The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-10-14

president Of the congress. He accepted the posi-
ton, turned over his business affairs to his parti.er
and went to work. The first step was to get
twenty-five Omaha business men to back the
project for $1,000 each. This was easily done.
1t was also easy to get the Endorsement of all
Omaha business and social organizations. A
speakers bureau was formed to educate the citi-
Gems. Arrangements to raise funds for financing the
congress were made. Attention was then turned
to the preparation of a program worthy Of The
occasion.
Incidentally it became necessary to provide a
landing field large enough to stage the program.
A little thing like this, however, did not deter the
air men, who located a farm Of 1876 acres showing
possibilities as a field, although it was uneven and
contained 80 large trees.
A field day" was duly announced, and the air
men and their friends rolled up their sleeves and
with the assistance Of two Holt caterpillar trac-
tors donated for the occasion, pulled the trees and
leveled the land.
An open drainage ditch traversed the center of
the field. which lies on the edge of one Of the
residence districts, only fifteen minutes ride from
the heart of Omaha. The city council was induced
to vote unanimously to build a covered sewer
through the field at q cost Of 1000. SO the
problem of a flying field was satisfactorily solved.
In the meantime, an office force was busy mail
ing thousands of invitations and pamphlets to
the air men and celebrities, such as President
Harding, Marshal Foch. Orville Wright, Glenn
Curtiss and Judge X. NJ. Lands.
The graduates of Fort Omaha balloon school,
the center of Americas wartime ballOOning, We're
invited for their first reunion. SquadrOns and
escadrilles Of flyers were asked to hold their first
reunions in Omaha. The fifty-two American aces
were invited, as well as everyone else interested
in aviation.
The aid of Kansas City was enlisted in sending
the American Legion convention delegates on to
Omaha. The Endorsements Of national headquar-
ters of the American Legion, of the Aero Club of
America, Of the Worlds Board of Aeronautical
Commissioners and Of the Aircraft Manufacturers
Association were obtained. The cooperation of
the Army and Navy air headquarters was asked
for and received.
The railroads helped out by offering a fare and
a half rate for the round trip from all parts of
the country to Omaha. Gutzon Borglum, world
famed sculptor, offered a medal
design symbOlical Of the work Of the American
air man during the war, as his "bit." James
Hanley, song writer Of New York, wrote a special
song praising the work of the flyers, to- be sung
for the first time at the congress.
In preparing It's program. Omaha had a piece
of rare good luck right at the outset. AS every
one knows, the Pulitzer Trophy Race became the
worlds most famous air event with its first run
ming in November Of 1920 at Mitchell Field, New
York. under the auspices of the Aero Club Of
America. There were twenty-five Army, eight
Navy. seven Marine Corps and one civilian en-
trants in the contest. The winner was Lieut.. G.
{. MOSely or the Army air service, VINO new loZ
miles i'm q northumberland machine at an average
speed of 17S miles an hour. The Army won seven
of the first ten places in the contest and the Navy
two. There were 10000 spectators, including celeb
rites from all walks of life.
We'll. the Pulitzer Trophy Race for 1921 had
been scheduled for Detroit, but difficulties had
arisen and the Aero Club of America had can
celled the race for the year. Omaha stepped in
and offered the necessary funds. In consequence,
the first announcement on the program Is this
"The First International Aero Congress an
nounces the second annual aerial contest for the
Pulitzer Trophy. in connection with the first con-