I need to figure out what to do with gems. I picked up a plastic tub at a garage sale last fall. I looked inside and it had about 30 movies, several boxes of slides and a Brownie 300 projector. Marked real low so I bought it. 2 movies that I have viewed were of the 2nd rescue squadron at the tail end of the war. The plane is shown on the ground with the crew then is shown landing in the sea for a practice rescue. The gentleman’s name was LT. Richard Prass, he retired from the Air Force as a Major in 1975. Here is a bio from find a grave: Richard Neil Prass was born in Lafayette in 1923, the only child of Fredrick Nicholas Prass and Nellie Blanche [Dine] Prass. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1941 and was attending Indiana University in 1942 when his Father died. Richard joined the Army Air Force in early 1943 and was stationed stateside in Idaho before seeing limited action in the Pacific. On Release from active duty in 1946, he married Laura Jane Gaunt with whom he had one son. He next married Donna May Hammer-Perry in Bedford, Indiana in 1951 before being called back to active duty, serving as Navigator for supply flights departing Travis Air Force Base in the San Francisco area bound for Toyko, Japan via Anchorage, Alaska during the Korean War. Afterwards, He began working on his degree once more, having two more sons before being recalled to active duty to France and Germany at the start of the Berlin Wall Crisis in 1961, serving a year overseas. He was to remain in the Air Force Reserve until 1975, retiring with the rank of Major. He completed his degree in Pharmacy from Purdue University, and was then employed at Home Hospital until 1968, and then at Hook's Drug Stores for the balance of his career. In 1978, he moved from Lafayette to Indianapolis after the death of his Mother. In 1985, illness forced his retirement and he was taken to live in Greenfield, Indiana. His final few months were spent in and out of hospitals, and he died in Indianapolis in 1994. He was survived by his two spouses and three sons. I not sure what I need do with these films. Are there any groups that might preserve these films for the historical value?
IIRC, 8mm films were for home use. I think gun camera film was 16mm or 35mm. You might really have something, or it could still be personal copies of training film. A lot of old film was destroyed. Every so often they find a missing film or parts thereof in a home collection. Someone into militaria might know who would want these.
These appear to be homemade films, the pilots are laughing and joking with each other then they are filming the plane flying near San Francisco Bay. Looks like they are filming from the hills near the ocean.
If you live near where you think the films were made, you might try talking to your local historical society. If they are not interested themselves, they may be able to point you in the right direction.
Excellent advice from 2many. Air, aviation, and war museums would be a good bet generally, perhaps even the multi-media holdings at Indiana libraries and/or universities. A handful of starter suggestions (all have contact information at their websites): National Museum of the U.S. Air Force -- Dayton, Ohio https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/ Museum of Flight -- Seattle http://www.museumofflight.org/ Museum of Aviation -- Macon, Georgia https://www.museumofaviation.org/ Grissom Air Museum -- Peru, Indiana http://www.grissomairmuseum.com/ Save history! edit to add one more: Hoosier Air Museum -- Auburn, Indiana http://hoosierairmuseum.org/
I sent an email to Grissom Air Museum with his information. Thank you all for your suggestions, I will make sure these end up in the right place.
JMHO. I'd get them digitized asap. you never know how long they are still good enough for a digital copy.
