Who Case: 352
Clay Clemmons, I think I might have been to that very same airshow. Spaceland Airport was the name at the time. Maybe still is. Bob Hoover was also there in his yellow Mustang. He flew a Shrike as well. Most of the routine was done with both engines feathered!

Who Case: 152
Hello to many "old"HMers. I was a General Distributor and IG in Chicago in the late 1960's while practising law with a very old firm there also. I became the Managing Director of Holiday Magic Great Britain in 1970 and International Vice President in 1972, dealing with HM companies all over Europe, Africa and areas further east. I attended a memorial service in San Rafael soon after Bill's death and returned to Europe to continue things there. Some time later Mrs. Patrick sent notice that I was dismissed, but since I was not an employee of any of the California companies, I stayed involved in Europe and elsewhere for a year or two before returning to the USA in 1976. Mike St. Clair and I had joined in a consulting business with offices in London and California. We travelled quite a bit and I got to work with many new people around the world, but I finally settled with my family in Newport Beach, California. During the following years I stayed in contact and visited with Roland Nocera, a friend since our days in Chicago, who had moved back to Chicago. He had a copy of the unfinished auto-biography that Bill Patrick was writing before his death and set out to write a book about Bill and himself. He had been selected by Bill to become the President of all HM and USU companies and eventually was made Chairman of US Universal with full authority to run them all. Bill had begun his planning and work to establish a Psychic Center at the ranch in Clear Lake, and to bring together Bill Corrado, who had worked with Mr. Patrick in San Rafael, and many other authentic Psychics. His life story and these plans for his future became the subject of Roland's book which I was allowed to edit for Roland as the story moved along. Unfortunately Roland died in 2006 in care for Parkinson's disease and the book was never published, though it had been completed by Roland during the 1990's. I moved to Manila in the Philippines in 1991 to assist in the running of a financial services company with offices there and in London. I stayed in touch with Roland and put away the many copies of his book in a large box that stayed with me as I moved from the Philippines to Perth, Western Australia in 1998, where I still live now with my daughter, Laurie, who, along with my son, Brad, grew up while I grew up too in Holiday Magic. I discovered the box and Roland's book recently when moving to another house closer to the city. I tried to discover whether the book had ever been published but no one in Roland's family knew much of anything about the book and no one seemed to be able to find his work on the book. It seems that I have the only copy of that manuscript and I have decided to publish it on the internet. I have had it retyped and edited to the best of my ability and the reading and re-reading during that process has convinced me that the story must be told. I will publish it on the internet somehow very soon and, because Bill always said people would only pay attention and read something if they paid for it, I will set some nominal price and put all and any proceeds into a Charitable Trust in the name of WPP and RRN which I assume I should administer. I am now 88 years old, in reasonably good health with no life threatening illnesses. But who dares to predict the future? Love to hear from all. Paul Stemm

Who Case: 95
N 8677E is still flying and is still owned by my brother Gene Mallette based in Helena MT

Flying under the colors of"SWEET MARY LOU" aptly named for his lovely wife. The gear doors carry the names of their daughters.
The aircraft won the distinction of "Best Military Restoration" in Reno at the 2021 Reno National Air Races.

Gene will fly her in the Reno National Air Race Championship in Sept. 2022.

We are expecting nothing less than First place.

Who Case: 152
WPP is not spinning is his grave as the new owners of High Valley Ranch are Jewish, and required no graves to be on any property they own. Because of this, WPP's body was exhumed, and rumor has it he was cremated and the ashes taken to Oklahoma from whence he came.

Also, it is not just a rumor that High Valley Ranch is now a "huge pot growing operation"; it is now an accomplished fact. Because of final permit delays they were late to plant this year, so they planted less than the 80 acres they are allowed, but next season they expect to plant earlier and the full 80 acres.

Who Case: 352
Like Mrs Mona Fornof Conklin, I stumbled on this site by accident as well. And I see a few names I haven’t seen/heard of in quite some time.

I too grew up in Houma, LA watching the Fornof’s fly. They, along with my Father, Charlie Hammonds, inspired me to pursue Naval Avation as my career. I truly loved watching them fly those beautiful machines over my Hometown.

In tribute to the Fornofs I flew over Houma in every Naval aircraft (Fighter & Attack types) I ever flew, to the dismay of more than one local; according to phone calls received by my Father and the Navy…LOL. They obviously weren’t around when Bill & Corkey would work over the Houma airport…

I did get one back seat ride in the Mustang! And that Cadillac bronze is still one of my favorite colors!!!

Who Case: 412
Mr. Sparkman was close. The Mustang belonged to my uncle, Lamar Gill, the son of Truman Gill. Lamar was a Naval Aviator and following the war he purchased the Mustang from the US government. He loved to fly and It was his first plane. I have one memory as a small boy sitting in the small area behind him flying to Corpus Christi and back. Chase Field, the Navy base at the time allowed Lamar to keep his plane there. If I remember correctly, the maintenance keeping it flying was beginning to be too much. I also seem to remember when he sold it, it went to the Confederate Air Force which became the Centennial Air Force. My uncle loved this plane, but wanted it with someone that could keep it flying. He continued flying until his death and I had many flights with him in his various planes over the years. I believe his last plane was a twin engine Beechcraft. I would love to see it again.

Who Case: 223
They took off from the Lazy E ranch that the Edwards Brothers owned (both of them are deceased now) and both got caught in a thunderstorm. There were 4 planes that took off, two of them made it out and my dad and Don Plumb both crashed. My dad actually had a passenger, Norm Danielson, who used to be the dental assistant for Dr. Steve Shulke, who died in a trainer plane with his son a few years earlier. Dr. Shulke used to fly Mustangs and inspired my dad to start flying.

Incidentally, the plane was equipped with radar.

Who Case: 152
My promised monthly check in:

WPP is spinning in his grave! Our beloved ranch (High Valley Ranch,) is no longer a human potential seminar center (LDI, MDI, PSI World, etc.).

Rumor has it that it is, and/or is becoming, a huge pot growing operation!

If you knew Bill's political leanings you'd see the humor in that!

All the best!

Ben Gay III
Former President Holiday Magic et al.
WWW.BFG3.COM
bfg3@directcon.net
(530) 409-0080

Who Case: 334
To Dr Lavigne’s sons: I remember you!!!

My dad, Gary Sauer, commented above. He was spending a lot of time on the computer at that time making memory connections as he had JUST been diagnosed with brain Cancer and passed in 2007. I had JUST gotten back from Iraq for a week in July 2005 when I received a Red Cross message. The brain tumor had caused a stroke. He recovered from the stroke but not the cancer.
I too now have terminal cancer and I came across my dad’s post just on a whim after meeting two girls today who just lost their dad in a cessna crash this year on Feb 2nd. My dad, a Cessna pilot along with my mom, also died on Feb 2nd......
Then I Google my dads name and read about you losing your dad in a plane crash.

I’m SO SO SORRY!

I’m not sure if you would remember meeting us. I was about 9 at the time. My brother Damon and my sister Jessica were older. We only met once. I remember your dads curly hair and flashy rings. I remember we hung out somewhere briefly.

God bless

Mary

Who Case: 120
The FBO was “J&J Aircraft” and was around until the mid ‘60s. The hangar was a typical AAC hangar from Ww2 built entirely of wood construction.