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79

Waco

The World War found Sam designing aircraft for Aeromarine. He saived his young pride with proclaiming himself a Pacifist. In1917 and 1918, this was rank heresy, and anyone who took this stand, much less enunciated it, was thought contemptible. But, as Sam said, flat feet and heart trouble were such hackneyed misnomers for lack of [underlined] guts [/underlined], that he preferred his own form of shame, which after all he really believed, for war was just some goofs idea of how to make money, on other peoples [underlined] murder [/underlined]. 
   Sam had barnstormed with Ted Robinson, until he had to pick Robinson out of the crash that killed him. From then on he couldn't stand to hear out of the crash that killed him. From then on he couldn't stand to hear "Sympathy", which had been Robinson's favorite tune.Sam and George had met through Robinson, and had been to-gether at the exhibition Grant Park flights in Chicago, but it wasn't until they had met at the Aeromarine again, that they grew fond of each other. It was here that Sam had met my brother Charlie. Then Charlie had gone on the the Royal Flying Corps, which had pleased my Father's English Mother( Crawfords and Willistons). George had gone to help Katherine Stinson fly her Red Cross "Knit" campaign, then to camp, to teach cadets stunts and advanced flying. Such a depth of personality unfolded to me, that I had only caught hints of, in my days of Mrs."Buck." One mail brought me the "[underlined] very first pictures [/underlined]," of the new Waco. I liked the rounded wing tips, and the finish looked better, also I was glad that I rated those first pictures. Another letter told in rebuttal, about the supreme artist of all,"in his humble estimation a [underlined] Mother [/underlined]." Yet another letter enclosed some "poor goofs faith and vision in aviation." After the first paragraph, I recognized Sam's vocabulary and his peroration cinched it as his. I have always hoped that I responded in proper tone to the supposed nonchalance with which it was sent. Here it is, the vision of Sam, 28 yrs. old: