The annual remembrance ceremony was held yesterday in downtown Columbus under the auspices of the Columbus Historical Society (CHS) and within their dedicated memorial park behind their well-known “Depot Museum.”
CHS President, Shirley Garber lead the ceremony which featured Professor Brandon Morgan,whose presentation was entitled: “Protector and Aggressor: Pancho Villa’s Complicated Relationship with the Lower Mimbres Valley.“
Visitors came from as far as Kansas, Washington (state), and several from El Paso, Texas, as well.
The CHS always holds its service on the exact date of the tragic raid, regardless of which day of the week on which that date falls, whereas Columbus itself, holds their Raid Day events over the closest weekend to that date of March 9, 1916, assuring working families can make the occasion. Next year, in 2024, the date of the actual raid will fall on a Saturday, which will mean the attendees will number in at least the hundreds.
Yesterday’s turnout was estimated to be just short of 60 people. This weekend the renowned “Cabalgata Binacional,” traditionally witnesses a large group of Horsemen and women coming up from Mexico to meet with hundreds of horsemen and women from the states. It’s an across-the-border celebration less of the raid, and more about the kinship and closeness of the sister nations. As in recent years past, the large public event is directed by its principal organizer and promoter, Norma Gomez, who is the landlord for the FASF headquarters Office in Columbus. The celebratory occasion is usually attended by several thousand celebrants.
The following photos are of yesterday’s Memorial Service:
Richardand Elizabeth Pendleton in the foreground speaking with John Tyo
L to R: Allen Rosenberg(an ex-Marine!), in a 1916 Army uniform, joking with Corby Burns, and Patricia Kiddney
CHS Officers and distinguished guests on the Gazebo for the Ceremony – with Professor Brandon Morganat Podium
Audience gathering in readiness to hear the program
After the ceremony concluded, Steven Zobeck (L) and Dr. Kathleen Martin (R) look on as Dr. Morgan shakes hands with Pancho Villa look-alike re-enactor, Rafael Celestino
L to R: Rafael Celestino, Patricia Kiddney, Head Columbus Librarian, Maria Constantine, and Columbus C of C Director,Norma Gomezpose with Darrel Nash (R), Historian for the famed Buffalo Soldiersof the Punitive Expedition – Normahad just presented the Environmental Book Chihuahua to the Library, courtesy of the Mexican Government.
L to R: Maria Constantineand Norma Gomezdiscuss the Buffalo Soldiers museum and the soldiers’ organization with Darrel Nash
On October 6, Colonel Mario Campos, (L) USAF Retired, past Flight Captain of the General Nichols Flight of the Daedalians in nearby El Paso, briefed his fellow aviators about the last 75-year history of small arms weapons and their legacy in the Air Force. After his PowerPoint-supported talk, his audience agreed they learned things they never knew, even when on active duty. Remember to simply click on any photo below to see it in full resolution and full size. 2 short videos (A brief 1:00 minute long highlight, and a 10-min. cut of his one-hour presentation, follow below the still photographs.
Col. Bob Pitt, right above, helps the Service Staff plan the upcoming luncheon. His wife, Julie is 2nd from Left.
L to R: Pete Brandon, Virg Hemphill, Jerry Dixon, and Roger Springstead, look over the Ft. Bliss Club’s menus.
L to R: Pete Brandonshows Virg Hemphill some photos on his phone.
Retired Naval Aviator, Roger Springstead, Flight 24’s Chaplain, intently listens to Virg Hemphill and Jerry Dixon.
L to R: Col. Melissa Fisherand her husband, Col. Alan Fisher, look over some photos of Col. Campos’.
Flight 24’s Captain, Col. Alan Fisher, opens the luncheon meeting.
L to R – foreground: Judy Campos chats with her husband, Col. Mario Campos. At the rear, in green and black, is Daedalian Army Aviator widow, Connie Sullivan.
The scheduled speaker for this Luncheon was canceled, so Colonel Mario Camposstepped in with his PowerPoint Presentation about the history of Air Force small arms, entitled, “75 years of USAF Small Arms.”
The following description of the presentation was written by Colonel Bob Pitt.
Mario began by pointing out that while the Air Force has a rich and well-documented history of its major weapon systems since its birth in 1947, little has been written on the small arms the Air Force has used during that period. He also pointed out that the Air Force has been instrumental in the acquisition of small arms that have had an impact on all the other services. He limited the discussion to personal arms and excluded crew-employed machine guns, light machine guns, mortars, handheld rockets, and so on.
He described the period of 1947-1956 which included the transition of the Army to Air Force small arms. He went over the history of the M1 Carbine and the Colt M1911A1 as the primary weapons adopted by the Army during this period. He also covered the M1 Garand, but primarily of its use as an Air Force competition and ceremonial weapon.
Mario then transitioned to the 1956-1990 period by highlighting some unique firearms like the .22 Hornet M4 and .22/.410 M6 Survival rifles. He then went on to give the history of the Air Force’s transition to the Smith and Wesson “Combat Masterpiece” .38 Special and the Snub-Nosed .38 Special as the Air Force’s primary handguns for Security Forces (Police) – and Aircrews.
Colonel Campos then described the Air Force’s role in acquiring one of the legendary battle rifles still in use today . . . the M16. He described how Gen Curtis LeMay was the first of the service chiefs to recognize the value of the weapon and, after being initially rebuffed, it was the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, who ordered all services to use the M-16.
Mario also went through the different Air Force versions including the Colt Model 604 (M-16) and the XM177E GAU-5 (M-16 Carbine). He also went over the Air Force’s continuing use of the Remington 870 Shotgun.
Finally, Mario transitioned to 1990 and beyond when the Air Force adopted the M-16A2, Beretta M9 pistol, M4 Carbine, M24 Sniper System, M11 pistol, and now the Sig Sauer M18 pistol and the HK 417 Designated Marksman Rifle. He ended the presentation with a description of the new Aircrew Survival Weapon, a foldable M4 Carbine that fits in aircrew survival seat kits.
Here, below, are a short video (1 minute) highlight of Colonel Campos’ hour-long presentation, and a 10-minute version. Please excuse the problem with the variation in the lighting in some sections.
“Full-screen” mode won’t work on the first video clip, but it will on the YouTube version.
Ken William Emerywas an early member of the FASF Board of Trustees and its official local Columbus, Historian.
The FASF has just learned that Ken died this past Wednesday, the 9th of February, at his Columbus, New Mexico home. He was 87.
Before retiring, Ken was a Cultural Resource Research Archaeologist. His avocation was US History.
Accordingly, he almost naturally spent countless hours thoroughly researching the operations of the US Army’s First Aero Squadron (FAS) during its campaign out of Columbus – and of its 11 young pilots’ lives.
By the time he had completed his studies, it was if Ken had become one of their closest friends, insofar as he knew so much detail about each of their lives . . . both in and out of the Army Signal Corps’ Air Service.
After retiring from Archeology, Ken and his wife, Sheila, regularly spent their summers living full-time in the Arizona wilderness near the old mining town of Globe, where they spent each day of the fire season manning a fire watch-tower in the Tonto National Forest for the USDA’s Forest Service. The couple had met while fellow undergraduate students at New Hampshire’s Plymouth State University. They also lived and worked in Syracuse, NY.
Sheila’s mother, Marjorie Thompson, had been an early American aviation pioneer and was a professional flight instructor before and during WWII. Sheilapassed away in 2020.
Ken was always actively volunteering and helping in Columbus Village affairs and served on the Village Historic Preservation Commission. In addition to contributing articles to the First Aero Squadron’s early newsletter, the AERODROME, Kenalso wrote stories for the New Mexico Desert Exposure monthly publication. Ken had completed all his post-graduate work in Archeology and only needed his oral exam to obtain his Ph.D. However, and typical of Ken,his love of the outdoors was so great, that instead of becoming a full-time academic, he chose to work for the US Forest Service.
The following is most of the surviving video (15 min) clip of Ken addressing the October 2014 Annual Convention of the League of WWI Aviation Historians at Monterrey, CA in which he described the exploits of the small handful of early US Army aviators that manned the indomitable Curtiss Jenny biplanes in a combat enterprise that lead directly to the development of the world’s greatest Airpower some 30 years later, during WWII.
Kenis survived by four grown children: Peter Emery of Farmington, NM; Holly Emery of San Jose, CA; Sasha Duffy of Santa FE, NM; and Andrew “Drew” Emery of Roslyn, WA. Kenand Sheilahad 7 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
*Photo courtesy of long-time FASF member, FASF Photographer,Dave Clemmer.
The below video clip is 15 minutes long. It shows Kenaddressing the Annual Convention of the League of WWI Aviation Historians in Monterrey CA in 2009.
An early member of the FASF, Charlie Overstreet, took his final flight two weeks ago from his home in El Paso, Texas. He was also an active member of the El Paso Daedalian Flight 24 and one of its former Captains. Charlie, over the past ten years, has also been one of our FASF Aviation News Reporters. He was a long-time docent at Santa Teresa’s, New Mexico’s War Eagles Air Museum (WEAM), and was an active member of its Board of Directors. Both the Daedalians, the WEAM, and the FASF will sorely miss Charlie’s positive personality and his incessant “can do” spirit. Here, below, is his Daedalian Flight’s Memorial headline honoring his long service (his wife of 61 years, Mayre Sue, is at the far right with Charlie at a Daedalian gathering):
Charles “Charlie” Overstreet passed away on February 3, 2022. He was born in 1937 to Charlesand Zelma Overstreet.Charlie’sdad was a Coast Guard officer and his earliest memories were of being at Coast Guard Air Stations all around the country, watching airplanes with his dad and younger brother Lane Overstreet. This inspired a lifelong passion for aviation and patriotism.
Upon graduation from the University of Miami, Where he was a member of the AFROTC unit, Charlie was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAF.
He entered pilot training at Big Spring, Texas where he met his future wife Mayre Sue. They married in the summer of 1961 when he finished B-47 Stratojet bomber training and was assigned to Forbes AFB, Kansas. While in Kansas, Charlie and Mayre Sue had two sons. The oldest Charles Overstreet was born in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crises, Charlie had to take a couple of hours off a nuclear alert to be at the hospital. James Overstreet was born just before his dad left for B-52 Stratofortess bomber combat crew transition training at Castle AFB, California. In 1969 Charlieand his B-52 combat crew joined the conflict in Vietnam, where he flew 55 combat missions during Operation ArcLight. Upon returning from South East Asia, Charlie left active duty with the USAF.
In 1971 the US Customs Service Sky Marshal program hired Charlie and in 1972 he was promoted to a Special Agent/Pilot position in San Antonio, TX. He transferred to DEA in 1973 as one of the initial stand-up cadre. Within a couple of years, he helped stand up the air branch supporting sensitive counter narcotics’ operation, sometimes doing things with airplanes that are generally frowned upon today.
In 1985 he transferred to El Paso, retiring from DEA in 1994. Refusing to slow down, for 17 years Charlietaught as a substitute teacher at Coronado High School. After retiring from teaching Charlie became a volunteer at the War Eagles Air Museum, he just loved being around airplanes. Charlie enjoyed working with his colleagues on the War Eagle museum staff and as a docent for visiting students.
One of his most recent and passionate endeavors was honoring our Texas and New Mexico veterans through the organization and development of the Santa Teresa Veterans Memorial Park in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. He enjoyed hunting, skeet/trap shooting, cigars, and traveling around the world with his family and friends. Charlie was a member of Safari Club International, The Order of the Daedalians, and the FASF.
Charlie2nd from Right with his fellow Daedalians (L to R) Roger Nichols, Bob Pitt, Ric Lambart, and at far right, Mario Campos, all at Holloman AFB (HAFB), NM.
Charlieintroduces WEAM CEO, Mike Epp at Daedalian Meeting just this past November 3, 2021
Charlie at Daedalian Meeting Podium this past November 2021
Charlie at Daedalian luncheon table with his wife, Marye Sue, and Colonel Alan Fisher at left.
Services were held at Martin Funeral Home, in El Paso, yesterday (Monday), February 14,2022.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations for Charlie may be made to the Veterans Project-Santa Teresa Charitable Foundation, 2660 Airport Road #780, Santa Teresa NM 88008. We already miss you, Charlie.
Thursday, October 7th, FAS Airfield Volunteer, Gordon Taylor, celebrated his 80th birthday at the Columbus Library in downtown Columbus. Gordon is one of the town’s volunteer fixtures, so the party held in honor of his birthday was well attended, as locals dropped by throughout the morning to pay their respects – – – and to enjoy the cake and other celebratory treats.
That of course meant that other FASF volunteers and old-timers were also part of the well-wishing group of Gordon’sfriends. Pictured below are several of them, who were there at the time your webmaster dropped by to shake the birthday boy’s hand – – – and snap some photos.
Mr. Taylor is currently the President of the Columbus Library Board of Directors and an accomplished commercial photographer, designer and artist. He is a long-time resident of the Columbus suburb, City of the Sun.
Columbus Librarian, Maria Constantine Ehlers, invites one and all to enjoy the many offerings of the library, which regularly holds events at which local artists (Columbus has long been an artist’s haven) both show and sell their creations. She reports that Gordon is now in the process of creating a book of his photographic work for publication. Incidentally, don’t forget that the Library has been a long-time supporter of the FASF, and is listed under its Local Business Supporters right here.
To see any of the below photos in full resolution, simply click on it.
FASF Volunteer, Gordon Taylor Turns 80
L to R: Local sculptor Tarás Mychalewychhas jovial conversation with longtime FASF member, Mayor Bruce Salas
Jeane Canfield, one of the FASF’s founders, celebrates with Steve Zobeck, dual Columbus – Michigan citizen.
Long-time FASF member, John “Cabi” Cabigas, (at Left) flew the famous BBC Commentator, James May, into Space in the First Aero’s Dragon Lady, and did it at the First Aero Squadron’s current location at Beale Air Force Base (BAFB)North of Sacramento, CA. Of course Cabiconducted that great space adventure while still on active duty with the USAF as one of the famed Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady Instructor Pilots. Here is a short 30 minute summary of that memorable flight’s full documentary, which had, as its central figure, TV Journalist, James May, Most of the full-length documentary was made by the BBC, but some was shot by the USAF.
Here, below, is another flight aboard the Dragon Lady, but without either Cabi or James May. It is only :10 minutes long, but the resolution of the video is higher. But if you’d like to see both Cabi and James May, you’ll only see them in the first video above. In the meantime, Cabiadvises that Amazon Prime has the full documentary in high resolution, should you be able to view that version:
If you click right here, you will get chance to witness Cabiagain, as your webmaster interviews him, along with his fellow Dragon Lady Instructor Pilot, Bill Williams. Both gentlemen were video-taped at the 100th Anniversary of the First Aero Squadron’s birth, held at Beale AFB, CA.
Cabi lives nearby the Air Force base and keeps himself busy flying his own classic 1940 J3 Cub, which has a mighty 65HP engine to help it race aloft. Your reporter soloed in one of them – sans brakes and tail wheel – back in 1944. Since retiring from active duty in 2010, Cabihas remained an active member of his local chapter of the EAA and belongs to other aviation groups, as well.
When he graduated from San Jose State University in the AFROTC, he had also gained his FAA Certification as an A&P mechanic! That in and of itself was quite an unusual accomplishment.
Major Cabigas’USAF Pilot career spanned just shy of a quarter century, and involved 18 years of working with the Dragon Lady. He holds a FAA Certified Flight instructor (CFI) Rating along with both a Commercial and Airline Transport Pilot License. His activities with the EAA are largely motivated by his interest in sharing his love of aviation with the many Young Eagles who are lucky enough to get an airplane ride with this accomplished Air force Pilot, an American military aviator who was actually born in the Philippines!
But, thanks to long-time FASF member and retired United Air Lines Captain, Nancy Aldrich, a loyal Texan, and regular aviation author, we have this fascinating and little-known story of how an East Texas refinery – and one of its sharper engineers, Tim Palucka – helped change the war’s outcome – in our favor – by his use of an obscure French patent on gasoline refining.
Without further ado, here’s the tale:
87 Octane Aviation Gasoline vs 100 130 Octane Aviation Gasoline in WWII
(This is a declassified article by the British Society of Chemists (Declassified in 2014) )
“It has always puzzled me as to why the German Luftwaffe kept on using 87 Octane Aviation Gasoline while the Americans and British used 100 Octane Gasoline in their Spitfire Fighters and Americans used 130 Octane in our P-51 and other fighters. (see both aircraft below)
P-51 Mustang leads Spitfire in close formation flight
This morning I discovered the reason!
It seems that the German and British aircraft both used 87 Octane Gasoline in the first two years of the war. While that was fairly satisfactory in the German Daimler-Benz V-12 engine, It was marginal in the British Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine in British aircraft. It fouled the spark-plugs, caused valves to stick, And made frequent engine repair problems.
P-51 Fighter in Flight
Then came lend-lease, and American aircraft began to enter British service in great numbers. If British engines hated 87 Octane gasoline, American, General Motors Built, Allison 1710 engines loathed and despised it.
ME 109 Messerschmitts escorting Nazi Heinkel Bombers
B-17E Flying Fortress
SUNOCO officials pour the billionth gallon of high octane aviation fuel produced during world war II
Something had to be done!
Along came an American named Tim Palucka, a chemist for Sun Oil (SUNOCO) in their South East Texas Refinery.
Never heard of him? Small wonder, very few people have. He took a French formula for enhancing the octane of Gasoline, and invented the “Cracking Tower” and produced 100 octane aviation Gasoline.
This discovery led to great joy among our English Cousins and great distress among the Germans. A Spitfire fueled with 100 Octane gasoline was 34 miles per hour faster at 10,000 feet.
The need to replace engines went from every 500 hours of operation to every 1,000 hours. Which reduced the cost of British aircraft by 300 Pounds Sterling. Even more, when used in 4 engine bombers.
The Germans couldn’t believe it when Spitfires that couldn’t catch them a year ago started shooting their ME-109 E and G models right out of the sky.
Of course, the matter had to be kept secret. If the Germans found out that it was a French Invention, They’d simply copy the original French patents. If any of you have ever wondered what they were doing in that 3 story white brick building in front of the Sun Oil Refinery on Old Highway 90, that was it.
They were re-inventing gasoline.
The American Allison engines improved remarkably with 100 Octane gasoline but did much better when 130 octane gasoline came along in 1944. The 130 Octane also improved the Radial Engined Bombers we produced.
The Germans and Japanese never snapped to the fact that we had re-invented gasoline. Neither did our “Friends” the Russians.
100,000 Americans died in the skies over Europe. Lord only knows what that number would have been without “Super-Gasoline”. And it all was invented just a few miles west of Beaumont, and we never knew a thing about it.”
Aha – – – but there’s much more to this story than just recited above. In 1935, 6 years before Pearl Harbor and his country’s entry into WWII, Jimmy Doolittle, had retired from the Army and was working for the Shell Oil Company. He saw the need for a higher octane fuel if we should enter another war. So, click here, for more on the important role he played in the fuel octane race, which is not mentioned in the opening story above.
Thanks to dear and close friend of Jim’s, Dave Clemmer, also an early member of the FASF, we now have this new moving special Tribute to Jim.
Daveattended Jim’sfuneral, too, of which he’s included some of the photographs in which he captured Jim’sfriends and family.
Simply click on the following photo of Jim, to enjoy a nostalgic photo-journey through much of Jim’smemorably accomplished life. If it weren’t for Dave’sphotographic collection, we’d have come up all too short of photographs of Jim, if for no other reason but that Jim was usually to be found behind, rather than in front of the cameras.
Make sure to have your speakers turned on because Dave musically scored this special Tribute.
Thanks again to Dave for the fine Tribute to Jim and for also supplying a number of photographs taken of Jim that we’d not seen before. Below is one taken of Jim while a young man on active duty with the Air Force during the Korean War.
Jim Daviswas one of the small group of aviation enthusiasts who founded the FASF in 2007. Jimremained an active Trustee and Officer until he retired in 2014.
Even after he retired, he remained active as our principal Aviation Historian, being an integral part of U.S. Aviation history, himself.
In a masterpiece of his typical humor and understatement,Jim’s business card read: “Retired Government Clerk.”
In 1961 Jim established the FAA Administrator’s CommandPost. In his leadership role, he was called upon to personally brief several U.S. Presidents on critical FAA issues, and it was Jimwho developed Command and Control techniques still in use throughout the international aviation community to this day.
Except for a special assignment to help develop a modernized air traffic control system, he remained in Washington until his government retirement in 1990.
During his tenure with the FAA, Jim’steam, as an around-the-clock FAA presence, responded to some 20,000 annual contingencies; including major air disasters, aerial hijackings, and other emergencies that required immediate Federal response.
While still with the FAA, but even more active after his retirement from the agency, Jimpersonally videotaped many of aviation’s unsung pioneers. It was always difficult to imagine this extremely energetic and active chronicler of aviation history as being retired. It is now more than difficult to accept that he is no longer even among us.
[If you’d like to view the below photographs in full HD quality, simply click on them]
Jimflying his Cessna 172 over the cemetery in which he was buried on 11/27/20 – Photo by his friend, Ken Peppard
Aerial view by Ken Peppard of Alberene Cemetery, in which Jim was interred on Friday 11/2720
Since retirement as that “Government Clerk,” Jim continued to fly his own personal airplane, (seen above) often using it to commute between his home on the East Coast and his local Columbus New Mexico Private Airpark residence – only a few miles north of the Historic First Aero Squadron Airfield he did so much to help preserve – and protect – for posterity.
Today, his dear and long-time friend and colleague, Dave Clemmer, also an early FASF member, called to give us the sad news of Jim’s final departure.
L to R above: Ken Hyde and Jim Davisposing in front of the Wright Flyer, much like the actual aeroplane first flown by the U.S. Army’s fledgling Air Branch in 1909, only 6 years after the Wright Brother’s first successful heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk, NC. The “Flyer” was built by Ken’sgroup: The Wright Experience: If you look closely, you will see a functional yellow-colored Curtiss JN4, built by Ken’s group. This photo was taken by Jim’s friend, Dave Clemmer.
Those of us here at the FASF who were privileged to both know and work with Jimwill never forget his uplifting spirit and hearty sense of humor. His love of aviation and its history did more than one might imagine to help instigate the moves it took to get the FASF off and running as an educational and historical non-profit enterprise – – – one that, soon after its founding, was able to both secure and protect for prosperity the small New Mexico Airfield on which American Air Power began its illustrious climb to world-wide dominance – – – the same Airfield which also instigated the rebirth of American Civil Aviation, which had all but died after the Wright Brothers’ historic first flight in December of 1903.
Here is but one of Jim’s shorter videos. It’s about the first engine start of the Wright Brother’s 1st U.S. Military Flyer replica, built by some of Jim’s close friends. You can enjoy hearing Jim’s voice as he moderates the event on the video. In the brief video clip, Jimnotes the short appearance of his good friend, Dave Clemmer, who just notified us of Jim’spassing.
L to R: Tom Strickland, Jim and Ken Peppard (who helped Dave Clemmer with this memorial post). All three of them are standing by the specially made “CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT” cake, on the memorial of that Centennial occasion.
With no exaggeration, without Jim’s vital help and positive energy, we would most likely not have either the FASF – – – or this website – – – nor would your webmaster be writing of this loss of our cherished and dearest friend.
Above, L to R: Dick Roe and Jim aboard his airport “Harley Davidson” cart.
May God rest his soul, and may we never forget his dedicated public service. We will certainly not forget how honored we have been to have had Jim’s indefatigable help and unbridled enthusiasm to help us establish this historical public enterprise, with its many meaningful contributions to aviation history, and its manifold collection of colorful memories, many of which are of Jim himself.
Our prayers and deepest sympathy go out to Jim’s wife, Sharon, his wonderful family, and his many friends across the country and abroad.
God bless you, Jim.
Click right HEREfor a newly released special Tribute to Jim by his close friend, and long-time FASF member,Dave Clemmer.
¹ Your webmaster had to change the full name of the FAA because he’d mistakenly first called it the Federal Aeronautics Administration! Calling me politely out on that error, was reader and old friend of Jim’s, Ken Peppard.
William “Bud” Canfield, gave us his final goodbye this past weekend. He had retired as the FASF Corporate Secretary and Chairman of its Elections Committee just five years ago.
Bud was born on March 13, 1938, in Connorsville, Wisconsin, and he and Jeanewere married for 45 years.
Budworked as a Dairy Farmer and Tractor and Implement Technical Specialist in Wisconsin, until 1989, when he and his wife, Jeane, moved to Columbus, NM, where he took a position as a State Park Ranger, later retiring, after several promotions, as a State Park Manager.
Long fascinated by aviation, although not a pilot himself, Bud, eagerly answered the call for assistance when the FASF first opened its doors in 2007. Over his active years, Bud became close friends with a number of aviation enthusiasts and active pilots across the country.
After retiring from the State Parks, he took over as President of the “Friends of Pancho Villa State Park,” the local Park’s Docent group. To help assure that his fellow citizens had a library of which they could be rightfully proud, Budchipped in as a long-time volunteer with the Columbus Library, whose wife, Jeane,was the library’s Director, until retiring in the Summer of 2015. Both the Canfields simply couldn’t really retire, but continued to be extraordinarily active in their adopted community of Columbus.
As though not deeply enough engaged in his new community, Bud ran for, and was elected as a member of the Columbus Village Council, where he served as a Councilman for a number of years. His wife, Jeane, was also a Village Trustee.
Additionally, Bud was an early active volunteer with the Columbus Historical Society, which took over the abandoned and run-down relic of the old Columbus Railroad Depot, and then restored it the the pristine condition in which visitors to Columbus now see it and enjoy its many historical artifacts and memorabilia of the infamous Pancho Villa Raid back on March 9, 1916, which event permanently put the small Village on the World Map. If anything significant has happened in Columbus over the past 30 years, it will be difficult not to find that Bud was right in the center of the action.
He was an enthusiastic collector of, and an historical expert on antique agricultural vehicles and implements, as well.His personal collection of antique agricultural equipment is impressive and could easily prime a new museum dedicated to such early American mechanical farming implements.
Any of the below photos of Bud or Jeanne may be seen in full hi-resolution by clicking on them.
Here they are, as usual, volunteering to raise money for the Deming Animal Shelter at an Antique Car Show in 2015
An accomplished musician, this long-time Trustee was rarely found far from his trusty guitar, either, regularly performing around the SW New Mexico area with various bands, or just soloing various country-styled ballads and country western music, often accompanied by his wife Jeane, with whose voice he loved to harmonize.
Down below, thanks to our Aerodrome Editor and local musician,July McClure,you can hearBudsinging two solo pieces of country music . . . and one with his wife,Jeane,JulyandWilly Jones.
Bud played a vital role in helping the FASF produce its first successful special event, when Dr. Roger Miller, USAF Deputy Historian, was especially flown out to Columbus from USAF Headquarters in Washington, DC, to make his highly successful 2010 presentation about the First Aero Squadron’s history making role in the Punitive Expedition.
After retiring from the FASF Board of Trustees, where he had served as an Officer, Budcontinued to help the FASF, when he agreed to join the Board of Advisors, where he remained active until only a few years ago, as its Official FASF 1916 Airfield Director.
Here, below are a few shots over the past two years showing Bud and his local involvement in Columbus and FASF Sponsored events:
L to R above: Dev Olliver, FASF Photographer; Jeane andBud Canfield(FASF Advisor); Retired UAL Capt., author and FASF reporter, Nancy Aldrich, Wayne Le Blanc; Leslie Bronken; Alma Villezcas; Jeff Smith, atty. and FASF Business supporter;and and Adelaide Bennett. This wasMay 2018at FASF member, Ivonne Romero’s fabled Pink Store in Palomas, Mexico.
Jan 2019: John Read’sRetirement celebration at the Columbus Pancho Villa State Park (PVSP) 1916 Recreation Hall: All are active FASFers! – – – The PVSP Friends’ Group Officers: July McClure (Treasurer), Elly and John Read, Maria Rangel (Secretary), Todd Montes (President – & US Postmaster for Columbus), Budand Jeane Canfield, former PVSP Friends’ Group officers and organizers.
Budsings “Fox on the Run” with his wife, Jeane, July McClure and Willy Jones.
In these as yet unpublished photos below we see Bud serenading retirees in nearby Deming, New Mexico.
