OT: Amelia Earhart survived...really?

[rugbymate]

Not sure i get it....they crashed in 1937 and if picked up by the Japanese it was well before the war....why would they make them prisoners? this was a major international event and surely Japan could have exploited it for their benefit.

 

[Bestiarius]

I tend to favor the previous 'new discovery' of stuff on Gardner Island.

I presume you're referring to Gardiners Island in New York. It's a place with lots of history and worth googling.

Back around 1966 I worked in New York City with Louis DeBarth Gardiner of Gardiners Island family. He was probably in his late 50's at the time, and considered himself the black sheep of the family. He was a fascinating individual to know.

His claim to fame around the office was his ability to tear a 4 inch thick NYC telephone directory in half with little apparent effort. He would collect the phone books in preparation to impress each new hire. We all knew what was coming when a new person arrived and watched the show with interest and amusement. Louis was an endless source of amusing stories of his past and present.

His wife was the harpist with the NY Philharmonic, and he even had a story about that. His wife and her co worker, a cellist went to the exclusive NY shop Bonwit Teller to purchase long black gowns to be used during performances. Bonwit's was a high class store with very refined staff and clientele. With their gowns on the ladies viewed them in the mirror, but had to perform one last test before purchase. The both sat down and threw their legs open, much to the shock of staff and customers. Of course, this was necessary because playing the cello and harp require appropriate leg room. Satisfied, the two ladies paid and left the store without explaining their odd behavior.

Louis frequently came in with a beautiful piece of jewelry from Tiffany's to show us his latest gift for his wife. Although he was the black sheep, he was a rich ram.

After hearing his many wild stories we started to wonder about how true they all were. It got to the point that we began questioning him and researching his claims. We were never able to catch him in a lie. Once during WW2, he told a story of a secret mission flight from a town in Borneo to Calcutta that ended in a plane crash. I asked him how many miles that trip was and he answered immediately. We researched the air mileage and his answer was spot on. This type of thing happened frequently.

Probably the most interesting person I've ever known.

 

[Bestiarius]

I am the Lindbergh baby.

Your old homestead is for sale, only $8.75 million.
Charles Lindbergh's Former Darien Cottage Asks .75M

 

[UConner]

By the way, Amelia was married in Noank, CT. True fact

 

[Monte]

Fascinating yes, and probably a real money maker. People do like this stuff and I'm foolish enough to watch it too.
But, alas, I classify it right in with Bigfoot, flying saucers, the Loch Ness Monster and others.

It may be just a money maker, but I find this much more interesting than some of the trash on TV today. This story is based on REAL people, not super humans or flying dragons.

 

[Scud49]

Not sure i get it....they crashed in 1937 and if picked up by the Japanese it was well before the war....why would they make them prisoners? this was a major international event and surely Japan could have exploited it for their benefit.

I'm no expert, but I do remember from my history books by the time the late 30's rolled around, there was much tension between the US and Japan. As I recall, it was tied to Japanese expansionism in the Pacific. They, in turn, viewed most foreigners as spies.

 

[UcMiami]

I presume you're referring to Gardiners Island in New York. It's a place with lots of history and worth googling.

Back around 1966 I worked in New York City with Louis DeBarth Gardiner of Gardiners Island family. He was probably in his late 50's at the time, and considered himself the black sheep of the family. He was a fascinating individual to know.

His claim to fame around the office was his ability to tear a 4 inch thick NYC telephone directory in half with little apparent effort. He would collect the phone books in preparation to impress each new hire. We all knew what was coming when a new person arrived and watched the show with interest and amusement. Louis was an endless source of amusing stories of his past and present.

His wife was the harpist with the NY Philharmonic, and he even had a story about that. His wife and her co worker, a cellist went to the exclusive NY shop Bonwit Teller to purchase long black gowns to be used during performances. Bonwit's was a high class store with very refined staff and clientele. With their gowns on the ladies viewed them in the mirror, but had to perform one last test before purchase. The both sat down and threw their legs open, much to the shock of staff and customers. Of course, this was necessary because playing the cello and harp require appropriate leg room. Satisfied, the two ladies paid and left the store without explaining their odd behavior.

Louis frequently came in with a beautiful piece of jewelry from Tiffany's to show us his latest gift for his wife. Although he was the black sheep, he was a rich ram.

After hearing his many wild stories we started to wonder about how true they all were. It got to the point that we began questioning him and researching his claims. We were never able to catch him in a lie. Once during WW2, he told a story of a secret mission flight from a town in Borneo to Calcutta that ended in a plane crash. I asked him how many miles that trip was and he answered immediately. We researched the air mileage and his answer was spot on. This type of thing happened frequently.

Probably the most interesting person I've ever known.

Fun story but no - Gardner Island is an atoll in the Pacific where an old photo shows what looks to be part of a plane sticking up from the reef and where a few items have been discovered that could be from Earhart - a jar of her favorite face cream and small bits of plane that could be from her plane. It made a big splash a few years ago, and investigators continue to search the island on a yearly basis.

On the time frame - moving an aircraft from a beach or field onto a boat (that would need to be arranged) is never a simple operation especially on some small pacific island in 1937 and would take some effort to arrange even if being performed by the Japanese military. If it had landed safely and just needed fuel, flying the plane off after refueling would be much easier, so chances are it had mechanical difficulties or had crash landed if that is the plane on the boat. And small pacific islands aren't brimming with safe landing areas other than possibly beaches.

Yes there were a lot of tensions in the Pacific in the late thirties and significant spy activity - one reason that people theorize that Earhart might have been spying for the US government - a theory that breaks down for me somewhat in that over the intervening 80 years someone with access to prewar files likely would have exposed that information - it would not have been that big a secret or black mark against whatever agency employed her by the time WWII was over.

 

[JordyG]

This is clearly Amelia and her being there at that time is totally explainable. She was obviously a guest of Judge Crater who had a resort/compound on the island. They were also obviously making plans for the future arrival of Jimmy Hoffa and the Anunnaki.

 

[Blakeon18]

Well...I saw the show last night and found it fascinating. The FBI guy conducting it seemed kinda eager to prove his own bias...that Amelia
did in fact survive the crash landing. I can't say I was convinced but what he did find made me at least wonder.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Blogger discredits claim Amelia Earhart was taken prisoner by Japan

Obviously, the producers of this show could have found this information as easily as the blogger who did -- but it wasn't in their best interests. Interesting, also, that this debunking doesn't become public until the day after the documentary was telecast. I haven't seen any comment yet from HC, the producers, or their so-called "experts." Doubt if we will.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I'm no expert, but I do remember from my history books by the time the late 30's rolled around, there was much tension between the US and Japan. As I recall, it was tied to Japanese expansionism in the Pacific. They, in turn, viewed most foreigners as spies.

From the mid 30 's, maybe before, the USA was not happy with Germany, Japan and especially Stalins incursions into Finland. My favorite is a cartoon of Huge Stalin with a harpoon--looking at a minnow ans shouting --Shark! In terms of countries the USA was not thrilled with--USSR and Japan ran neck to neck--daily stories and Movie News showed the murderous Japanese attacking Chinese women and kids. So it is possible, in the Japanese mentality, Amelia was an FDR spy--he was known to use Civilians..

 

[BroadwayVa]

Blogger discredits claim Amelia Earhart was taken prisoner by Japan

Obviously, the producers of this show could have found this information as easily as the blogger who did -- but it wasn't in their best interests. Interesting, also, that this debunking doesn't become public until the day after the documentary was telecast. I haven't seen any comment yet from HC, the producers, or their so-called "experts." Doubt if we will.

It gets back to what product you are selling--you don't distract away from your package --with just facts--how silly is that? I always ask: What in it for those hyping a package--usually it's money.
Another--ask yourself question--this happened 80 years ago--and is a high viz operation-if you can't get evidence or eyewitnesses to agree 6 months after a crime--how can anyone believe 80 year old suppositions/speculations/maybe's??? Facts don't get better with age.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Fun story but no - Gardner Island is an atoll in the Pacific where an old photo shows what looks to be part of a plane sticking up from the reef and where a few items have been discovered that could be from Earhart - a jar of her favorite face cream and small bits of plane that could be from her plane. It made a big splash a few years ago, and investigators continue to search the island on a yearly basis.

On the time frame - moving an aircraft from a beach or field onto a boat (that would need to be arranged) is never a simple operation especially on some small pacific island in 1937 and would take some effort to arrange even if being performed by the Japanese military. If it had landed safely and just needed fuel, flying the plane off after refueling would be much easier, so chances are it had mechanical difficulties or had crash landed if that is the plane on the boat. And small pacific islands aren't brimming with safe landing areas other than possibly beaches.

Yes there were a lot of tensions in the Pacific in the late thirties and significant spy activity - one reason that people theorize that Earhart might have been spying for the US government - a theory that breaks down for me somewhat in that over the intervening 80 years someone with access to prewar files likely would have exposed that information - it would not have been that big a secret or black mark against whatever agency employed her by the time WWII was over.

The question for files of that era--of the USA--they are probably still classified and not to be released. Japan files--within the hands of the Japanese, now--would likely be released--but those old Japanese files that are fully in the hands of the USA--is only a question.. People on both sides are still alive from the era---The USA protected Japanese war criminals---
But I doubt --these is anything anywhere on Amelia we have not seen.