|
|
|
Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky |
|
GONE FROM RICH FIELD WACO, TEXAS Departure Was Due to Order of War Department. On December 3lst, 1918, the remaining four civilian flying instructors at Rich Field were discharged from the service of the United States by a War Department order. They took their last flight, were given a hearty send-off by the officers and enlisted men of the field, and Rich Field knew them no more. But the honorable record which they have made will stand as long as Rich Field graduates foregather -- and no four names will have more mention in future reunions of flyers from Waco than those of Henry C. (Pop) Keller, George B.(Rock) Weaver, James P. (Jock) Mc-Grath and A. Walter Claverie. A. Walter Claverie A. Walter Claverie of Los Angeles, Cal., has had nearly a thousand hours in the air. He graduated from the Curtiss Aviation School at North Island, San Diego, Cal., on June 10, 1912, and up until 1915 was an instructor for the school. He joined the government service on July 12, 1917, and on August 29, 1917, was sent to the advanced flying school at Selfridge Field, Mt. Clemens, Mich. On December 15, 1917, he was transferred to Rich Field, where he taught dozens of cadtes to fly, and to fly well. . . . Rich Field Flyer, undated, p. 40 The article was kindly submitted by Henry Keller's great-nephew, Ken Folse. |
 |
Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky |
 |
Top, Left to Right-Muler, Pyser, Robertson, Claverie, Bishop, Kuhl Bottom, Left to Right-Morrow, McGrath, Keller, Weaver, Wheaton,???? Photo from collection of Lester Bishop Courtesy of David Balanky |
  |
|
Early Bird Walt Claverie took his farewell flight on January 9, 1993, two months shy of his 97th birthday.
He developed an early interest in flying and entered the Curtiss Aviation School at North Island, San Diego for instruction, in the spring of
1912. He soloed on June 15, 1912, but his certificate was withheld as he was under the minimum age of 18, although he was qualified to
handle Curtiss planes in every way. Walt continued flying at Curtiss Aviation School through 1914-1915 and became a civilian instructor for
the U.S. Army in 1917. He was stationed first at Selfridge Field with the Signal Corps, Aviation Section as a flying acrobatic instructor. During
1918 he was transferred to Rich Field until his discharge on December 31, 1918. After WWI, Walt went in to business for himself and later, 1921, became Chief Instructor and test Pilot for the Walter Varney Aviation School in Redwood City, California, later joining the California Institute of Technology. He did his last active flying with Cal Tech in 1928. Later he joined Douglas Aircraft Corp. until he retired in 1947 to engage in private consulting. Confined to home care these last four years, he was unable to attend Early Bird reunions but kept in touch through Associate EB's Carol Osborne and Bobbi Trout. 
|