Whatever Happened to Amelia?

I get a daily news email, with brief summaries of the latest in business, politics, entertainment, and the like. One of the parts I enjoy most is at the end, where it lists significant things that happened on this day in history; things like famous birthdays, or dates someone died, important battles, scientific breakthroughs, etc. Today’s list included Amelia Earhart’s solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932. That factoid reminded me of something that happened a couple months ago.

While looking up a topic that was entirely unrelated, I happened along a YouTube video. The internet is funny that way. It’s as if it was designed to bring out the hidden ADHD in everyone. You begin by looking up the ingredients for a homemade guacamole recipe, and after 45 minutes of tangents and non sequiturs, you’re reading a research paper on the origin of burnt sienna oil paint.

It is in that spirit that I wound up watching a video about Amelia Earhart. In July of 1937, she (with the assistance of her navigator Fred Noonan) were in the process of completing the first woman-piloted aircraft to journey around the world.

Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, with navigator Fred Noonan

Her route, in fact, was to follow the Equator, making it the longest flight of its kind. During what would sadly become the final leg of her journey, her plane lost contact, and began one of the biggest mysteries in modern history.

The video I happened across had a very believable report of the plane’s discovery. These kind of claims need to be taken with a grain of salt; there are hundreds of videos and articles that provide ‘definitive proof’ as to what actually happened for any particular unsolved mystery. Unfortunately, the internet is one of the most convincing platforms for well researched, thoroughly convincing falsehoods.

With that caveat in mind, I found this particular report to be both well researched, and thoroughly convincing. Hmm. Along with tons of great background info and historical documentation, it includes both mainstream media and scholarly articles supporting the author’s claims. I dug right in, and was hooked. What can I say? By this point it was 3am, and I couldn’t sleep. Why not do some pointless, unnecessary research of my own?

The video has high production values and is meticulously sourced. Just for the hell of it, I started looking up those sources. All was looking good. This really is a well-done documentary – right up to about 25 minutes into the 30-minute video.

Then, it all came crashing down. The story cited a press conference with 2 of the principal researchers. While every other piece of data was accurate, factual, and compelling, there is one piece of information that isn’t. The author changed one thing.  And he flawlessly wove that change into the story. The results that the researchers found were, in their own words, “disappointing.” The video omitted that conclusion, and in its place, claimed the findings confirmed their theory. The entire video was a well-executed hoax.  And the video had over 50,000 “Likes” and “Shares.” In fact, their YouTube page currently has over a million subscribers. They offer dozens of equally attention-grabbing headlines.

I had been so excited to share this fascinating, National Geographic-style program. With that revelation, my plans of sharing this amazing discovery took a nosedive, just like…well, you know. I can state with certainty that the world’s greatest maritime mystery is still out there – alive, and available for anyone to solve.

But while I have your attention, I have some really big news to report – I actually discovered the real identity of Jack the Ripper!

Stay tuned – film at 11:00.

-Toph

A Whole New Old World

For the past few months, I’ve been on a big First World War kick. While I can credit the Gothic horror miniature game “Trench Crusade” with that initial spark, it certainly didn’t end there. After completing a handful of game miniatures, I ventured away from the (still very compelling) fictional game aesthetic. I was looking online at images of trench systems and the differences between those used early vs. later in the war, and why they changed as the conflict wore on. 

It led me down a rabbit hole that branched into a couple of different directions. I began studying the US involvement (1917-18) in World War One (also known as “The Great War,” “War to End All Wars”, and “WWI”). I read several of the resource books I have collected over the years. My main area of interest has always been the Second World War. As it turns out, I have a surprising amount of previously unexplored material on the prequel.

In addition to finding an excuse to read every piece of material I own on The Great War, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube content as well. Many feature quality, historical information, while a handful are rife with inaccurate data and even misleading, altered or entirely AI-falsified photos. It also brought to my attention how many of the Facebook stories passed around about, “This day in military history,” are absolute fiction. Learning how to sort through the nonsense has been an interesting part of the study.

ICM’s 1/35 scale US Soldiers in Gas Masks
Although the ICM kit depicts a British machine gun, a version of the Vickers was used by the US forces – they had not yet developed their own

I also started building a few figure kits representing various combatants. They are pretty straightforward, construction-wise. I also gave in to temptation and bought a more detailed kit – a WWI tank model. While I’ve built tanks before, I haven’t taken on significantly more complex ones, for example, kits that employ individual linked tracks or photo etched brass details. This kit also has a detailed interior – another stretch out of my comfort zone. I’m hoping this endeavor is a step towards a new level of skill.

My first venture into the complex…

Growing up, I heard that my paternal great uncle Frans was drafted into WWI. My grandfather was a few years younger; and as a result, his number did not come up. Frans was exposed to poisonous gas (likely mustard gas at that point in the conflict) and had breathing difficulties for the rest of his life. I found several pieces of documentation in my search: his original draft registration, some US census records, and a photo of his military headstone at the Rock Island Arsenal National Cemetery. The first online photo I found was blurry, making it difficult to see some of the details. However, with a little more searching, I learned that he served as a private in the 139th Field Artillery. I also found an old, colorized postcard of the unit from that era.

The last few months have been a pretty cool experience. In fact, it’s been a 3-pronged journey. First: a study of the fascinating political climate of the turn of the century and resultant conflict that shaped the next hundred-plus years. Second: an opportunity to take my modeling skills in an unexpected direction – pushing my comfort zone and challenging myself to grow. And finally: a peek into the lives of ancestors who are becoming more than vague names and dates on yellowed paper in cardboard boxes. They were, in fact, real people who were born, lived entire lives, and died. They no longer need to stay forgotten. And all this discovery out of a single project – that’s pretty cool.

My great uncle’s WWI dog tag

-Toph

P.S. – Drop me a note about your own forays into the past. I truly enjoy the emails I get, from old friends as well as new ones.

Until next time – cheers!