Last weekend 7/`19/2024, there were several people brought in to a convention in Atchinson, Kansas. They were debating some competing theories and possible discoveries. What were the theories and the discoveries? Why were they in Atchinson, Kansas? And why that weekend? It was for the Amelia Earhart celebration, at the Amelia Earhart Hanger Museum in Atchinson, Kansas. Two of the speakers were Tony and Lloyd Romeo from Deep Sea Visions.
They clamed to have just photographed (sonar views) of the Lockhead 10-E Electra that crashed on Amelia Earhart’s last flight-Around the world. They believe they have found the final resting place of that deadly flight under 16,000 feet of Pacific ocean. They are currently developing a submarine to further work on discovery and retrieval. The group were all experts on Amelia Earhart, and were discussing a round robin group of theories. Everyone is hoping that the plane has been found, and are awaiting further news.
June 24th is National Amelia Earhart Day, for her birthday on that day in 1897. As well as the current news on possible discovery of her lost plane, I have a book about Amelia Earhart. It is “Who Was Amelia Earhart?” by Kate Boehm Jerome, 2002. This is a child’s book, a small book to help get interest in biographies. Also on the podium, are two more books in the series, Mozart and Dr. Seuss.
From the “Who Was” book, Amelia was always a tomboy. In college she became a nurses aide helping soldiers from World War One. On Christmas day in 1920, she took a ride in a plane at an aerial show, and knew then that she had to fly. She was going to be a pilot. On May 16, 1923, Amelia Earhart became the 16th woman in the United States to be issued a pilot’s license.
There was no stopping Amelia. She broke many records for women flyers. Using her publicity, she worked on helping women’s rights. She was very vocal. She also used her business strengths with lecture tours, writing a book, and developed a clothing line for active women.
Her last trip was to be the first woman to fly around the world. She had a navigator with her. They started in California going East. With 22,000 miles behind them, and only 7000 miles left, they began the last few stops of the flight across the Pacific Ocean. They had a 2556 mile ‘hop’ to land on a small island- Howland Island, to refuel. They never reached that island, and disappeared. Tony Romeo, (from the opening paragraph) has claimed to find sonar images of a plane about 100 miles from Howland Island. Further research will tell us if it is Amelia Earhart’s plane.
As for the other two books on display, the “Who Was” series has about eighty titles. I have about one quarter of them, hoping that my grandkids find an interest to pick one up and read. It doesn’t take long to go through one, each is about eighty to one hundred pages long, just enough to keep interest.
If I hear of a name that my grandkids talk of, I will try to quickly get that book if in the set. That is why my wife almost fears picking up our mail. Our mail lady is in on the joke, she tells my wife ” He ordered another book…”
When one walks into my library, the first sections they see, are several bookcases of children’s books. I want kids to instantly feel welcome, and that libraries are for them. I am always pointing out new arrivals, not only of kids books, but pop-ups, illustrated books, ones that interest me. I want kids to appreciate books, and touch them. I help then teach them about book care; By how I act with books.
I would like to leave with two quotes by Amelia Earhart. I think they are good to hear, especially because I am helping the education of my five granddaughters.
“One of my favorite phobias is that girls, especially those whose tastes aren’t routine, often don’t get a fair break… It has come down through the generations, an inheritance of age-old customs, which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity.”
“[Women] must pay for everything…. They do get more glory than men for comparable feats. But, also, women get more notoriety when they crash.” – Amelia Earhart
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