Lee Willey, Ca. 1928

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BACKGROUND

The images of the Collection are presented without touch up or modification, except for squaring margins, sizing and optimizing for web download. Unless otherwise indicated, they were scanned by their donors.

The images are displayed without much technical commentary. Rather, the links will take you to further information, where available.

Take time to examine these important records of the Golden Age of Aviation. Enjoy everything!

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YOUR PURCHASE OF THESE BOOKS SUPPORTS THE WEB SITES THAT BRING TO YOU THE HISTORY BEHIND OLD AIRFIELD REGISTERS

Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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http://www.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifThe Congress of Ghosts is an anniversary celebration for 2010.  It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936 is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Art Goebel's Own Story by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion.  Available as a free download at the link.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race is available at the link. What was it like to fly from Oakland to Honolulu in a single-engine plane during August 1927? Was the 25,000 dollar prize worth it? Did the resulting fame balance the risk? For the first time ever, this book presents the pilot and navigator's stories written by them within days of their record-setting adventure. Pilot Art Goebel and navigator William V. Davis, Jr. take us with them on the Woolaroc, their orange and blue Travel Air monoplane (NX869) as they enter the hazardous world of Golden Age trans-oceanic air racing.

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Clover Field: The First Century of Aviation in the Golden State. With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great.

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THE LEE LYSLE WILLEY PHOTOGRAPH AND DOCUMENT COLLECTION

BOYHOOD PHOTOGRAPHS

Integral to this Collection is the biography page for Lee Willey, which itself exhibits 60 photographs, documents and artifacts that illustrate the chronology of Willey's career in aviation. Please direct your browser to his link to learn about one of the Register's most interesting and accomplished, yet little-known, pilots.

The following exhibits nine images from his boyhood.

How early in boyhood is early? Below, paternal grandparents William Henry Willey and Emma Wilcox. I adjusted the levels of these two images for better clarity.

William Henry Willey, Paternal Grandfather, Date Unknown
William Henry Willey, Paternal Grandfather, Date Unknown
Emma Wilcox, Paternal Grandmother, Date Unknown
Emma Wilcox, Paternal Grandmother, Date Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below, Lee Willey with his father and mother, Luther (Lute) and Mable (Keller) Willey. The date is unidentified, but is probably near 1904. Luther favors his mother, Emma Wilcox.

Lee Willey With His Parents, Date Unknown
Lee Willey With His Parents, Date Unknown

 

Lee Willey, 1904
Lee Willey, 1904

 

 

 

Lee Lysle Willey was born at Burlington, CO, July 17, 1902. He spent his early years at Delta and Grand Junction, CO.

At left, a photograph taken in 1904 when he was about two years old. Please direct your browser to his biography link, above, to view another image of him at two years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lee Willey, 1906
Lee Willey, 1906

 

 

 

 

 

At right, from 1906, a photograph of Lee Willey at about four years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below, Willey in 1912 on horseback in Colorado.

Lee Willey, 1912
Lee Willey, 1912

Below, Lee Willey a little older, but date unknown, probably in Colorado.

Lee Willey on Horseback, Date Unknown
Lee Willey on Horseback, Date Unknown

Below, Lee Willey at approximately age sixteen, riding a horse, leading a mule pack train carrying lumber.  Bonansa, CO. This is not the same horse as above. He carries a shovel over his shoulder.

Lee Willey With Pack Train
Lee Willey With Pack Train

Below, young Gladys Shropshire and Lee, ca. summer 1917 (age about 15 years). They would be married on June 10, 1921. Lee wears boots with bootstraps and breeches, workgloves, and a mug for the camera. A bouquet of flowers behind Gladys includes what look to be columbines. A guess at the car would be a 1914 Ford Model T "Runabout". Does anyone KNOW?

Wife-to-Be Gladys Shropshire & Lee, 1917
Wife-to-Be Gladys Shropshire & Lee, 1917

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UPLOADED: 07/08/09 REVISED:

 
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CREDITS

Thanks to Lizbeth Zemke, granddaughter, and Col. Scott Willey (USAF, RET), grandson of Lee Willey, for sharing all the information and photographs with us in this Collection.

All the exhibited items are original and passed on to them from their grandfather, through their grandmother and their parents, respectively.

 
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