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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

When Tvo was alive, he would always amaze me with his stories and rather
casual mention of various things and events in his life.  To hear the
man talk, you would think he was 150 years old as it would seem that it
would take 150 years to live as much as he had- in as many places as he
had. My kids used to ask me if he was for real.  If I met someone like
him today on the web, I would think they are full of sh*t and a liar.  I
am glad I "met" him in the mid '90's when I was less suspicious of
people.  Even after his death, I often wondered of the how's in his
life...His obit provides a few clues.

> Godfrey, Richard Harvey > ROANOKE, VA. - Richard Harvey Godfrey 
> closed his logbook on Wednesday, March 16, 2005. He was born in 
> Whitewater on Nov. 5, 1922, to Irwin Godfrey and Jessie Fish Godfrey.
>  He grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm and entered the U.S. Army Air 
> Corps after high school at age 17.

That would be 1939..so his farm-life depression era stories had teeth.
The Army Air Force was formed from the Army Air Corp in 1941, and that
later became the US Air Force in 1947.

By age 18, he was
> an instructor in aircraft mechanics, hydraulics and electronics.

Was there anything the man couldn't do?  I used to think he was Edison
or Franklin reincarnate.

He
> later entered pilot training and was assigned to the 127th Squadron 
> 2nd Air Command Group as a captain, where he served until May 1945.

2nd Air Command was activated in Florida in April of 1944.  This All
volunteer special ops group supported the Burma invasion, bombing and
making supply drops in SE Asia.  Some squadrons flew out of China. I do
recall his mention of Thailand and China.  I found one page that listed
the 2nd Air Commando out of Bombay, India: (China, India, Burma)
http://www.cbi-history.com/part_viii.html
You can even find his name here:
http://www.accident-report.com/Crew_Names/nameg_gold.html
I don't know if that is our Tvo, but I bet it is.


 He
> then transferred to the 305th Air Service Group where he served 
> briefly as operations officer until his promotion to major and 
> squadron commander on Nov. 1, 1945, at age 22.

This Group spent time in India. Perhaps that is where he became enamored
with rammed earth technologies.
http://www.cbi-history.com/part_iii.html
By the time he was 22, he had already seen most of the planet.  I do
recall him talking about Africa as well, but I have no clue when that
was in his life.


 After World War II, he
> completed his undergraduate education and law school degrees at the 
> University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Law.  Who knew?  I'd bet his undergrad work was in engineering.  Does
anyone know for sure?  That would put him getting out of school around
1952 or so.  Plenty of time to build wealth, buy land, travel, etc.


  Also
> surviving are his sons of the heart, Baha Al-Amood and Shirley Kipps;
>  and daughters of the heart, Sally Edelman and Karen Witcher.

I wonder if he wrote his own obit?
I'd give anything to know of all the places he had visited, all the
places he had lived, etc.  I often thought he might have been CIA as the
man DID get around, didn't he?

He lives on...

Bev, groupie/harpie at the cultish Church of Tvo.


--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm   NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W    Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky