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HARRY HAYNES FORD

Harry. H. Ford was born in Bridgeport, Connecticutt April 13, 1884.  He was married to Margaret L. Fasciano.

In 1911, at the age of 27, he became interested in airplanes and with the help of a mechanic built a hydroairplane which he flew over Long Island Sound.  Since he had to teach himself how to fly, he decided that with pontoons instead of wheels he would have plenty of space in which to learn.  His first solo flight was made during June, 1912.

Harry's father did not approve of such risky activities, and when Harry was on a trip to Miami, set fire to the plane, thinking it was in the best interests of all.  The engine, radiator and propeller survived and when Harry joined the Early Birds, he donated them to the Smithsonian Institution.

After the loss of his plane Harry's main interest became automobiles, and he spent much of his time restoring antique cars.  He was a member of the Automobile Old Timers.  His vocation was Real Estate.

Harry H. Ford died Saturday May 27, 1967 in his home. Funeral services were held the following Wednesday in the Spadaccino Funeral Home, Bridgeport, Connecticutt. Burial was in Lakeview Cemetary.  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Margaret F. Ford; a brother, Wesley Ford; and several nieces and nephews.

EDWARD FOOTE HINKLE

Edward Foote Hinkle: In January 1967 Early Bird mail addressed to Edward F. Hinkle, 113 Baker Street, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico was returned to our late Secretary, Elmo N. Pickerill marked "Deceased".

Hinkle was born in Cincinnati, Ohio May 22, 1876.  He was educated at Yale University graduating in 1899.  He took post graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and at Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. 

In Paris he built and tested a helicopter-type machine in 1911.  In 1912 he worked for the Voisin Aeroplane Company.  He made numerous solo flights at Buc, France in 1916.  During World War I he flew with the Lafayette Escadrille.  In 1918 he returned to the United States as head of experimental engineering with the Bureau of Aircraft Production, U.S. Army.  From 1919 until 1941 he was the owner of an architectural, engineering and experimental shop in Detroit, Michigan.  In World War II he was Production Engineer at the Willow Run Bomber Plant from 1941 to 1945.  Hinkle was given a number of French awards for American Volunteers and Lafayette Escadrille.  He was also decorated by the King of Montenegro in 1917.

After his retirement, he settled in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
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HARRY N. ATWOOD

Harry N. Atwood was born November 1, 1882.  He learned to fly at the Wright School in Dayton, Ohio.  His first solo flight was made there in the early part of 1911.  His first marriage was to Sara Jenkins of Lynn, Massachusetts.  One child was born to them, a daughter Bethany, now Mrs. Bethany Atwood Trask of Topsfield, Massachusetts.

A record of outstanding achievments of this intrepid aviator was published in CHIRP No. 73, page 4 and on page 5 of that same issue was a report that someone had reported Atwood's death as having occured in 1961.  It has now been established that Harry N. Atwood died in Murphy, N.C. on July 14, 1967 and was buried there.

No matter how simple or remote Harry N. Atwood's grave may be, his name has been preserved for all time by our National Government as one of aviations most outstanding pioneers.  Through the efforts of The Early Birds of Aviation, his name in bold letters is commemorated on two bronze plaques, one of which is attached to the Early Bird monument on Governors Island in the upper bay of New York harbor, and the other located in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
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HELEN HODGE HARRIS

Helen Hodge was born in Omaha, Nebraska August 2, 1890.  She attended the public schools and a girl's finishing seminary, Brownell Hall in Omaha.  On June 9, 1909, in Oakland, California, she married Ralph Burton Newbre.  There were two daughters born, Maryn and Virginia.

[[image - black & white photograph of a woman in pilot seat of plane, [[Helen Hodges?]] ]]

Helen became interested in flying and tried to buy a course at the Christofferson School in San Francisco.  She was rejected because she was a girl.  But Helen was determined to fly and hung around the school until her persistence wore them down.  Frank Bryant, the instructor finally agreed to enroll her as a pupil if she would take the same training course as the men.  She accepted, donned mechanics overalls and started her training with the study of the engine, the construction of the airplane and the theory of flight.  In due time her flying instruction began on a Curtiss-type plane at Redwood City with Frank Bryant.  She proved to be an apt pupil and on November 12, 1916, she flew for her Aero Club of America FAI Certificate No. 633.

Ralph Newbre passed away in 1935.  Three years later, in Los Angeles, Helen married Frank Harris and became Supervisor of a machine shop making special airplane tools and finishing equipment.  There was a crew of twenty men and fourteen girls on engine and turret lathes, milling machines and precision grinders.  Mrs. Harris was able to operate all of these machines and often did so.

After the death of Mr. Harris she moved to Pomona, California, where she was living when she passed away form a heart attack on February 27, 1967.  Services were held at Todd Memorial Chapel, Pomona.  She rests in Forest Lawn at Glendale, California.  Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Virginia L. Lindsey; a sister Mrs. Florence H. Case; a granddaughter, Mrs. Virginia M. Goodman and two great grandchildren.

ERROL H. ZISTEL

Members of the Early Birds lost one of their most cherished friends on January 25, 1968 when Major General Errol H. "Zip" Zistel, Retired, passed away at Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland.  Funeral services were held at the Saxton Funeral Home in Lakewood, Ohio on January 29th and attended by two Early Birds, George Page and George H. Scragg.

Born in Sandusky, Ohio, on July 16, 1895, Zip was an adventurous youth.  When in 1910 he watched Glenn Curtiss glide down from the sky after a flight from Euclid Beach, 60 miles away, the spark was kindled.  His first flight was made in a Benoist flying boat at Sandusky in July 1914.  During World War I he became an ace, first flying British Sopwith Camels and French Nieuport 28s with the British Royal Flying Corps and then transferring to an American unit commanded by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.  Here he engaged in many dog-fights against the famed Baron von Richthofen's "Flying Circus"  Wounded as bullets ripped through his plane and his hip, he crashed into a tree as he attempted to return to his base.  A Canadian unit rushed to his rescue, and Zip woke up in a French Hospital.  Seriously injured in the crash, he was returned to the United States to recover.

One of the early members of the Ohio Air National Guard, he served that organization from 1927 to 1940. During World War II he served with the Second, Fourth and Fifth Air Force.  After the war he returned to the Ohio Air National Guard as Chief of Staff and continued until his retirement in 1957.  At that time he was honored with a gigantic air show in Mansfield, Ohio.  For several years after his military retirement, he was associated with the Standard Oil Company of Ohio in the marketing department.  In 1961 he retired to Bay Village, Ohio.

Among his decorations, he holds the Legion of Merit, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, St. George Medal, and Order of Leopold.  Zip was a past president of the Cleveland Aviation Club, and in 1931 was chief judge of the National Air Races.  General Zistel is survived by a daughter, Mrs. David I. Miller, a sister, Mrs. Walter A. Horn and two grandchildren.  His wife, Edna W. died in 1962.
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BENJAMIN  D. FOULOIS

Major General Benjamin D. Foulois was born in Washington, Connecticut December 9, 1879.  He was the son of Henry and Sarah A. Foulois.  He married Elisabeth Sheppard Grant.  His education was in the public schools of Washington, Conn. and the many service schools of the U.S. Army.

Benjamin Foulois entered military service at the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898.  He was advanced through the ratings from Private to 1st Sergeant in Company G, 19th Infantry, 1899-1901; 2nd Lieutenant to Captain, 1901-14; Major, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, 1917; Brigadier General, Air Service 1917-19; Assistant Military Attache for Aviation, Berlin, 1920-24; attended Command and General Staff School at Leavenworth, Kansas and August 5, 1924 become Commanding Officer, Mitchell Field, N.Y.

Detailed to aviation duty at its birth in the U.S. Army in July 1908, Benjamin Foulois with Lieutenants Lahm and Selfridge, operated the first Army dirigible balloon and the first military airplane.  He was observer with Orville Wright in 1909 on first cross-country flight 
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