My United States Air Force career (1963-83) afforded an opportunity to meet some extraordinary and amazing people. By far and away, the top of my name dropping list is Delos Dudly. How I met him and our extended friendship afterward, is a joy to report.
Necessary background: One of the premier assignments for me was teaching American Defense Policy at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, KY. We had three school age children and one Buick station wagon. (Guess who was chosen to ride the city bus.) The bus stopped about half a block from our backdoor. I changed buses downtown. During my 25 minute ride each way, I read several books. I had just purchased a new biography of Charles A. Lindbergh with colorful dust cover. While I was in line to catch the bus home, from the person just behind me came a soft, “I knew Lindbergh.” I thought this elderly gentleman may have seen Lindbergh, read some books, or have read some newspapers. Little did I know, I was about 60 seconds away from meeting a man who helped shape the U.S. Army Air Corps.
I took a seat next to a window and this still unknown gentleman asked to sit beside me. I agreed and he said, “I am Delos Dudly.” We shook hands and he said as a matter of fact, “I am probably in that book.” He probably saw my doubting look and asked to borrow the book. To the index he went and sure enough there were several pages where Delos Dudly was mentioned. I asked, “How do I know you are Delos Dudly?” He took out his wallet and pointed to his name on his Kentucky Driver’s License. That clenched it for me. Over the next few months I got over being star struck and a genuine bond developed between us.
He and his wife came to Lexington so she could be close to relatives. In Kentucky at this time, persons 65 or older were able to enroll at the university as Bluegrass Scholars and he was one. They were not required to take tests or even buy course materials---in essence they were honored auditors. As a result, the bus rides served as an informative and interesting mobile classroom for me. He and his wife lived about a block from our house and I visited them often.
Delos Dudly met Lindbergh at flying school in Wisconsin. Dudly was later in the Army and assigned to dirigibles. Dudly invented a bomb sight to improve accuracy of bombing from lighter than air craft. One of his stories, filled with chuckles, was of Lindbergh parachuting to earth after his plane developed major troubles. In those days, newspapers ran several editions during any given day. The front page of each newer edition was displayed in the sidewalk windows of the newspaper office. Dudly happened to be walking near a printer’s window and the big font headline describing Lindbergh’s jump caught his attention. Dudly immediately sent a telegram to Lindbergh hoping he was OK. Lindbergh sent a quick reply that he was OK and said Dudly’s telegram was handed to him just after hitting mother earth! Of course this was untrue, but his comment hailed the quickness of “modern communications.”
I sent a letter to the curator’s office of the largest air museum in the world and explained I was friends of a pioneer who helped shape the Army Air Corps. I requested a contact person for the Dudly’s planned trip to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, OH. They made the trip and excitedly told of their amazing day. The curator, an Air Force Colonel, met them when they arrived and spent the entire day personally serving as their guide. The colonel even bought a great lunch for the Dudlys! All of the stories he told me were great; however, the highlight of knowing the Dudlys was praying with them in their home.
