| D. Ray Comish Short Snorters |
The Short Snorter Project
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On September 17, 2007, about five weeks after posting the Harry Hopkins Short Snorter, I received an email from Linda
Williford who wrote,
I can identify one of the unknown signatures on the Harry Hopkins Short Snorter. D. Ray Comish was my
father, he was a Flight Engineer for Pan American Airlines and was part of the crew that flew Roosevelt
and his entourage to Casablanca aboard the DIXIE CLIPPER.
Come to find out, Linda and her brother Rick have D. Ray Comish's short snorters and other artifacts from his Pan Am
career which includes the page of his flight log from the F.D.R. Casablanca flight! They were gracious enough to send in
scans which helped identify more signatures on the Harry Hopkins Short Snorter (for which Gary Schulze is thankful!).
Williford who wrote,
I can identify one of the unknown signatures on the Harry Hopkins Short Snorter. D. Ray Comish was my
father, he was a Flight Engineer for Pan American Airlines and was part of the crew that flew Roosevelt
and his entourage to Casablanca aboard the DIXIE CLIPPER.
Come to find out, Linda and her brother Rick have D. Ray Comish's short snorters and other artifacts from his Pan Am
career which includes the page of his flight log from the F.D.R. Casablanca flight! They were gracious enough to send in
scans which helped identify more signatures on the Harry Hopkins Short Snorter (for which Gary Schulze is thankful!).
BACK: Shannon Douglas, Allen George Shamas (or Shaman, written in Urdu), Others UNDECIPHERABLE
"D. RAY COMISH 1-13-43"
FRONT SIGNATURES:
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of
the United States
Harry Hopkins, Advisor to F.D.R.
Guy H. Spaman, Secret Service
*****(see note below)*****
Chas. W. Fredericks, Secret Svc.
Arthur S. Prettyman, Steward
John McCrae, Military Aide to F.D.R.
Ross T. McIntire, Personal
Physician to F.D.R.
Arthur C. Black, Photographer
E. R. Hipsley, Secret Service
William D. Leahy, Fleet Admiral,
Chief of Staff to the Commander in
Chief of the Army and Navy
Gladys Gayle, Actress
(The Three Stooges movies)
Leon Henderson, Office of Price
Administration (O.P.A.)
Three unidentified signatures...
Please send me an email if you
can recognize!
*****"Guy Spaman was my uncle
and was Secret Service /
Presidential detail under FDR,
worked then in Paris after WWII,
then eventually ended up in the LA
(S. Calif)-Nevada office."
Charlene (Spaman) Janssen*****
(Sent August 21, 2010)
FRONT SIGNATURES:
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of
the United States
Harry Hopkins, Advisor to F.D.R.
Guy H. Spaman, Secret Service
*****(see note below)*****
Chas. W. Fredericks, Secret Svc.
Arthur S. Prettyman, Steward
John McCrae, Military Aide to F.D.R.
Ross T. McIntire, Personal
Physician to F.D.R.
Arthur C. Black, Photographer
E. R. Hipsley, Secret Service
William D. Leahy, Fleet Admiral,
Chief of Staff to the Commander in
Chief of the Army and Navy
Gladys Gayle, Actress
(The Three Stooges movies)
Leon Henderson, Office of Price
Administration (O.P.A.)
Three unidentified signatures...
Please send me an email if you
can recognize!
*****"Guy Spaman was my uncle
and was Secret Service /
Presidential detail under FDR,
worked then in Paris after WWII,
then eventually ended up in the LA
(S. Calif)-Nevada office."
Charlene (Spaman) Janssen*****
(Sent August 21, 2010)
| Newspaper clipping pertaining to F.D.R.'s Casablanca Trip upon which D. Ray Comish served. The web master has been in contact with the son of the named Pilot, Richard W. Vinal. Sadly, his short snorter may have been ruined in a flood many years ago but he does remember seeing it at one time! (Clipping courtesy of the family of D. Ray Comish) |
| Photo of F.D.R. celebrating his birthday aboard the DIXIE CLIPPER on January 30, 1943, enroute from Trinidad to Miami. Seated left to right: Admiral Leahy, F.D.R., Harry Hopkins, Plane Commander Lt. Cone (photo courtesy Gary Schulze) |
| First short snorter belonging to D. Ray Comish dated 4-22-41. Sent in by daughter Linda Williford and son Rick Comish. U.S. Silver Certificate - Series 1935A - Serial # H73110015B. Posted on September 29, 2007. |
| Handwritten flight log belonging to D. Ray Comish showing the presence of F.D.R. and his entourage in January 1943. |
LEFT: Photograph of the DIXIE CLIPPER (NC18605)
which was one of the two actual aircraft used to
fly F.D.R. on the mission to Casablanca.
LOWER LEFT: Boeing 314
BELOW: Photograph of D. Ray Comish.
(All photos courtesy of Rick Comish)
Richard W. "Dick" Vinal, Jr., wrote that his father told him that F.D.R. was transferred between the DIXIE CLIPPER and
the AMERICAN CLIPPER at every fuel stop for security reasons.
"My dad had a picture of the crane rig that was set up to move F.D.R. I remember the picture very well, as he was
being transferred from the DIXIE to the AMERICAN and my dad was in the background."
the AMERICAN CLIPPER at every fuel stop for security reasons.
"My dad had a picture of the crane rig that was set up to move F.D.R. I remember the picture very well, as he was
being transferred from the DIXIE to the AMERICAN and my dad was in the background."
"I was re-reading your last
short snorter article, with the
images on the bills, and one
name stood out, that I never
saw the first time,
Brooks Leffingwell.
The Leffingwell's were good
friends of our's while growing
up in South Miami. Brooks
was a pilot for Pan Am for
awhile, but took an early
retirement. His daughter,
Suzy, and I were the same
age and went through school
together."
- Dick Vinal, Jr.
(Son of Richard Vinal)
short snorter article, with the
images on the bills, and one
name stood out, that I never
saw the first time,
Brooks Leffingwell.
The Leffingwell's were good
friends of our's while growing
up in South Miami. Brooks
was a pilot for Pan Am for
awhile, but took an early
retirement. His daughter,
Suzy, and I were the same
age and went through school
together."
- Dick Vinal, Jr.
(Son of Richard Vinal)
| Two newspaper clippings pertaining to D. Ray Comish's flying feats (Courtesy of the family of D. Ray Comish) |