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Armistice
Day
November 11, 1940 started out as a beautiful day
with temperatures near 60 degrees but by early
afternoon windchill was below zero and 26 inches
of snow had fallen. Almost 60 people mostly duck-hunters
died around Winona and the surrounding areas.
Max took out a 2-seat Piper Cub because it was
the easiest to get out of the hangar.
He flew over the backwaters of the Mississippi
spotting a boy he knew standing in frozen water,
and soon spotted more people. Max
wanted to land but knew the wind would flip the
plane so he returned to the airport to refuel.
Knowing the risks of flying in such weather, Max
could not leave those men stranded without trying
to help. He flew the rest of the day and
part of the next, throwing out supplies, and guiding
rescue boats to stranded hunters. |
