EDITOR'S PAGE

EDITOR'S

The aircraft contours only partially glimpsed at right will nevertheless be instantly recognized by many a former serviceman (and many a former schoolboy) of the World War II era. The B-24 Liberator bomber, along with the B-17 Flying Fortress, the twin-fuselage P38, and the three fighter planes pictured on page 38, each earned fame and affection by its distinctive appearance as well as its performance indelibly recorded in the annals of pre-jet aviation. I was a ground soldier, not an airman, but I had a special appreciation for the B-24, for good reason. One of the trusty Liberators provided my first airplane flight. In a hurry to get home to Arizona on furlough from Camp Callan, California, in 1943, I headed for nearby San Diego, found the camouflaged factory of Consolidated Aircraft where B24s were assembled, and promptly hitched a ride on one of the brand-new beauties bound for a modification plant in Tucson, where its armament would be installed.

That unforgettable first journey by air included an abrupt descent over Yuma when I mentioned to the crew that the family of a close friend lived in the Colorado River town. "See if you can spot the house," cheerfully commanded the pilot-and down we went. My wide eyes quickly picked out our target; I pointed; and a significant percentage of Yumans must have got almost as much of a thrill as I did as the big four-engine craft buzzed a block of small onestory houses.

For thousands of Arizona Highways readers old enough to remember World War II, the experiences of more than four decades ago remain among the most vivid of their lives. Along with all those individual stories, the social and economic history of Arizona was dramatically altered by the war years. Located far from any combat zone, the state yet was transformed by its missions of military training and defense production.

For a salute to the men and women and events of those fast-receding yet clearly remembered days, turn to "Arizona and World War II," beginning on page 36. Jim Cook's report is augmented by contributions from Don Dwiggins, Sam Negri, and Lloyd Clark, and the photography of Don Stevenson.

A second story in this issue combines action and nostalgia. July marks the 100th anniversary of the world's oldest rodeo, Frontier Days, in my hometown of Prescott. Many aspects of the celebration have changed relatively little since my own boyhood. But whereas today there is one major Frontier Days parade and one children's parade, it was customary then to schedule a pre-rodeo procession through town each of the days (usually four) of the annual observance. Every cowboy and cowgirl entered in a rodeo event also rode in the parade.

Each July for seven or eight years in the 1930s and early '40s, as members of the Sons of the American Legion drum and bugle corps and later of the Prescott High School band, Jim Martin and I played our snare drums and marched steadfastly through the streets of Prescott behind those hundreds of horses. One develops some remarkable skills of balance and light-footedness while keeping in step, choosing the best available path over and around hazards, and never missing a beat on the drum.

Our report on the Frontier Days centennial, written by Dennis Farrell and photographed by Bill Sperry, begins on page 4.

Those are only two of the subjects we bring you this month. You can also observe the rare Hopi ceremonial of the Shalakos at the village of Shungopavi; visit Arizona's largest cliff dwelling at Keet Seel; roam among mighty ponderosa pines; explore side chasms deep in the Grand Canyon; and look back at the days of sturdy, stubborn steamboats on the Colorado River.

We hope your summer is going well and that you will enjoy this issue of our magazine. Merrill Windsor