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REMEMBERING THE CREW OF "THE GOLDEN
HEART"
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| The families of
the crew have always wondered what happened to their loved ones.
They knew that the mission was more than just "routine weather
reconnaissance." Doug Wolters recalls that his Grandfather was
concerned by a comment made to him by Lt Col Morales. Colonel Morales,
the 58th WRS Commander, said, in effect, that he wished he could tell
them what the crew was really doing. This probably referred to
the
atmospheric sampling aspects of the flight and the tremendous benefit
gained from the resulting intelligence. The real effect of
comments like this was to help create an air of suspicion and more
questions. Since Doug Wolters was only a few months old when his weather officer father died, he really had a huge hole in his life. Doug has long felt compelled to try and find, and visit, the actual crash site. We won't attempt here to relay the long journey that finally culminated this past July with a personal pilgrimage to Alaska, Doug is writing that story himself. Suffice it to say that there were numerous false starts and dead ends that made his final success all the more meaningful. |
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| 2006
photos by Brenda Wolters, all rights reserved. No reproduction or other use without the express written permission of the Wolters family |
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After an eventful jet boat trip up the Susitna River, Doug Wolters reached the place where his father died. There still remains a large piece of the WB-50D tail section and you still can see flecks of the red paint that covered much of the tail and horizontal surfaces. Doug attached a memorial plaque to the plane. He would later read this roll call of the crew at the Arlington memorial ceremony. |
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| Andrea
(Richardson) Stowers was almost 8 when her father died in the crash of
the Golden Heart.
She has vivid memories of her father and a collection of letters he
sent to her and her sister. She has dedicated herself to
preserving the memory of her Dad for herself, her sister, and for her
"little" brother who was born 8 months after the accident. Andrea has sought out many Alaska veterans, even attending a 2005 reunion of the 58th arranged by C.R. Layton. This group meets each year in Branson, MO. See their web site here. AWRA is looking forward to seeing her at our 2006 reunion in Dayton, OH. In December 2004, she contacted Bernie Barris, the AWRA web master and Newsletter Editor. Bernie put her request for help into the 2005 Newsletter and has also searched for information in the various unit histories. This effort has certainly been mutually beneficial, as it has opened the door to research of AWS participation in Operations Crossroads (1946) and Operation Sandstone (1948) as well as finding numerous veterans of our earliest missions supporting the Long Range Detection system. These pioneering missions allowed the U.S. to detect "Joe-1," the first Soviet nuclear test in 1949. For Andrea Stowers the goals are more focused. She is gathering data for a forthcoming book on her father's life and times. She is approaching the task in a personal way, telling the story of a Cold War orphan. She also wanted to remember the crew in a more direct manner. She worked tirelessly this past year to locate the mother of Airman Lindsey, the third crew member of the Golden Heart interred in Arlington National Cemetery. She coordinated with Virginia Delegate David Englin to help pass a Virginia House of Delegates resolution honoring Airman Lindsey's service and sacrifice. She then arranged a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery. This event was extremely well received by the community. To read media coverage about the memorial service, follow the links below: Alexandria Times article number one Alexandria Times article number two Alexandria Gazette article |
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| 2006 photo by Laurie Mead, all rights reserved |
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Golden Heart Memorial Service Several family members and dignitaries from the 2 Sep 2006 memorial. From left: Dale Richardson, Pastor Darrell White of the Bethlehem Baptist Church; Janet (Richardson) Black, Doug Wolters, Aaron Hudson, Andrea (Richardson) Stowers, and Virginia State Delegate David Englin |
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| 2006 photo by David
Luria, used with permission. All rights
reserved. |
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Mrs Thedessa Weaver, mother of A2C Melvin Lindsey, would not let the inclement weather, nor her need for a walker, deter her from attending the Golden Heart Memorial Ceremony on 2 Sep 2006. Mrs Weaver is extremely proud of her son's service and thankful for the chance to remember in the company of her life-long friends from the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia |
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| 2006 hoto by Carey Loomis, all
rights reseved. |
Hollie Wolters,
widow of William Wolters, speaks to the many well wishers
at the Golden Heart Memorial at Arlington National Cemetary. Holding the umbrella for her is her son, Doug. At right, standing, is Dale Richardardson. Seated at right is Andrea (Richardson) Stowers, the memorial organizer. |
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| 2006 photo by Carey Loomis, all rights reseved. |
Brenda and Doug Wolters after the Golden Heart memorial ceremony. Doug is wearing one of the special pins made as mementos of the occasion. |
| The families of
William Wolters, Dale Richardson, and Melvin Lindsey were recently
contacted by the sister of William Faustlin, one of the navigators on
the aircraft. The Faustlin family
sent pictures and stories which were shown and read during the Golden
Heart ceremony.
This made a touching addition to the event. It is right and good that we take a moment to remember the many heroes who have died serving this great nation. The sacrifice of their families is no less important. Never forget ... Questions or comments, contact the web master at: awra038@aol.com |
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