Shay wrote:
I've always thought it would be nice if Piqua mounted a fullsize replica of Shangri-La on a pole by the interstate or in the park or something.
There
is a smaller than life-size statue of Gentile in his WWII flight gear in the town square. There's also a "Home of Don Gentile, WWII Fighter Ace" sign attached to the "Welcome to Piqua" signage. I gathered over several research trips to Piqua that they are
still very proud of their hometown boy.
As a point of interest,
both houses Don and his sister grew up in are still intact and occupied! When I had my
One-Man Air Force prints printed in Dayton, I drove up to Piqua and parked my van with the original "OMAF" painting lying in the back next to the S. Wayne Street house shown in the "Welcome Home, Capt. Gentile" newsreels (the house looks almost exactly as it did back in the day!) and snapped off a shot for my 4th FG albums.
Other "Gentile" related items of interest are the bridge he flew under in his small biplane is still intact and in use ... he didn't have a lot of room!
St. Boniface Catholic Church, which he attended, is still in use. The Piqua airport is just outside the city, but that's "where it all began".
As a side note, as an artist I can "work anywhere", pretty much. Eight or nine years ago my wife was seriously considering a job offer in - guess where - little ol' Piqua! I wanted to go mainly because the NMUSAF is just down the road. We didn't make the move, but Piqua is a nice quiet town and I wouldn't have minded at all moving there.
FYI, it's pronouced "Pick-wuh" ...
Shay wrote:
On my list of things to do is visit his grave.
Don is buried in St. Joseph's cemetery in Columbus. Not hard to find at all.
Wade
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