I received the following E-mail recently and thought many of you might like to read it. If anyone has any information about Goodnight this person can be reached at JamesS@offutt.af.mil

Dear Mr. B. F. Moore,

I was delighted to find Lt Goodnight's memory preserved here. He is my Grandfather. My Mother was Beverly Jeanne (Goodnight) Seiffert, his daughter.

I have always been told, that the way Mr. Goodnight met my Grandmother, was while mapping the 10,000 islands of Florida, (I suppose while he was stationed at Miami) his aircraft had engine trouble and they landed in the water off of Marco Island. My to be Great Aunts and my to be Grandmother, rowed out in a boat to "save the downed Airmen." And they did, in-fact bring them ashore, where they sent a message back to the fleet to tell them where they were and to request assistance.

After this incident they continue to correspond and some time later were married....and lived happily ever after.

I have very fond memories of adventures with my Grandfather. Getting up before dawn to go count bird migrations, and tromping through swamps, climbing trees, to get pictures (Photographs) of wild flowers that most people would have never noticed. If my math is correct he must have been in his seventies at the time. I never considered his age. I was just trying to keep up.

Would you have access to any records of his activities while at the Photography School at Miami (graduated in 1918)? I would be delighted to find any official records of this above incident or any description of the tasking to map the 10,000 islands. I found a good description of an Aerial Survey of Lake Okeechobee, Florida 1925, where the film was sent to Pensacola to be developed by Chief Photographer Goodnight. But that was 1925 with Chief Goodnight in Pensacola. I believe the 10,000 islands survey would have been when he was stationed at Miami.

Just the same thank you very much for the Memorial to my Grandfather,
Lt.Lyman E. Goodnight USN (RET)

Sincerely
James W. Seiffert MSgt, USAF (RET)

Just a note, I grew up in Pensacola Florida until I joined the Air Force. My last Air Force assignment was as an Airborne Maintenance Technician, Aircrew RC135.

The RC135 depot is Majors Field, Greenville Texas where my mother was borne. She was a teacher. I now teach Airborne Systems Engineers to operate the RC135 equipment. Teaching must have been in the blood. Aviation too.

Best Regards