|
|
|
| FINAL FLIGHT is the story of William Gamber, John Melvin Mortenson, Ernest Glenn Munn, and Leo Mustonen. They were a United States Army Air Forces pilot and three aviation cadets lost in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks on November 18, 1942 during a navigation training mission. | |
|
|
From Chapter 1: Discovery Two climbers labor up the cirque, making their way across Mendel Glacier. Step, stop, rest. Hearts pound blood. Lungs struggle for air. Muscles strain to carry heavy loads. Ice, rock, and sky. First light of October 15, 2005. All sound across the desolate landscape is held master to the wind. Pack straps chafe shoulders accustomed to this hard work. The weight is known, not felt, and the two men move robotically. Step, stop, rest. Step, stop, rest. It’s amazing how far you can go, placing one foot in front of the other. At 12,500 feet above sea level it’s important to always keep in mind that you’re nearing a point where half the earth’s atmosphere is below you. Do this one thing perfectly; one foot and then the other, upward to the objective - that is all that matters. They have done this before. They know the routine, they know what to expect. But expectations don’t lighten their loads, level, nor smooth out the terrain. Proper conditioning is critical but even conditioning may fail at this elevation making the simplest task an exercise in agony. read more HERE |
|
The Final Flight Story I've been hiking and mountaineering in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks ever since I first came to the Sierra in 1965 as a 12 year-old boy scout. More than any other place I've lived, I've always considered the parks to be my home. After discovering the remains of Glenn Munn in August, 2007 I became deeply involved in trying to understand what caused the crash of the Beech 18 AT-7 that killed him and three others in November, 1942. These four men were not movers and shakers or shapers of history - they were regular folks: the people who fight wars, make sacrifices, and return home to resume lives disjointed by conflict. I feel it is fitting that their story be told. |
LINKS HOME Images [Glacier] [Wreckage] [Other] Press [Print] [Television] |
|
FINAL FLIGHT, coming from Wilderness Press in 2010 contact peter[at]FinalFlightTheBook.com This website is © 2009 by Peter Stekel, All Rights Reserved. This page revised: April 14, 2009 |
|
