman ran a men's clothing store in Kansas City with his wartime friend, Eddie Jacobson. The store failed in the postwar recession. Truman narrowly avoided bankruptcy, and through determination over many years he paid off his share of the store's debts. He was then elected as one of three judges of the Jackson County Court. Judge Truman, whose duties were administrative rather than judicial, built a reputation for honesty and efficiency in the management of county affairs. He was defeated in 1924 (his only election loss) but won election as presiding judge in 1926. He won re-election in 1930. In 1934 Truman was elected to the United States Senate. He had significant roles in  the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 and the Transportation Act of 1940. After being reelected in 1940 he gained national prominence as Chairman, Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. This committee, which came to be called the Truman Committee, sought with considerable success to ensure that defense contractors delivered  quality products at fair prices.

FDR and Harry: Legendary Presidents

On January 20, 1945 Truman took the vice-presidential oath, and after President Roosevelt's death only 82 days later on April 12, 1945, he was sworn in as the nation's 33rd President. He later called his first year as President a "year of decisions." During his first two months in office he oversaw the ending of the war in Europe. Truman had no knowledge of the atomic bomb until he was in his third day as President. Less than four months later he approved the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, and American forces of occupation began to land by the end of the month. The first year of Truman's presidency also saw the founding of the United Nations and the development of an increasingly strained and confrontational relationship with the Soviet Union.

Bess, Margaret, and Harry
Nationwide Whistle Stop Election Tour

Truman's presidency was marked throughout by important foreign policy initiatives. Central to almost everything Truman undertook in his foreign policy was the desire to prevent the expansion of the influence of the Soviet Union. The Truman Doctrine was an enunciation of American willingness to provide military aid to countries resisting communist insurgencies; the Marshall Plan sought to revive the economies of the nations of Europe in the hope that communism would not thrive in the midst of prosperity; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) built a military barrier confronting the Soviet-dominated part of Europe. Truman's recognition of Israel in May 1948 demonstrated his support for democracy and his commitment to a homeland for the Jewish people. Almost everyone was predicting that the President would not be re=elected In 1948. However, his energy in undertaking his campaign and his willingness to confront issues won a plurality of the electorate for him. His famous "Whistlestop" campaign tour through the country has passed into political folklore, as has the photograph of the beaming Truman holding up the Chicago newspaper whose headline proclaimed, "Dewey Defeats Truman."

The one time during his presidency when a communist nation invaded a non-communist one -- when North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 -- Truman responded by waging undeclared war. During the War, Truman boldly relieved General Douglas MacArthur, a WW II and Korean War hero, because MacArthur wanted to expand the War to China. The decision to dismiss was the correct one, but it was  unpopular with nearly everyone who  idolized MacArthur.

She's Just Wild About Harry

The Congress, which was much more Republican in its membership than it had been during FDR's reign, did not share Truman's desire to build on the legacy of the New Deal. The Truman administration went considerably beyond the New Deal in the area of civil rights. Although, the conservative Congress thwarted Truman's desire to achieve significant civil rights legislation, he was able to use his powers as President to achieve some important changes. He issued executive orders desegregating the armed forces and forbidding racial discrimination in Federal employment. He also established a Committee on Civil Rights and encouraged the Justice Department to argue before the Supreme Court on behalf of plaintiffs fighting against segregation.  

"Mr. Citizen" on a Brisk Walk

Truman did not seek re-election in 1952.  For the last two decades of his life, he delighted in being "Mr. Citizen," as he called himself in a book of memoirs. He spent his days reading, writing, lecturing and taking his long, brisk walks. He took particular satisfaction in founding and supporting his library, which made his papers available to scholars, and which opened its doors to everyone who wished to have a glimpse of his remarkable life and career. Upon leaving office Truman had less than a 30 per cent approval rating. As the events of history have evolved, however, historians now rank Truman as the sixth best U.S. President  just behind Washington, Lincoln, F. Roosevelt, Jefferson, and T. Roosevelt. What a comeback for the little man from Independence!

Harry & Bess Truman Home in Independence, MO

The Home Where the Trumans Lived

Harry & Bess: Wedding Day

While camped at Longview Farm, we drove to Independence on two separate days. Independence is a quiet, serene town that looks like a throwback to the 1950s. The charming Truman Home was our first tour. It had been built by Bess's grandfather shortly after the Civil War, and she would live there for her entire life. Harry was less well off and lived on a farm near Grandview with his family near Independence. The couple met across Delaware Street from Bess’s home at the Noland house when Harry was returning a bake dish to his cousin. Bess was at the Nolands that day, and the rest is history, although it was many years later when they married in 1919. The two of them, with their only child, Margaret, were so close that they were known as the “Three Musketeers.” The home is lovely, picturesque, and upscale. The furnishings are original as left by Bess at the time of her death in 1982 at age 97. Photography is not permitted inside, and a National Park Ranger conducts 15 minute tours of the first floor only. While living in the White House, the Trumans always enjoyed coming home to their comfortable old home in Independence where they would live for the rest of their lives.

Camping at the Famous Longview Farm

Longview Mansion Built in 1911

After the Airstream Rally in Sedalia we traveled a short distance to a lovely Jackson County park on Longview Lake near Independence. We were delighted to be on a pad under a lovely shade tree after the intense heat we had experienced in Sedalia. A couple of other Airstreamers from our Texas home community were also there. After seeing our splendid campsite we immediately extended our stay from two nights to three. 

Hundreds of Animals Were Housed in this Barn

The campground is located on the old Robert A. Long estate, Longview, which was once called “The World’s Most Beautiful Farm.” Long (1850-1934) was a lumber baron and investor who built the first skyscraper in Kansas City. He once owned more than 250,000 acres of timber and over 100 lumber yards. He had a huge mansion in Kansas City, but his first love was Longview. The 2,000-acre farm had 42 buildings, 250 acres of clipped lawns, extensive flower beds, and four greenhouses; in later years fresh carnations and gardenias were shipped daily. Workers at Longview numbered over 200. The farm was totally self-sustaining with its own water tank, electrical system, school, and even a church. Several buildings are still used, but many have fallen into disrepair. Fortunately, the grand mansion has been preserved and is used for conferences and gala events to include weddings.

Longview Christian Church Is Still Active

Loula Long Combs (1881-1971)

Long’s daughter, Loula Long Combs, was a legendary horsewoman for over 60 years. She lived in the farm mansion from the time it was built by her father in 1911 until her death 60 years later. Her brilliant career followed her philosophy of life. Hold God in reverence; respect your fellow man; be kind to animals. Be a good sport, a humble and generous winner, a brave and cheerful loser. Follow the rules by playing a clean game. She was also known for her elaborate fashionable hats.


Loula was always adventurous. When she was 12 and visiting her aunt in Kentucky, she went out early one morning and saddled up a three year old filly no one was permitted to ride. The filly bucked but Loula stayed with her and the filly settled down. Loula rode her for about an hour. The filly had never been ridden before! In 1912 on a trip to Colorado she bought a gray cow pony and named her Speculation. She rode her in a quarter mile dash against cowboys at the ranch out there and won! She rode her father's jumper and was clearing 5' jumps. In 1913, she was the first woman to drive a winner at Madison Square Garden in the Sporting Novice Roadster class. She won with a splint on two fingers and was the only woman in the competition. Barnum and Bailey asked her to join their circus, but she demurred. In 1914 she broke the world's record for the heavy harness half-mile race for tandems at the Springfield, Ohio show with Aviation and Affection. 

Loula's Horse Arena: Now the Loula Long
Combs Elementary School

Loula owned more than 100 horses. Her beloved animals were always pampered, and she spent most of her mornings with them and even showed her horses in England. She had her own track and an indoor arena that seated over 1000 people. In her later years, she and her sister donated over 120 acres for Longview Community College. The gravestone of her favorite horse, Revelation, can still be seen in the front yard of the Loula Long Combs Elementary School.

Our stay at Longview was most nostalgic. It reminded us of the days when we lived in a picturesque antebellum mansion in Louisville, KY provided to us by the county while Jerry was Superintendent of Ormsby Village Treatment Center. We had only six horses and an old barn that bore little resemblance to Loula’s. Still, the loveliness of Longview, with its scenic rolling terrain, brought back rich memories.

Wally Byam Caravan Club Rally in Missouri

On-Stage Performance

Life was good at the International Rally in Sedalia, MO, but the weather was triple-digit most of the time. Fortunately we had 30 amp electrical service, and our air conditioner never failed. On the downside, just before the rally began, we sent for the EMT for Gloria, who was immobile and incoherent in the middle of the night. It was discovered that she was suffering from a severe bladder infection. She spent the better part of three days at Bothwell Regional Health Center and received excellent care. Following her discharge she was given a referral for physical therapy, and that was most helpful. She was taken back to the ER by Jerry five days later. That time it was determined that she was dehydrated;  she was given fluids and released. Many other Airstreamers were in the hospital during our stay. How much the high temperatures had to do with it we don’t know.

Gloria Directing the Bridge Tournament

Gloria did not allow her health to get in the way of managing the three-day Bridge tournament. She carried out that assignment well with the help of her husband and one of our Texas neighbors. Jerry won the blue ribbon on day two of the tournament. The CB station operated without problems except that there were not enough workers, even though we closed it from Saturday noon until Monday mornings for the first time.

1935 Airstream Still on the Road

We had two trips to the hospital and lots of work to do on our respective committees, but we still had time for fun, group meals, and entertainment. Only about 360 Airstreams were at the Missouri State Fairgrounds for the rally. Compare that with over 2200 that were present at our first international rally in Rapid City, SD in 1996. Regrettably, like many organizations, the old club is shrinking. Nevertheless, we look forward each year to seeing old friends from Canada and across the U.S. One of the main attractions is a parade of vintage Airstreams. One goes back to 1935.

Canadian Wows the Audience with his Fiddle

Every night there was entertainment in the air conditioned arena. Our WBCCI Band has a professional director, and their music is top grade. They played several times, but their evening concert brought out their best. On Canada Day almost everyone wears red, and the Canadian evening entertainer was a talented fiddler who could play from any position—even while turning a somersault. With him were a couple of relatives, including his mother on the keyboard. He also had a beautiful young lady step-dancer who is a terrific professional.

Unit Bulletin Board Contest

Airstreamers love eating out, and Sedalia has no shortage of fine restaurants. There were international, region, and unit dinners and luncheons. There were also happy hours. As committee chairmen, we were invited to an awards luncheon by the International President and given a special Airstream clock.

Band Plays for March of Officers and First Ladies

Mirabai's Photo Wins Blue Ribbon

Contests were an important part of each day. There were card games, horseshoes, art and craft competitions, best bulletin boards, and unit publication contests among others. Gloria won a 2^nd place ribbon for a photo of Jerry touching the top of a lighthouse in a miniature seaside village in Newfoundland last summer. Jerry won five photo ribbons. The best one was a blue ribbon in the HUMOR category. It was of our granddaughter “celebrating” her third birthday in Guatemala. The rally ended with a July 4^th indoor parade, a community fireworks display at the fairgrounds, and an impressive evening flag ceremony. It is during the latter that the gavel is traditionally turned over to a new international president.

Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City

We stayed in Sedalia an extra day until July 6 in order to give Gloria an extra PT session at the hospital and celebrate Jerry’s birthday at the classy Madison’s Cafe in Jefferson City. While there we toured the magnificent Missouri Capitol. We don’t know if we’ll make future rallies or not, but if we do not we shall savor this one despite Gloria's health issues and the hot weather. Missouri is a beautiful, scenic state with myriad tourist attractions, and Sedalia is certainly a city worth visiting.