Of all the mysteries that beset mankind, one that occurred in my time, just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, was the disappearance of the famous American aviatrix, Amelia Earhart.  But, before we explore the possibilities for her strange disappearance, a glimpse into her life will reveal why our country was so shaken by the sudden vanishing of this extraordinary woman who was well ahead of her time.

 

Born to Sam and Amelia Stanton, Amelia Mary Earhart entered the world, in Atchinson, Kansas, on July 24, 1897.  She was home schooled until the age of twelve, when she attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Illinois. She received her diploma in 1916.  Soon afterward, during World War I, Amelia displayed the courage that would later propel her into a life as an aviatrix: she trained and volunteered as a nurse at the Spandina Military & Convalescent Hospital in Toronto, Canada.  During this time, she contracted the Spanish flu.  Although the flu’s aftereffect (chronic sinusitis) would plague her for the rest of her life, it did not stop her from pursuing and realizing her dreams.

 

 Amelia’s experience and dedication as a nurse compelled her to go further in her career.  She was accepted and enrolled in a pre-med program at a prestigious Ivy League college, Columbia University in New York City.  A year into the program, she took her first flight with Frank Hawks and fell so in love with flying that she determined to make a career of it.  Amelia bought her first aircraft, a Kinner Airster, which she nicknamed The Canary.

 

In 1922, Amelia Earhart set a world record for a woman flying at an altitude of 14,000 feet.  A year later, she became the 16^th woman in history to receive a pilot’s license via the FAI (Federal Aeronautique International).

 

In the years to follow, Amelia proved herself an ace pilot, competing in air races and solo transcontinental flights across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Her accomplishments were recognized through receipt of the Harmon Trophy for America’s Outstanding Airwoman, the Army Air Corps Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society.

 

During her career, Amelia met Publisher George P. Putnam. In 1931, after a long relationship, they married.  George supported and promoted his wife’s career, which was fated to culminate in a flight around the world.  For that flight, Purdue University funded the purchase of a twin engine Lockheed Electra aircraft.  In March of 1937, Amelia set out from Oakland, California with her navigator, Fred Noonan.  But leaving Hawaii, the plane suffered heavy damage and had to be shipped back for repairs.

 

Amelia and George then launched into a campaign to underwrite her second attempt.  They were successful, and the plane was readied for flight.  But this time, she reversed the route with a course going east to west to take advantage of favorable winds.

 

On May 20, 1937, Amelia and Fred Noonan left Oakland, California, stopping in Miami, Florida, where their endeavor was announced as “The World Flight.”  On June 1st, they took off from Miami with stops in South America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.  On June 29^th, they arrived at what would become their last stop, Lae, New Guinea.  They were scheduled to refuel at Howland Island and rest before crossing the Pacific to Oahu, Hawaii.  The next and last stop, completing their global flight, was to have been Oakland, California, the point from which they had started.

 

 

Through radio communication between plane and ship, the refueling at Howland was to be managed by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Itasca.  But foul weather and unsynchronized clocks interfered with communications.  According to the ship’s log, the plane was not heading in the right direction.  After many hours of Itasca’s signaling Earhart’s plane with no response, it was assumed that the aircraft had pitched into the ocean.

 

But, there was no real proof; it was only an assumption.

 

 

When word reached the States, President Roosevelt immediately ordered a search of the waters in questions.  Ten state-of-the-art ships, 66 aircraft, and 3,000 naval personnel, at a cost of $4 million, could not locate the missing plane and her crew.  On June 5, 1939, Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead.

 

And so, the mystery took root.  It remains unsolved to this very day, with much speculation as to Amelia’s whereabouts.

 

The timing of Earhart’s disappearance is noteworthy, as the Japanese had been very active in the Pacific at the time.  Attempting to acquire holdings there and failing in their efforts, they had begun to gear up for the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Did the Japanese capture the plane and its occupants, or did they shoot it down?  Were the aviatrix and her navigator killed by the Japanese military?

 

During World War II, Australian soldiers reclaiming New Britain Island from the Japanese found the wreckage of a twin engine plane in the isle’s dense jungle.   The plane was not of military origin, so there was hope that its discovery would put an end to the mystery.  A tag was retrieved from one engine and turned over to the proper authorities.  But the war was more pressing than finding Amelia Earhart or her remains.  The tag and the investigation were put on hold and never resumed, resulting in a dead end.

 

 

After the war, Howland Island and the neighboring Nikumaroro were searched; a human skull was found.  But efforts to identify the skull revealed that it was not Amelia’s, nor was it Fred Noonan’s.

 

So, what or who took down Earhart’s plane?  What interrupted her global flight so close to its coming full circle?  Was it indeed merciless weather or the machinations of an enemy nation?  Or was it something more sinister or perhaps otherworldly?

 

Could there be another Bermuda Triangle, another vortex in the area where Amelia’s plane went down?  The earth is host to a number of permanent vortices, and no one is certain as to where, exactly, Amelia’s plane disappeared.   Might it have been sucked down into an unstoppable oceanic funnel as have many planes and ships in the infamous Bermuda Triangle?  Or might Amelia’s disappearance be the result of an alien abduction?

 

One need not be an astronomer to understand that our galaxy is filled with many suns (stars).  Mathematically, it is probable that planets revolve around some of those suns, just as Earth revolves around Sol.   If some of those planets sustain life and if that life is evolved, it is possible that those races have ventured out into space.  If an alien ship were hovering in the area where Amelia’s plane disappeared, just picture the temptation that she would have posed.

 

Here was a woman, a decorated aviator, attempting to fly around the world.  While she was an anomaly on Earth, aliens may have seen her as an advanced human specimen worthy of study, or perhaps, collaboration.  If this was the scenario, maybe it wasn’t abduction.  Given the chance to fly free of the Earth’s atmosphere and into deep space, how excited and agreeable the intrepid Amelia may have been.

 

And if you think this scenario is improbable, consider this reality.  Recently, a photo of part of an aircraft was detected in the area in which Amelia’s plane disappeared.  And, it turns out that none other than Hillary Clinton is interested in getting to the bottom of this mystery.

 

 

With all the troubles plaguing this country, one wonders why our Secretary of State is so intrigued with a 73-year-old mystery. Under President Roosevelt, our government has already invested $4 million taxpayer dollars, backed by silver and gold, in its search for Amelia Earhart.

 

Is Hillary on a junket to the South Seas as reward for a job well done during this austere economy?  And how much will it cost the taxpayers in today’s fiat money?   Who was aboard that plane beside Hillary?  Was Bill Clinton there?  Were the Secret Service?  Did naval personnel, ships, and planes accompany them?  If you can answer these questions, you will have solved another mystery: the mystery of where taxpayer money went for this excursion!