The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-12-16
SPECTACULAR PROGRAM FOR
OBSERVANCE OF ANNIVERSARY
OF FIRST FLIGHTSPLANNED
Widely Noted Event at Kill Devil Hills Attracts
Many Observers; President Miles Clark An
nounces Program For Ceremonies Saturday at
Memorial Site and Mays Head Hotel.
BY AYCOCK BROWN


nual celebration which pays hon.
age to the memory of Wilbur and
Orville Wright. The ceremonies on
Saturday will begin at 10:45
o'clock at the base of Wright Me-
mortal Monument close by their
first flight proving grounds of so
years ago when they successfully
flew a heavier-than-air powered
machine, a frail 750-pound craft.
The celebration is co-sponsored
by the Kill Devil Hills Memorial
Society, the Air Force Associa-
ton and the National Park Serv-
ice. Ceremonies will conclude with
a luncheon at the Carolinian Ho-
tel in nearby Mays Head. Rear
Admiral r. E. Wood, commandant,
5th Coast Guard District, will be
the principal speaker and toast
master Wade Mari of Elizabeth
City will introduce numerous
guests.
The celebrations attract many
newsmen, radio and television rep
resentatives, and this year is no
exception. A special plane from
, Washington, D. c., will bring sew
eral including: Larry Carney, Air
Force Times; Charlie Cordury,
United Press; Dick Lewis News
week; George Durno, International
News Service; Lou Hiner, Indian
apolis News; Jack Norris, Wash
ington Post-Times Herald; Keith
Saunders, American Aviation Dali
ly; Chick Marlborough, Washing
ton Evening Star; Jake Wilk,
Warner Brothers, New York and
Major Jim Marquis, Office of In
formation Service, USAF. Also on
this Washington press plane will
be Paul CARRIER, curator, National
Air Museum, Smithsonian Institu-
ton; Fred C. Kelly, official biog-
rapher of the Wright Brothers,
Kensington, Md; Blanche Moves,
CAA and Don Steele, commander
of the Capital Squadron, AFA.
Herb kalish, assistant for special
events, Air Force Association,
will have charge of the group,
acting for Ralph Whitener who is
in charge of arrangements for the
Collier Trophy dinner this year
in Washington, Keith Saunders of
Aviation Publications, and whose
father, the late W. o. Saunders,
was a pioneer advocate of recog-
milton of the Wrights. Other news,
radio and television representa-
tives are expected.
Miles L. Clark of Elizabeth City,
overall chairman of the celebra-
ton has arrange the program, be-
ginning with selections of the Eliz-
abeth City High School Band un-
der the direction of Scott C. Gala
way at 10:45 o'clock at the monu-
ment, followed by the national an
them at 1855. At IL o'clock a
flight of IL F-84-F Thunderstorm
jets will provide a formation fly
over at the monument. On their
southwark course travelling at
some 500 miles per hour. Seconds
later they will streak over the
monument again travelling at an
even greater speed. In comparison
the Wright Brothers frail craft
which took off from the base of
Kill Devil Hills 81 years ago had
a speed of 80 miles an hour against
a 81 mile wind.
The Rev. George Frank Hill,
Episcopal rector of Elizabeth City,
will deliver the invocation followed
by short talks by representatives
of the armed forces and the laying
of wreathes by L. S. Blades, Jr.,
mayor of Elizabeth City, Earline
Cullipher, chief majorette, Eliza
beth City High School Band, Mar
garet Pearce and Marie Etheridge
of Manteo.
AT the annual luncheon, preced-
ed by cocktail party for distin-
guished guests with A. w. Drink
water as host, Melvin r. Daniels,
secretary to the Dare County
Board of Commissioners and Reg
lister Of Deeds, will give an ad-
dress of welcome. More distin-
guished guests will be presented
followed by remarks of Major AL
Williams, noted precision flier.
Admiral Woods address will fol-
low and there will be remarks by
Miles Clark as the luncheon adj
journs.
Brigadier General John d. Stew
enson, director of plans for the
Tactical Air Command, Langley
Air Force Base, will represent the
Air Force at the ceremonies and
Allyn Hanks and Horace Dough.
superintendent of Cape Hatteras
National Seashore and the Wright
Brothers National Monument, re-
spectively, will represent the Ma