HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2023-4646, by Representatives Wilcox, Abbarno, Barkis,
Barnard, Chambers, Chandler, Cheney, Christian, Connors, Corry, Couture, Dent, Dye,
Eslick, Goehner, Graham, Griffey, Harris, Hutchins, Jacobsen, Klicker, Kretz, Low,
Maycumber, McClintock, McEntire, Mosbrucker, Orcutt, Pollet, Robertson, Rude,
Sandlin, Schmick, Schmidt, Steele, Stokesbary, Volz, Walsh, Waters, and Ybarra
1 WHEREAS, At the edge of Seattle's Sand Point Peninsula sits
2 Magnuson Park, a recreational hub providing respite from city life.
3 Before boasting the second largest park in Seattle, the Sand Point
4 Peninsula hosted a naval station and played a pivotal role in the
5 evolution of early commercial aviation; and
6 WHEREAS, Seattle's first municipal airfield was established on
7 Sand Point, and inaugurated by the assembly, storage, and test
8 flights of Bill Boeing's earliest airplanes. In addition, from 1927
9 to 1970 the Sand Point Naval Station oversaw the front lines of the
10 Pacific as an air base, aviation training center, and aircraft repair
11 depot; and
12 WHEREAS, Sand Point secured a legacy in aeronautics in 1924 when
13 the airfield was chosen as the launch and landing points for the
14 first aerial circumnavigation of the world. On April 6, 1924, four
15 Douglas World Cruisers, the Seattle, New Orleans, Chicago, and
16 Boston, embarked on a grueling six-month journey to complete the
17 first Round-the-World Flight; and
18 WHEREAS, Two crewmen operated each pontoon equipped biplane,
19 without radios, parachutes, life preservers, or rafts due to weight
20 restraints. Fortunately, the biplanes were flanked by ground and sea
21 support from the United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Bureau of
22 Fisheries; and
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 1 WHEREAS, The airmen covered 26,345 miles, touched down in 29
2 countries in over 76 flights, and survived five forced landings. In
3 the end, two of the four Douglas World Cruisers completed the entire
4 journey, landing at Sand Point on September 28, 1924, to a crowd of
5 50,000 enthusiastic fans; and
6 WHEREAS, Nearly a century later, the Friends of Magnuson Park, a
7 group of aviation and history enthusiasts, are leading the effort in
8 planning the centennial anniversary celebration of this often
9 overlooked historical event; and
10 WHEREAS, Ken Sparks, President of Friends of Magnuson Park,
11 recognized the first Round-the-World Flight as the "best kept secret
12 in aviation," and decided their group should bring attention to this
13 piece of local history; and
14 WHEREAS, Frank Goodell sits on the Friends of Magnuson Park Board
15 of Directors and is a retired Brigadier General, United States Air
16 Force. The General is a Command Pilot with more than 4,000 flying
17 hours, including more than 600 combat and combat-supported missions.
18 He is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and Air Medal
19 with eight oak leaf clusters; and
20 WHEREAS, Efforts to plan the Centennial Round-the-World
21 Celebration for September 28, 2024, are underway, spearheaded by the
22 Friends of Magnuson Park and the Museum of Flight, with additional
23 support from Veterans Legislative Coalition Chairman Jerry Fugich, a
24 retired United States Navy Chief Warrant Officer; and
25 WHEREAS, To commemorate the depth and breadth of Washington
26 State's aeronautical history, Friends of Magnuson Park will host a
27 multiday event leading up to September 28, 2024. Stories from pilots
28 and crew who have made the global flight, vintage aircraft shows, and
29 exhibits;
30 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House
31 of Representatives recognize and honor the many contributions made to
32 our state by the aeronautics and military community, and the Friends
33 of Magnuson Park for bringing this important piece of history to our
34 attention; and
35 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be
36 immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of
37 Representatives to the 2024 Planning Committee of the Friends of
38 Magnuson Park.
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2 I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of
3 Resolution 4646 adopted by the House of Representatives
4 April 19, 2023
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9 __________________________
10 Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk
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