Interesting side trip

[AJR192]

For those who like side trips or just like to know about obscure bits of history. Across the road from the gas station at exit 4, there is a frontage road. If you follow this road till you are about even with the port of entry on your left (East). Get out and search through the brush a little about 100 yards or so East of the frontage road and you will find a grave marker. It belongs to a WWII pilot who augered in while training. A fellow I used to work with used to set up the courses for off road races they held by the gravel pit. One day he noticed some people standing in the brush looking at something so he went to see if they were all right. It turned out they were the pilot's relatives and were visiting his grave. They told my friend that the plane was so badly damaged that they could not separate the pilot from the plane, so they simply buried him where he crashed. I found the grave a few years ago and it was quite interesting. Besides the marker, there are bits of metal that obviously were from the plane. Being as it is so close, maybe a few bend campers would find it interesting to see after racing one evening.

[roadtrip]

Thank you for that.

It's a piece of history not to be ignored.

It is now on my down-time list.

DS
 

[fredvance]

Another interesting side trip is the museum in the lobby of the Wendover airport. It has lots of pictures and tells the history of Wendover AFB.It where the AF trained, among other things B-29 crews. I believe that the Enola Gay was there for awhile. Really was a nice side trip.

Fred

[Glen]

The Wendover visitors center across from the Pepper Mill has a lot of the local history. Us old guys that were there in the early 50s were lucky to see the town as it was after WW-II. There is a book out on Wendover with great pictures and lots of the history including LSR on the salt.

Wendover
Winds of Change
By Ronald Bateman
ISBN 780974 598321

[4-barrel Mike]

Thanks, Glen.  That's a book that I want to own...

I guess I need to be careful who I buy a used copy from:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wendover-Winds-of-Change/Ronald-Bateman/p/9780974598321

$203.61 is a budget-breaker 

There is another used copy on Amazon.com for $29.99

Mike

[mkilger]

be sure to visit windover willy  on the west side of town  to remember the racers we have lost at bonneville  it will bring tears to your eyes.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

On page 172 of Wendover - Winds of Change -- there's a photo of a young Ron Christensen, the guy that's the announcer on AM 1610 -- the Salt Flats radio station on the air during SpeedWeek and World of Speed. 

Our copy of the book is autographed by Mr. Bateman, the author -- maybe the $200++ one that's for sale is also autographed.  It's a fine book of history about the area.

And also -- about the Wendover Will sign/statue -- there are some bricks with names of folks that contributed to the fund to move, erect, and maintain the thing.  Nancy and I have our names on one of the bricks.  You can find out more about them - and lots of other stuff -- at the West Wendover visitor center, as was mentioned elsewhere in this topic.  They've got some Bonneville posters and photos and sometimes even encourage us racers to donate some more to their collection -- lots of tourists stop in and ask about the racing, so there's your chance to have someone you've never heard of -- hear of you.

[AJR192]

Fred
  The Enola Gay and all the other bombers that were involved with the atomic bomb program trained at Wendover. The same friend who told me about the grave also had several old bomb casings that had been used as practice bombs on the other side of the mountains to the west of the flats. He is always specific in not telling exactly where he found the dummies, but they are for sure WWII vintage bombs. I think he snuck out onto the military range to get them. They were filled with almost a pea gravel-I guess to replicate the weight of the real bombs. There is a ton of history right around the Salt that hardly anyone cares about anymore.

[jacksoni]

There are a lot of 50 cal bullets in the mountain north where they appeared to be practicing as well. ( drive up toward the town dump on the dirt road left at the bend in the road and then walk back toward town).
 I thought the Billy Mitchell B-25's that did the Tokyo Raid in spring of '42 did their Short takeoff (I left from carrier you remember) practice there too.  Not positive about that but think so.

[fredvance]

AJR192, I was pretty sure that they all trained there but not positive. I hate to post something as fact and be wrong.

Fred

[thundersalt]

Two years ago Celia found a 50 cal bullet in the middle of the pits. Thought that was an odd place to find it.

[bvillercr]

When at speed week in the mid 90's the owner of one of the hardware stores brought out his home made 50 cal. Sniper riffle to show it off to us.  I had never seen a bullet that big before.

[LVMAXX]

 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I'd suggest you call the Car Quest in Wendover, Utah.  The manager/owner is Mike Crawford, and he's city manager or something like that for one or the other of the towns.  He's also a Corvette guy.  He would likely have a handle on available housing units.  Also try calling the W. Wendover Visitor Center.  Kerry is the lady that runs it -- she's Mike's sister, I think it is -- and she would also be able to point you towards either the available housing - or to an agent that lists said housing.

[LVMAXX]