Just got back from a morning up in Fort Collins, CO - a very nice area with a section of old buildings and stores beautifully restored called "Old Town". I started looking at maps and doing a little historical research of the development of Fort Collins area and noticed an airstrip on the map called "Christman Airield".
Here is the story of the man this airfield is named after:
Bert Christman (1915-1942)
Allen "Bert" Christman, a native of Fort Collins, Colorado, was a cartoonist, naval aviator, and writer. He first drew fame as a cartoonist drawing most notably "Scorchy Smith," a newspaper strip about a mercenary pilot in the inter-war years, and his co-creation of the original Sandman character with Gardner Fox.
Comic Career
Christman began his comic career as the artist of Scorchy Smith, taking over the series from Noel Sickles in 1936. He drew the strip for two years before leaving to join DC Comics, where he co-created The Sandman with Gardner Fox. Christman drew the Sandman comic under the pseudonym Larry Dean.
Aviation Career
In 1938, Christman joined the United States Navy as an aviation cadet and was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4). He later transferred to Claire Chennault’s American Volunteer Group (AVG), also known as the “Flying Tigers,” and served in the British Territory of Burma (now Myanmar). Christman was a Flight Leader in the 2nd Squadron “Panda Bears” when he was killed in action on January 23, 1942, after being machine-gunned in his parachute by a Japanese fighter pilot.
Legacy
In recognition of his contributions, Fort Collins Airport in Colorado was renamed Christman Air Field in the 1950s. The Colorado State College of A & M - Fort Collins Airport was also renamed “Christman Field” in 1943.
History is all around us, just have to dig a little and you never know what you'll find...
