History Up Close with the NC-4 

I love the videos with Capt Kinsella.....

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY!!

Hello. I love this plane. You see, I’m indirectly named after the pilot….Albert Cushing Read. My Dad was born in early 1920 shortly after the historic flight of NC-4. His parents named him Read Leon Bronson. Well, in school, Dad was teased a lot…”Can you read, Read?” So Dad just started spelling his name Reid. After leaving college in 1940 due his family’s poverty, Dad joined the Navy. He became a Flight Engineer on a Catalina…..A SEAPLANE. Small world, huh? Having a whole year of college, the Navy assumed Dad could handle a fairly technical job. During training in Chicago, Dad met Mom. Funny side story. Dad went to cash his paycheck at a big downtown Chicago bank. Being a sailor, he picked the prettiest teller. Being a sailor, Dad asked Mom on a date after she cashed his paycheck. Dad being a sailor, Mom said no. During his training, he cashed every paycheck at her window. Every time, he asked her out. Fortunately for me, Mom finally said yes. Back to Dad. Half his graduating class went to Pearl. Half to Dutch Harbor. Luckily, Dad was at Dutch Harbor on December 7th. Just before Midway, Nimitz had all the Catalina’s out of Pearl, Dutch Harbor and Midway looking for the Japanese. While on patrol, June 3rd, Dutch Harbor radioed to all of their Cats that the Japanese had launched a major attack on Dutch Harbor. The base was suffering huge damage. The Cats were ordered not to return. Dad’s Cat did not have enough fuel to go anywhere else. So the crew voted to keep searching for the Japanese fleet knowing they would soon be in the water. As the the fuel was exhausted, Dad’s Cat landed on the water but soon floundered in the heavy seas. Dad and his crew spent 3 days in a life raft. Luckily, a Tin Can found them before the Japanese did. Dad got 30 days Survivor’s Leave. Went home and married Mom. A week later he was back on a train heading back to the Aleutians. What a generation of people. My three older Brothers’ middle name is Reid. My first name is Reid, as is my son and two nephews. Even a girl is named Reid: my Granddaughter’s middle name. Finally, a nephew with a middle name Reid. Total: ten Reids. Well, legally, Dad is a Read, just like Albert Cushing Read. Dad served 27 years as the Navy’s top mechanic. Became a full Officer. Headed the Aircraft Maintenance Departments at Pensacola NAS and Norfolk NAS. After retirement, Dad worked for 20 years building F-4s and F-15s at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis. What a fantastic guy. My son followed Dad into Aviation. With two Aerospace Engineering degrees, built F-15s and F-18s in St.Louis for Boeing which bought McDonnell Douglas in the late 90’s. Now, Reid is building the new Air Force Stealth Bomber at Northup Grumman. What an amazing connection to Lt. CMD. Read. Dad flew a seaplane in the war. Dad and my son built planes for the Navy. And we’re all named Reid/Read. In 2018, our extended family held a reunion in Pensacola. Where else? Five of us seven kids were born at Pensacola NAS. My late Wife only had a few months left and one of my nephews organized the reunion so that my Wife could say goodbye to everyone. We all spent a day at your fantastic museum. My wife especially enjoyed it. She got to see the plane that figured so prominently in the naming of her son and husband. Thank you for this video. Thanks for a great museum. Reid Thomas Bronson.

DannyDeese there