This past summer, I
noticed the Goodyear Blimp flying again and doing what it
does best, advertising and promoting Sullivan Tire and Auto
Service. During ground time, at the Plymouth Airport, the
public was invited to get a closer look at the blimp and
some of them were lucky enough to win a ride on the floating
ship.
This particular
afternoon, looking at this airship moving among the blue
sky, my memory tape began unwinding back, way back to my
childhood. I was nine years young and living off West Street
in Quincy, enjoying an afternoon of carefree playtime in
this open field. At that time I had no idea of what I was
seeing. Suddenly right before my eyes, I saw this huge
flying cigar-shaped balloon moving silently over West Street
in the direction of where the South Shore Plaza sits today.
It was low enough so that I could see the underside
observation decks. I stood there with my mouth wide open and
within minutes it was gone.
The year and date was May 6, 1937. I found out later I was
observing history in the making. On the side of the flying
airship the name painted against the silver background stood
out in large letters,
hindenburg.
Destination was Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey.
With the waiting crowd, some since early morning, at 7:25
p.m. the mooring cables were dropped from the 800-foot,
hydrogen-filled airship. What followed was indeed history,
62 of the 97 persons aboard survived the fireball.
The
disaster put an end to the Golden Age of Airships. |
