While we rarely remark on the passing of aviation luminaries, as that is not really our role, it is hard not to offer our thanks to the life and legacy of the late Paul Allen, who died yesterday afternoon from complications relating to non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Paul Allen was a giant of a man, by any measure, from his co-founding of Microsoft, to his many philanthropic endeavors. We, of course, celebrate him for the magic he has created with the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum. His ability and willingness to preserve so much important history as accurately and responsibly as possible for public display is legendary. However, it is for his deep-sea adventures, locating the wrecks of historic WWII vessels for which he will be most remembered by some. For the surviving crew members, their families, and the families of those who went down with their ships, these discoveries must have led to a sense of closure and peace for many. And that is a precious gift indeed. Probably the most spectacular of these was the location of the U.S.S. Lexington earlier this year. Seeing long extinct Douglas Devastators, still in vibrant color on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, much as they have been since the dark days of the Battle of the Coral Sea, was an incredible, if stark reminder of the service and sacrifice of so many young lives. But it was an important reminder…
We offer our thanks to Paul Allen, and for the remarkable legacy that he has left us all.
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Inside Issue #77 of Warbird Digest
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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