Continued from last week...
My cousin, Wayne Blanton, provided me more pictures, a letter from Franklin Delano Roosevelt pertaining to Felix's death, and even some gifts that Felix had sent home while he was stationed at different military bases across the country. I was lucky enough to even receive a beautiful table made of teakwood that Felix had sent to San Saba from India, just before he died.
My Uncle Mack, and my sister, Suzanne Mitchell, each provided me with a pair of Felix's wings. The pair of wings that my uncle gave me was the most poignant because it had a small gold star that had been drilled into the center of the wings. My guess is that Felix’s father had added that special touch while working in his workshop right here in San Saba.
My mother also provided me with a small stack of newspaper clippings that were taken from the local San Saba newspapers pertaining to Felix's death, funeral, and burial.
After several visits to my cousin Bobbie Morris’s home over in Bend, I had a feel of what life would've been like in San Saba. The town has certainly changed over the years, but San Saba has not lost its small town feel that Felix and his family would have called home.
There were many days when I'd be out for a walk when I’d feel Felix speak to me about what was necessary for the chapter that I was working on. There were also many instances where I’d have creative visions while dreaming during the night.
Through extensive research, I learned when Felix went to TexasAMC, now known as Texas A&M. I learned a great deal about his time at college by reading every edition of The Battalion, which was the campus newspaper. I even was able to obtain his actual college transcript from the records department there at Texas A&M. Sadly, he dropped out of college shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
I was able to determine where Felix began his military training in beautiful Southern California, and I was amazed to learn that the base is a relatively close drive from my home in Orange County.
I was able to discover the locations for every other stop along the way as Felix earned his pilot’s wings. His final stop was in Sarasota, Florida before leaving his family and the United States for combat duty in India.
Essentially, I took all of the data, pictures, etc., and I began a journey to find out more about my Great Uncle, Felix Ernest Scott.
Check back next week Part 3 of The Story Behind the Story.
Be sure and check out Part 1 to keep up with The Story Behind the Story!