The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-06
Landing Field In Home Town Is
Named in Honor Of Lieut..
William Matheny

Darlington, N. D., June 6.-Ae
Details of q program arranged tor tho
| dedication of the new municipal air-
port here as "Matheny Field" June
10 were announced Saturday.
Fifty planes already are assured for
the event and will beginthe days activ-
tiles with an air parade to be headed
by Lieutenant William Matheny,
Darlington boy, who won the Cheney
medal in 1929 for performing the
bravest act accredited to any man In
the United States army air corps that
year.
Lieutenant Matheny, in whose hon
or the air port is being named. has
been ordered here by the war depart
ment to be present at the dedication.
He will fly to Darlington from Lang
ley field, Va, where he is temporarily
stationed.
Lieut.. Gov. John w. Carr will de-
liver the dedication speech and Sen
ator Gerald P. Nye will speak briefly
on the national development Of avi-
alton. Amplifiers will carry their
words to all parts Of the field as well
as serve for the broadcasting Of an
nouncements during the five-hour air
program.
The park board, sponsors Of the
sky show, advertised two weeks ago
for a lady to make her first para
chute Jump as a part Of the program
and to date nine women and seven
men have offered their services.
The air events will include light
plane and free -for-all races, q dead
stick landing contest, bomb-dropping,
balloon-busting and stunning contests.
In the evening q baseball game be-
tween Jamestown and the Fargo
Moorhead teams Is scheduled and at
dark a display Of fireworks will mark
the close of the day except for the
bowery dances.
Airplanes of almost every size and
power will be at Darlington for the
event and many Of them will be
available for passenger carrying. A
series OF glider flights will be held
throughout the afternoon program.
Matheny field is at the northwest
edge Of Darlington and has q landing
area OF 80 acres. The tract has been
leveled with heavy grading machinery
this spring and will be in condition
for landing and taking off regardless
of the weather on dedication day.
In honoring q home town boy by
~dedicating the new airport In his
name, Darlington people hail Lieut..
Matheny as North Dakota's most ia
nous living aviator and recall the act
in the wild jungles of Nicaragua that
brought him the Cheney medal. Pat
rick j. Hurley, secretary Of war, has
written his commentator for nam
ing the field after an active army air
officer.
On Aug. 20, 1929. an army bomber
was being ferried from the United
States to the Panama canal zoue for
use there. Lieut.. Matheny was &C.
companied by Lieut.. Dwight j. Cam
field and Sergeant Wright. A few
minutes after leaving the air field at
Managua, Nicaragua, the left motor
of the plane caught fire. Lieut..
Matheny, at the controls, headed back
for Managua. with his right motor at
full throttle. This overstrained the
motor and it "froze," leaving the
plane without power and at too low
an altitude for the personnel to use
their ~parachutes.
There was no alternative but to
make the best landing possible in the
jungle. It crashed to the ground and
it's entire nose was broken off as far
back as the instrument board. Ser
geant Wright was catapulted clear Of
the plane and out into the jungle by
the impact.
When the bomber crashed, the gas
oline tanks burst and both Matheny
and Garfield were drenched in gas
oline. Matheny was only slightly
scratched when thrown q short dis
lance from the blazing plane. He
ran clear Of the wreckage but noticed
that Lieut.. Garfield was sitting be-
side the fuselage apparently UNI
conscious and unable to move.
Matheny rushed to the plane, tugged
at Canfield'S clothing until he brought
him to his feet and away from the
wreck. Soon Garfield apparently re-
covered from his daze and dashed for
an opening in the jungle, his gaso-
line soaked clothing a mass of flames.
Matheny al after him. threw him
to the ground and rolled him in the
wet grass to smother the fire. In 50
doing, Matthew's soaked clothing also
burst into flames and Garfield then
extricated himself from Matthew's
grip and again dashed away.
After extinguishing his own cloth
ing, Matheny sought Lieut.. Garfield
and found him exhausted, sitting on
a jungle road. Garfield died that
evening and Lieut.. Matheny spent
three weeks in a hospital recovering
from severe flesh burns and intense
pains.
When the board Of air corps Off
GERS IN 1880 awarded the Cheney
bronze plaque and $500 In cash to
Lieut.. Matheny they stated that the
heroism he displayed In disrega;ding
his own safety and rushing 70 the aid
OF his comrade, with the full krowl-
edge that he himself would catc., fire.
reflects great credit on himself and
measures up to the best traditions OF
the military service"
mERn