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My
Recollection of Roosevelt Field By Mabel (Von Hugel) Lawler (Life Member #30) I worked in Roosevelt Field in the late 30’s in a hangar called "Air Associates," before WWII. I worked on plane parts. I polished turnbuckles, which had to be very smooth. Very interesting. I had lunch at the "Roosevelt Inn" everyday. One day I met a nice young man there and ate with him and started to talk about things and found out he was "Jack Mosely." He wrote the comic strip "Smil’in Jack." He said he always came out to Roosevelt Field to get his ideas for the comic strip. I really enjoyed talking to him so much. In the fall of 1941 "Air Associates" moved to Bendix Airport, (Teterboro, NJ) before war broke out. I stayed with them and drove back and forth every day. (I lived in Queens.) I helped out in the parts shop, as I really liked that. Arthur Godfrey kept his plane there, and one day I sold him some parts for his plane. (That was a great day.) On December 7th 1941 Japan attacked the US and WWII started. So did rationing on gas, tires, etc. I finally had to leave and get a job closer to home. I went to Grumman, Republic and Sperry’s. I was called by all but finally ended up in Sperry’s Lake Success plant as it was a little closer to home. I was sorry to leave Bendix, as friends of mine and I used to stop in Times Square on our way home and we had a ball. We went to "Diamond Jim Brady’s," "The Brass Rail" and to 86th street, Germantown was great. Times Square was so nice then, it will never be the same. We also went to the "Rustic Cabin" in Hoboken and saw Frank Sinatra. He was just starting out there as a young singer. We wt to "Ben Marden’s Riviera (a round shaped building) on the Hudson in the Palisades and "Frank Dailey’s Meadowbrook." What wonderful memories I have of thses long ago places. I was also lucky to get up to Westchester and see Glenn Miller at the "Glen Island Casino." How lucky can one get? P.S.: Would anyone out there have a picture of a plane owned by Earnie Marcus, called the "Outdoor Girl?" It was painted blue at the time. It was at Curtiss Field a lot in the 30’s. Would gladly pay for a photo. Thanks. © 2004 The Long Island Early Fliers Club, P.O. Box 221, Bethpage, NY 11714-0221 • info@longislandearlyfliers.org |
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