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SARASOTA – MANATEE CHAPTER of the AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION

Vol. 4, Special Edition NEWSLETTER February 2016

AFA CELEBRATES its 7Oth ANNIVERSARY

On February 4, 1946 a group of twelve men joined together to form the Air Force Association (AFA). The group was led by Medal of Honor winner Lieutenant General James (Jimmie) Doolittle. Other significant founders in attendance were John Allard, Everett Cook, Deering Howe, Sol Rosenblatt, Julian Rosenthal, James M. "Jimmy" Stewart (who retired as a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve), Lowell P. Weicker (Senior), Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and . Also included was Rufus R. Rand – who had been a member of the Lafayette Flying Corps in WW I and who gave his residence as Sarasota. What follows is what we’ve been able to find out about him.

SARASOTA’S FIRST AFA MEMBER

Rufus Randall Rand, Jr. Born: May 25, 1892 Died: October 15, 1971

Rufus R. Rand, Jr. was born in May 1892 at Harmon Place, Minnesota. He was the son of Rufus R. Rand Sr. and his wife, Susan Mealey, the daughter of Minnesota State Senator Tobias Mealey. The senior Rand was the owner of the Minneapolis Gas Light Company.

“Mechanically minded at even an early age, Rand drove his first car when he was 10 years old and subsequently learned to take it apart and put it together again. He also became interested in railroading and aviation.”

“After studying engineering at Sheffield College of Yale University, Rand transferred to Williams College at Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he helped form an aero club. In 1916, he earned a flying diploma at the U.S. Army’s aviation school at Mineola, Long Island, New York – thereby becoming the first licensed pilot from the state of Minnesota.”

Rand volunteered to serve with the French military in WWI. He was initially assigned to “…Section 21 of the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Service, a branch of the American Field Service…”. On July 26, 1917 he enlisted in the flying service, becoming a part of the Lafayette Flying Corps. From July to December 4, 1917, he went through flight training. Initially at Avord, flying antiquated Bleriot XIs One of his colleagues described him as “…. an example of the scientific aviator; he knows all about motors, all about rigging, and all about aerodynamics…”1 Rand was presented his brevet – his pilot’s certificate on September 14.

“Between September 25 and October 16, Rand… “received ‘perfection’ training at Tours, learning to master the Nieuport fighters he would eventually fly at the Front. On February 28, 1917, Rand was assigned to N.153, a French Escadrille based at Bonneuil…” He initially flew aging Nieuport scouts, then during March and April 1918, the Morane-Sauiner AI (MOS) Type 29C.1 – a monoplane considered revolutionary at the time - and later the Spad 7s. Rand is said had some close calls in his combat flying, including an episode where machine gun fire narrowly missed hitting his head and riddled his gas tank.

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French pilot Paul Grimault and American volunteer Rufus Rand pose beside a Morane-Saulnier AI. Considered revolutionary for its monoplane design, the fighter’s career proved short lived.

“In all 215 to 265 Americans volunteered to fly in the French air service -- 38 of them with the Lafayette Escadrille, the rest…” – like Rand – “…in other operational units via the Lafayette Flying Corps.” Rand was one of 180 that saw combat. He reputedly was an “air-war ace” and rose to the rank of Adjutant. However, his victories were not confirmed and he was credited with 8 “probables”. The French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm and Star for his bravery in combat.

While on leave during his tour in France, Rand met and courted a volunteer nurse – Helen Starkweather Chase. “A resident of Waterbury, Connecticut, and a graduate of Bryan Mawr College, class of 1916, Helen Chase had volunteered to take up war relief work in April 1917”. They were married shortly after returning to the . and subsequently had five daughters -- Mary, Penny, ???

Rand was active in forming the Minneapolis Aero Club and was generally prominent as backer of aviation projects during the 1920s and 1930s. He became one of the Twin Cities’ most prominent businessmen and is remembered – among other accomplishments -- for two iconic buildings he commissioned in the late 1920s.

The 63 room Rufus R. Rand mansion in Minnetonka was built at the height of the Great Depression. This amazing French Chateau style house – destroyed by fire when half 1931 completed -- had 14 bedrooms, 13 fireplaces, 16 bathrooms, a marble staircase, sunken gardens, fountains, an observatory and a 1.3 million gallon swimming pool when construction was finished. The 243-foot long home contains 600,000 cubic feet of space. The outer walls were 17 inches thick. The house was often referred to as the finest suburban house west of Chicago. Today the former Rand Mansion has become the “Lake Office” of Cargill, one of the largest privately held companies in the world.

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He also built the 26-story Rand Tower office building in downtown Minneapolis to house the Minneapolis Gas Company. Rand developed the building as a symbol of the future greatness of the city of Minneapolis. At the time of its completion, Rand Tower was one of the two tallest buildings west of the Mississippi River. The aviation themed Art Deco building was designed by Holabird & Root and reflects Rand’s love of aviation throughout -- including the statue of “Wings” in the lobby.

In 1929 he became the main investor in the Mohawk Aircraft Company and served as its receiver when it went bankrupt in 1931. Rand was also associated with the Universal Air Lines Corporation – an airline that provided passenger service between seven cities in the Upper Mid-West.

Rand was known for community and civic endeavors in Minneapolis. He served as mayor of Wayzata, MN (1928 – 19??), a Regent of the University of Minnesota (1931-1937), a State Commander of the American Legion and officer of the Minneapolis Gas Company.

Rand returned to the US Army Air Force as a Major during WW II. He participated in Operation Torch, the American landings in North Africa in November 1942 and subsequently served in the Eighth Air Force as the executive officer at a bomber base in England. Although he held an administrative job, he helped plan some of the first bombing raids against and took part in a few missions in B-17s. He finished the war with the rank of Colonel. 1

In 1946, Rand became one of the twelve founding members of the Air Force Association. He and his family were wintertime residents of Sarasota, Florida, living on Siesta Key. His wife – Helen – died there in 1965. Rand died on October 15, 1971 at the Lafayette Club in Wayzata, MN at the age of 79. He was posthumously inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 1993.

Sources

1. Aviation Heritage, March 1992, p. 30 2. Sarasota Herald Tribune, Obituary 3. Air Force Magazine, May 2012, p 4. The Lafayette Flying Corps, Volume 1, p 399, edited by James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, Edgar G . Hamilton

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The Air Force Association mission is to promote a dominant and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage. To accomplish this, we:

EDUCATE the public on the critical need for unmatched aerospace power and a technically superior workforce to ensure U.S. national security.

ADVOCATE for aerospace power and STEM education.

SUPPORT the total Air Force family, and promote aerospace education.

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