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32. "His plane dove straight into the ground"
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Much to the dismay of Vernon and Gwen, the fliers of Camp Mohawk packed up their kits as the fall of 97 approached and shipped off to Camp Taliaferro in Benbrook, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, where the winter climate was warm enough to enable them to continue training. Jeffrey and Vernon’s bright yellow roadster and drums came along with him,but Gwen and Irene were left behind. Benbrook was one of three Royal Flying Corps training fields in Texas opened in 97 (all under the umbrella of Camp Taliaferro) at the suggestion of General Pershing. It was a large facility of thirty-four buildings and hangars; Benbrook itself was an old established town. But it was a bit rural and desolate for Vernon after the fun and games (and proximity to New York) of Deseronto. Vernon arrived in Texas in October 97 and joined the No. 84 Canadian Training Squadron. He tried to make himself popular, greeting the wives of fliers in his Stutz Bearcat and showing them what sights were to be seen. He was also frequently called upon to muster up entertainments or to appear at Red Cross or Loan Drive benefits. A local paper recalled that Vernon’s car, tooling along the country roads, “was a familiar sight, always attracted a shout and attention wherever it went.” The Canadian forces, with their colorful uniforms, stood out in Texas. Local historian Glen Martin says that the white band around their hats became the subject of a local legend: “The Americans began a rumor to the local girls that this meant that they had a venereal disease. When the Canadians arrived they were initially met rather coldly by the local women.” Gossip has it that one Texas girl was not scared off by Vernon’s white hatband : “Inez Childers is said to have dated Vernon,”says Martin.“This was a well-known fact in the Childers family,” according to her niece. Vernon badly missed Johnny Coats and Eardley Wilmot (and, of “HIS PLANE DOVE STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND” CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO 195 course,his wife and girlfriend),and found Benbrook pretty primitive when he arrived, according to historian S. F. Wise: “Construction work on the three aerodromes was little more than half completed, the water supply was deficient, one of the fields lacked electrical power, and the sewage systems were not yet operating.” The morning after he arrived,a reporter found Vernon sitting on a box in an unfurnished barracks, trying to keep Jeffrey entertained.“I like flying just as much as dancing,” Vernon told the reporter. “I am anxious to get back over there and get into action again, and think we will go soon. I never take Jeff with me on flights,”he said, as he gave the monkey another affectionate squeeze. “Say, I do love these Westerners. Why, yesterday a perfect stranger offered to take me clear from town to camp, and he did so. I am not going back to New York until the war ends.I can’t afford to go the pace there now.” Vernon, as was always his habit, continued joking and working hard to keep everyone’s spirits up. Decades later, his Texas squadron mates recalled how popular Vernon made himself. He “never ‘pulled rank,’” said Thomas Galbreath,“and often sat with us cadets in the barracks providing much entertainment, musically and otherwise.”He continued writing parodies of popular songs, the more repeatable of which he sent to Irene. One was a takeoff of “For Me and My Gal,”which might not have been the best choice to send to a worried wife: It’s no use trying, with me and my Pal They won’t teach flying, to me and my Pal But someday they’ll build a little grave for two or Three or more At Benbrook, for me and my Pal Vernon was informed that he would soon be returning to Canada, as commandant at Beamsville Aerodrome, Toronto, which was to be opened in early 98 by the Royal Flying Corps as the home of the School of Aerial Fighting and the School of Aerial Gunnery. On Friday, February 5, 98, Vernon was teaching from Field 3, using a Curtiss JN4 (marking no.C663).One of his students that day was the American cadet R. O. Peters. Cadet aviator Charles Sage, who was probably the last person to talk to...