Remember the Shenandoah

WARNING to readers…this post runs the risk of being historically educational.

Near my hometown in southeastern Ohio, there is an area where lots of things seem to be named Shenandoah. The school is Shenandoah High School. Furthermore, there was the Shenandoah truck stop. Finally, I even remember a Shenandoah Diary Mart. “Shenandoah” is not the name of a town or a county. So, what’s up with that? This is not a vibrant area of Ohio. So, I think its safe to say that the answer to this riddle is the most significant national event ever to happen there. So, enough is enough. PugsleyTonks is going to fix this. It’s high time to remember the Shenandoah.

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Post World War I, the United States Navy began building large rigid airships as a tool in their reconnaissance efforts. These airships were over 2 football fields in length. Typically, they weighed 30-40 tons. And remarkably, they could reach speeds of 70 mph carrying 40-50 crew members. Initially, and amazingly, the first ships used hydrogen to get airborne. Once the Navy realized that using highly flammable gas had its down side, the Navy switched to helium. Launched in April 1923, the USS Shenandoah became the Navy’s first helium filled, rigid airship. Beyond reconnaissance, the USS Shenandoah was also a public relations machine. On one such tour, while in a very rural area of southeastern Ohio, a strong storm caught hold of the USS Shenandoah…and ripped her apart.

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The USS Shenandoah came down in 3 major pieces. These airships are not like balloons. Rather, the airship contains 20-30 separate helium filled bladders. As the ship basically broke in half, each half had enough bladders to somewhat slow their descent. However, crash site #1 was the exception. Crash site #1 was all the heavy parts…the control center and engines. When that section tore away, it plummeted to the ground at the Gamary farmhouse. There were 43 total crew members on the Shenandoah. There were 14 members that died that morning. Almost all of them were at Crash site #1.

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On the exact spot of each crash, there is a memorial to the tragedy. So, finding all the crash sites makes for a worthy blog mission. The mission is even more meaningful if you bring along your father who happened to be born in this area. Not surprisingly, all of these crash sites are on private property. But, crash sites #1 and #3 provide for visitors. However, do not forget this is VERY rural southeastern Ohio. The access roads are not all paved. I recommend a sturdy vehicle with all wheel drive and good clearance. If you really want to blend in, borrow a MAGA hat and you will be more welcomed by the locals. The last picture above awkwardly reads…”THE SPOT OF THE LANSDOWNE.” The commanding officer of the USS Shenandoah was Lt. Commander Zachary Lansdowne. The awkwardly worded marker is the exact spot where his body was found.

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Basically, after losing the control center and engines at crash site #1, the storm tore the remaining airship in half. Subsequently, the aft section floated southwest, landing about a half mile away at crash site #2. However, as mentioned earlier, crash site #2 is not legitimately accessible. You can catch a glimpse and a picture if you bravely pull over on Interstate 77. But, in 1925, crash site #2 was plenty accessible. See the picture above of the looters descending upon the wreckage. Looting became a very serious issue when the government got there to investigate the crash. The government spent months trying to re-acquire all of the military property snatched by the locals My grandfather was alive and present at the time. I like to think that he is somewhere in the picture…getting his share of goodies.

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At crash sites #2 and #3, the 29 surviving crew members made it to ground. However, those survivors in the final piece went on a wild ride first. Crash site #3 is over 10 miles to the southwest of sites #1 and #2. The nose section still had a lot of helium and was in no hurry to come down. The crew members had no control of the nose section. The best they could do was lower some ropes with hooks in hopes of catching a tree. Thankfully, this section eventually came to the ground on the Earnest Nichols farm.

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Before you begin your own crash site hunt, let me give you a couple local tidbits. The closest thing to a “town” near the crash sites is Ava, Ohio…population 109. None of the crash sites were actually in Ava. But, not everyone is willing to journey into the hills to find the actual crash site memorials. So, to make it easier for tourists, Ava brought the crash site tourism into their town. There is a historical marker and a monument. There used to be a trailer/museum dedicated to the Shenandoah. To the best of my knowledge and searching, this trailer no longer exists. In about 4 years, it will be the 100th anniversary of the Shenandoah. I have no idea what is planned for this anniversary. But, you can take it to the bank that PugsleyTonks will be there to Remember the Shenandoah. Accomplices are welcome. PT

I hope you have enjoyed reading “Remember the Shenandoah” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.

If you enjoyed this post, check this out https://travelingwithpt.com/sold-my-soul-to-the-company-store/

If you have the urge to find the crash sites on your own, start here https://welweb.org/ThenandNow/ZR-1.html

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