The Story from APM

Listening for Amelia

Friday, August 24 2007

Listening for Amelia

Amelia Earhart

On a July afternoon in 1937, 15-year-old Betty Klenck Brown was listening to her family's shortwave radio. She had her journal and was writing down the lyrics to popular songs when she turned the dial and heard the unimaginable: "This is Amelia Earhart. This is Amelia Earhart." At that point, Earhart had already disappeared, along with her navigator, in her attempt to fly around the world.

Betty jotted down everything she heard over 3 hours. She didn't understand much of what she wrote, but she kept transcribing. No one took Betty seriously, until her diary finally made it into the hands of Ric Gillespie.

Betty Klenck Brown - see her then >>

Ric works for a group called TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery). Ric has used the information in Betty's diary to lead a new search for the remains of Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan.

Ric is just back with his team from the search, and they believe they uncovered tantalizing clues.

• See a map of Amelia's Pacific Route
• See a diagram of Earhart evidence on the island of Nikumaroro
• Find out more about Ric's organization, TIGHAR ("Tiger")
  
• See Betty's notebook
  
• See the only film known to exist of the takeoff
  

Maps and photos of Betty copyright TIGHAR, 2007

Music heard in this story: Moonlight Sonata for the album Smart Sleep With Classical; True Story of Amelia Earhart and Following Amelia by Plainsong for the album New Place Now

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LP's Candy Tree

LP - see him with his grandkids >>

Steve Lanier wrote to The Story to tell us about the funniest person he has ever known - Mr. Louis Phillip Hornthal, better known to all as "LP."

Steve spent many days visiting with LP when he was a child. He died years ago, but LP's antics are still legendary among his friends and family - he is particularly remembered for his cleverly-executed pranks - including the time he convinced the neighborhood kids that a tree could blossom with candy.

Steve tells Dick about the joy and laughter LP brought to the lives of the people around him, and he shares his favorite stories from LP's book of practical jokes.