2009—Bryan, Plane-freak

Speaking of Alden Rigby*, it was around this time, as we were working together in the Bountiful Temple sealing office, that I proposed to him and to our senior grandson, Bryan Wolz Anderson, that they should become acquainted.

Younger Alden

In those days, Alden was a vigorous 86, enjoying considerable celebrity as the only surviving fighter ace from World War II. His obituary in the Ogden Standard-Examiner for 6 May, 2015, noted that he “flew 76 combat missions over Europe, totaling 272 hours. He shot down five German aircraft in aerial combat. Four of those kills came in less than a half hour on Jan. 1, 1945 as part of the famous Battle of the Bulge.”

Alden, as we knew him

As a diligent fourteen-year-old student at Centerville Junior High, Bryan was already known to The Web as planefreak@gmail.com and doing very well in his studies. He made his family proud as he concentrated his lively intelligence on matters aeronautical and military**.

Well, Alden and his Eleen had turned their modest dwelling in Bountiful into something of an aeronautical museum, where they welcomed Bryan and Tucker and me and directed our attention to Alden’s impressive collection of model airplanes and a wall-display depicting silhouettes of all (I think he said) the aircraft that saw battle duty in The Big War. Alden was mightily impressed that Bryan could name each one from its silhouette alone.

*“Big Al,” to his grandson Jeff, our bishop in those days.
**cf. “Bryan, the Warrior”

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Updated Jan 2021

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