SAMOAN CLIPPER MONUMENT

 

Samoan Clipper Monument Collection of LCDR Stephen Matadobra, 3-10-07

 

Kanton Island/Samoan Clipper Lighthouse via email from LCDR Stephen Matadobra, 3-10-07 Sir:      I am the Commanding Officer of a Coast Guard cutter currently on deployment in the South Pacific. Most recently, we had the opportunity to stop at Kanton Island, Kiribati. During our stay, I took advantage of hiking through the island and discovered many remnants of the facilities that supported the Pan Am (Samoa) Clipper. Most notably, I discovered a weathered, but still visible monument commemorating the fatal flight of Capt. Musick and the Samoan Clipper - lost in January 1938.

 

Samoan Clipper Plaque Collection of LCDR Stephen Matadobra, 3-10-07

 

Capt. Musick & Crew Collection of LCDR Stephen Matadobra, 3-10-07

 

Kanton Island/Samoan Clipper Lighthouse Editor's Notes      When I searched the net for more information on this monument, I soon learned that it is best known as a lighthouse. If you have the time, and are interested, you will find numerous links to articles, many with photographs, which expand our knowledge of this "monument."

 

SAMOAN CLIPPER VIDEO from Craig Gleason Grandson of Fred John McLean, 4-28-06 Hi Ralph,      My grandfather was Fred John McLean, the navigator on the Samoan Clipper with Musick.      "It was during the second scheduled flight bound for New Zealand that the Sikorsky S-42 Samoan Clipper exploded shortly after take-off from Pago Pago, American Samoa, on January 11, 1938, tragically ending the career of one of the foremost pioneers of the early days' of aviation, together with the rest of the crew. The plane was never found, only some debris." from The Aeromarine website      I have a video of a Clipper, looks like in Hawaii and I think President Roosevelt is being escorted by my grandfather, and I think Musick is in there as well.      Check it out on my website, let me know if you have any problems with it and I'll send it to you, FTP.      The movie is at the bottom of the page in the Listening Room. You can view it by clicking on: Grandfather McClean, Samoan Clipper 1937 God bless! Regards, Craig Gleason www.craiggleason.com Editor's Note: I thank Craig for sharing this priceless, historic film clip with us. It was a thrill for me to see this brief glimpse into the past. I think you will want to play it over and over again, as I did. While on Craig's "Listening Room" page, I enjoyed listening to the songs which Craig has written. If time permits, I highly recommend that you sample them too. Thanks again Craig. You have helped to make his story come alive.

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Edwin Musick +aviation", using the Google search engine, (5-5-04), you will find about 41 links. One of the newer sites is a wonderful resource.

The Aeromarine Website      This website, the product of Daniel Kusrow's & Björn Larssons' imagination and industry, is a remarkable resource and offers "Biographies of Aeromarine personalities" including Harry Bruno, Edwin Charles ("Ed") Musick, Charles Fraser Redden, Bernard Lewis "Barney" Smith, Inglis Moore Uppercu, Cyrus Johnston Zimmermann and Paul Gerhard Zimmermann. You can access the page by clicking on the title above.      If time permits, I heartily recommend that you read some of the other biographies and visit some of the photo album pages which offer previously unpublished and very important photographs. You can access them from the front page of the site.

 

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