An Angel with Silver Wings: They Whisper of It on Northwest Florida's Miraculous Emerald Coast - Softcover
From whence came this mysterious, compelling tale? The writer, awed, fingers moving on a keyboard, following uncertainly along, wondering, wondering, what next is to come. Eyes riveted to dreamy glow of a computer screen, oft times surprised at word-visions appearing, as though writ large by disembodied hand, high upon a wall.
Clearly it is a song of aviation, of a glorious war bird, the sheer joy of flying. Even more, of an unseemly Angel, cock-sure, brash, bold, content in his Heavenly mission. Yet remembering, pining a bit, for his mortal time under our own glowing star.
Surely, it is a fleeting touch between the magnificence of Heaven, and Earth’s beauty, the unique loveliness of Northwest Florida’s splendid Emerald Coast. In the thrall of these pages you’ll feel high flight, slashing speed - some at the speed of light - shock and fright, quiescent contemplation, explosive surprise, mishaps, learning and growing, surpassing fear, humor, the wonder of Angels, violence, compassion, companions of a curious meld.
Perhaps though, by the last of them, it may be mere, abiding faith you sense. Faith intensely held by legions of us yet here, earnestly sought by so many more.
More simply, perhaps, it is a curious story. One of a World War II fighter plane, The North American P-51, and it's pilot who is an Angel. The other central character, a man nearing retirement years, stunned by an unforseen loss, unexpectedly meets the Angel and his magnificent plane in the un-likeliest of places along Northwest Florida's miraculous Emerald Coast. The Angel, and a small additional band of the "Heavenly Host," famous over thousands of years, guide him amid the deadly excitement of flying the now Angelic P-51.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Publisher:
DEDICATION
From the Author:
It appeared on the front page of Fort Walton’s weekly Playground News, Thursday, July 28, 1949. The article was painfully brief in contrast to the shock and stunned sadness we felt on Eglin Air Force Base’s Auxiliary Field #1 at dawn’s roll call Wednesday morning.
Bulletin
First Lieutenant Roy H.
Amidon, Jr. was killed Tuesday night during a routine training mission from an auxiliary field at Eglin Air Force Base. He was a member of the 117th Fighter Group, Alabama Air National Guard.
The cause of the crash is not known immediately. A board of Air Force officers has been appointed to investigate. Amidon is survived by his wife Geraldine S. Amidon, 1509 44th Street, Bellview Heights, Birmingham Alabama and his father A.H. Amidon of Lakeland Florida.
The July 28th edition of the unit’s hometown newspaper, the Birmingham News, with a photo showing him to be a fine looking young man, offered a bit more.
Amidon, in fact a Second Lieutenant, had been in Birmingham for only two or three years and a pilot in the Air Guard unit for just nine months. He was the first local Air Guard pilot to die in a crash since the unit had been formed after World War II.
The article explained that his P-51 fighter crashed as it came in for a landing, that he was 24 years old, had served as a fighter pilot in the Air Corps during World War II...,and that he was part owner of Central Park Garage at 1416 Bessemer Road.
Also made clear was that funeral services would be held in Lakeland, Florida.
More of his life was shared in Wednesday evening’s July 27th edition of the Lakeland Ledger.
Roy was, in fact, a Floridian, born and reared in Lakeland, graduated from Lakeland High School, where he and his soon-to-be-wife Geraldine played in the school band. He was the son of prominent Polk County Criminal Judge Roy H. Amidon, Sr and Mrs. Amidon, as the paper termed it in those more formal years. His age, better defined now, was actually 25.
Members of the 160th Fighter Squadron of the Alabama Air National Guard..., to which Lt. Roy Amidon’s 117th Fighter Group was attached...were to fly in formation over the grave at Oak Hill Cemetery during interment.
His parents and his grandfather L.E. Amidon had been summoned home from a vacation in New Hampshire because of the tragedy. Sadly, they had intended to stop by in Birmingham to visit Roy and Geraldine the following Sunday during their planned trip home at the end of their vacation.
A few sentences of the article point out the confusion which often surrounds such a sudden calamity.
"It was assumed..." the article said, "...that Lt. Amidon’s wife had been notified by the National Guard of the death and had in turn called Judge Amidon in New Hampshire."
That’s the one facet of Roy Amidon’s story this writer knows. When we drew to attention at roll call that dawn, our unit leader was missing. He was a best friend of Roy and Geraldine. Immediately, in late night hours, he left Eglin’s Auxiliary Field #1 to make the five hour drive home... to tell her personally of Roy’s passing.
Our ache was not only for Lt. Roy Amidon’s crash and death...but for her shock and sorrow..., and the painful moments our friend and unit boss would face in the breaking of terrible news.
There is nothing of the Angel, of this curious story, that speaks of Roy Amidon’s experiences in life. 17 year old privates never ...never... hobnob with officers. This writer never met Roy, knew nothing of him until that awful morning. In truth, we found only after his passing that our unit leader was his best friend.
Details of his life were discovered only in recent days, through research in three now aged newspaper articles... long after this story was written.
I wonder why the sense of shock and sorrow of that morning has lingered for more than a half century? Is that what separates one who yearns to write from those not so inclined?
It is surely true that the anguish of that long ago morning..., awe of the magnificent P-51..., and maybe the hope of Angels ..., were the wellspring from which this strange tale flourished.
You may see now, though, why this story is dedicated not only to the memory of Second Lt. Roy H. Amidon, Jr..., to past and present fellow members of his Alabama Air National Guard at Birmingham...but to all of America’s brave citizens who give of their time, and face the risks, of serving as Guardsmen and Reservists...vital, immediate back up to Armed Regulars..., America’s massed second line of defense.
The nimble P-51 was America’s most beautiful, most effective fighter aircraft of World War II. Reaching the skies of Europe mid-war, it quickly changed the face of aerial combat, more than a match for the feared German Me109. It’s speed, fire power, and long range gladdened the hearts of American boys who flew slower, vulnerable bombers, saving many lives. It and the unlikeliest of Angels, have been joys to write about.
James Keir Baughman
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBaughman Literary Group
- ISBN 10 1932157328
- ISBN 13 9781932157321
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages192
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