Although our shoebox memories are usually old photos, this week we'll make an exception. Z-Man kicks off our Lake Linden spotlight with a closeup of the "Lady Be Good" memorial downtown. We would be interested to know of anyone in Lake Linden who has a connection with the airmen who were lost.

Here is a link to a great web site pertaining
to the photos of the wreckage.
Simply click on link below!
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b2-39.htm

Another great link about the lady be good.
http://www.ladybegood.com/

There is a brother of the LaMotte boy that was killed in this plane. He lives in Houghton and these people were a wonderful family. My brother hung around with the brother that lives in Houghton. We are very proud that Lake Linden was chosen to display this memorial. May God protect all service men and women, especialy those serving our country at this time.

Ditto on above! Got a new computer and thought something was wrong with it! Just when I was getting pretty comfortable using my computer (accessing e-mail, surfing the internet, etc.), this is like starting all over. I believe I had to call Charlie 4 times this morning. But good ole' Charlie got me up and running. THANKS, CHARLIE!! You're a good guy. And also very patient!

Greetings to everyone.......
Another year has passed and the Minnesota State Fair brings summer to a close. We're located on Underwood and Dan Patch. Be sure and stop by to say Hi - Aug 21 to Sept 1 and have a pasty with a Vernors. We even have Vernors floats and Boston Coolers. This year our new family members are the FUDGIE PASTY" or fudge on a stick as we are calling it. (Minnesota is all about what's on a stick.) Our other new family member is Toivo and Eino's secret pasty sauce. This is really good on eggs and french fries.
Charlie and John, the pasties look mighty fine as always. Hope to see all of our friends stop by.
*** Sandy & Chuck ***

WOW Rick & Charlie. Thanks for another history lesson. I love this sight! After going to the sights about the Lady Be Good I have goose bumps about what happened to not only our native sons but to the planes that had salvaged parts installed on them from this plane after the wreck.

God bless our military men & woman, both past & present. To them we owe so much but give so little.

A while back I saw a show on the History Channel called "History's Mysteries" & it was all about the crash of the Lady Be Good. It was very interesting! If you ever get a chance, watch it!

a very nice piece of history for future generations

Wow!!!

Although I was born at home in Hubbell, I have always considered Lake Linden my home town. We move there when I was 4. I will be tuned in all week to see more pics. of the old home town.
Thanks, Charlie.

Haveing read and seen just about every thing put out on the "Lady Be Good" had never seen anything on that memorial at Lake Linden. Facinateing the things that you see and read about on this web site. Had most likely known that one of the crew members was from there but its been years since I've read about that incident. Thanks for the insite to some local history.

The history channel special, an episode of Histories Mysteries I think is called "Lady Be Good - Ghost plane of the desert" It still airs from time to time .I saw it about two months ago.It shows two shots of Mr LaMotte's gravesite in Lake Linden,but not the memorial propeller.I think the original memorial plaque was placed at Wheelus air base in libya in 1961.. After Wheelus closed it then was brought to Lake Linden in 1970.

On Rick Anderson's clip, the click on site shows radio operator Tech Sgt.Robert La Motte, 22 years old and from Lake Linden Michigan

For all who had emailed about last week's Pasty Cam, the link has been corrected on the collage at the bottom of this week's. You can go directly to it here.

On another old note...anyone but us late night owls noticing the light show in da skye tonite?

I guess it is a very good light show. NASA's "Current Space Weather" website: http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/spaceweather/
gave it a 7 out of 9. Can't see it in S.Mich. only a glow in the nothern sky.

Why isn't there a separate plaque below the big one that says "In memory of Tech Sgt.Robert La Motte, 22 years old and from Lake Linden Michigan"?

Z-Man I think your picture is just a little crooked!! Straighten out your camera a little, maybe better shots for you then.

I was stationed at Wheelus in 1966/67 and remember the propeller being displayed near the main gate. If I remember there was also other items from the crash site displayed at or near the base hospital. I will have to visit Lake Linden and visit my old friend.

The Lady Be Good has been part of my life since I touched the plane. I was a military brat living on Wheelus AFB Tripoli, Libya from 1959-1962. My Step-Father commanded the USArmy detachment at Wheelus. The visit to the site, and seeing the propeller on the flag pole at Wheelus, as well as the stained glass window. Since today the US and Libya are on speaking terms again, we are forming a group to return the Lady from Libya to the US. It will be a hard task, wish me luck.

I was on a cruise ship that visited Tobruk last week. Dr Fadel Ali Mohamed has brought the plane to Tobruk where it is available for people to view, next to Rommels Underground Bunker which is situated in the town. Dr Fadel has written a fascinating article on the history and transportation of the plane to Tobruk. He is planning to build a museum where this plane will eventually be housed.
3rd November 2004.

My name is Charles Faussete and I live in Belleville, IL. I just did a aviation history story about the Lady Be Good for our agency newsletter and because if the length, it will likely be published on our agency magazine in February. I was just nine years old in 1962, just 3 years after the search team visited the wreckage. My father's office was next the flagpole at Wheelus AFB and where the propeller and plaque of the LBG was on display as a memorial. Dad and I used to have lunch on the steps in front of the memorial.

I also attended Bible School at the base chapel and remember well the stained-glass window that towered over us kids as we walked down the aisle of the church. It was a dominant feature showing the Lady Be Good and a flight of three F-100 Super Sabers flying overhead. I feel that I grew up with this story and have been fascinated ever since. I still have in my possession the original post card photo of the propeller, which is still in excellent condition showing is resting at the base flagpole at Wheelus. I also have the Life magazine article telling the story of the LBG and its eventual discovery in 1958.

After Momar Quadafi took power in Libya, I'd often wondered happened to the memorials. I did go to the AF Museum in 2004 and managed to see the exhibit, but the propeller was not there. It was while preparing my article that I found out that it is now on loan to Lake Linden. I trust you will take care of it.

Very Sincerely

Charles Faussete
262 Eastbrook Dr.
Belleville, IL 62221
cfaussete@earthlink.net

My father was stationed at Wheelus AFB from 59-62. He was club officer, commissary offier, and Materials supply officer. He served on the PMOC at the chapel, and was instrumental in the design of the stained glass window at Chapel 1. It was his suggestion to invert the rainbow in the upper left hand corner, so that a symbol from the Bible could be in the memorial window, but would not offend the Muslims.

I remember the dedication ceremony for the window, and the prop, from the Lady Be Good, at the flagpole.

The window is now at Wright Patterson museum.

HI,MY NAME IS CORRADO I'M 27 Y.O. AND I'M WRITING FROM GENOA,IN ITALY.

THIS IS MY PROBLEM ABOUT THE LADY:
I GET INTRESTED ABOUT THE FABOLOUS & TRAGIC STORY ABOUT THE CREW AND B-24D
CALLED "LADY BE GOOD" SERIAL NUMBER: 41-24301,LOST IN LYBIAN DESERT IN '43.I'M SO INTRESTED
ABOUT SOME SEVERAL PHOTOS ABOUT THE CREW AND THE B24D WHO WERE LOST IN THE DESERT. I VISITED ALL WEB SITES DEDICATED TO "THE LADY",BUT I FOUND ALWAYS THE SAME PICS...PROBABLY SOMEBODY IN THIS FORUM HAS """NEW""" PICTURES ABOUT THE LADY...
CAN YOU SEND ME SEVERAL PICS ABOUT THAT ? IN PARTICULAR, THE WHITE(?) SIGN "LADY BE GOOD" ON THE LEFT SIDE,RIGHT LEFT THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT; DID "LADY BE GOOD" HAD ANY KIND OF NOSE ART?PROBABLY NOT...I'M A MODELER WITH A GREAT PASSION FOR ALL PLANES AND STORIES ABOUT THAT AND I WANT TO REPRODUCE THE "LADY" IN HER LAST LOCATION,RIGHT IN 9/11/1959...WHEN HER HAD BEEN DISCOVERED BY AIR.
ANY INFORMATION YOU (OR ANYONE ELSE) CAN GIVE ME ABOUT THAT PICS OR WHERE CAN I GET PICTURES ABOUT ANY DETAILS OF THE "LADY",WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED...

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!