About the author
Welcome to my website. I'm so glad that you've landed here on my page. I'm a first-time author, and it is my pleasure to bring you a heartfelt story about my Great Uncle, Felix Ernest Scott.
I've spent the last four years researching as many details as possible in an effort to be able to fully tell the story of a little Texas farm boy who dreamed of being a pilot. Felix was my maternal grandmother's, Aletha Scott Stephenson's, only brother. While growing up in the 1980s, I never heard much talk about Uncle Felix, but nevertheless, I was always fascinated that he was a P-51 fighter pilot, and I often imagined that he must've died in a horrific, yet heroic, battle in the sky. For me, he was a great uncle who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country during WWII. I didn't know any of the actual details of his life, and, like the rest of his family and friends, I wondered how he had ultimately died while piloting his P-51 in the faraway land of India.
My mother, Mary Jane Bass, always has said that none of Felix's sisters ever talked about Uncle Felix. Perhaps it was too sad for them to talk about it. My cousin Ruvonne said that Felix's mother, Viola, had a very hard time after Felix died. They were all quite worried about her. My mother and my Aunt Nancy spent a lot of time visiting their grandparents and all the kinfolk in and around San Saba when they were children in the fifties, and my mother said that there were decorative objects in the house that they were told were from Felix, and there were pictures of him, but no one ever talked about him. They knew there were a lot of Felix's things in their grandmother's cedar chest because she opened it one time and showed them some of his things.
I was playing my favorite WWII Call of Duty video game one day in March of 2020 when I felt Felix's spirit asking me to tell his story. He literally described the concept for the book, and I even wrote ten chapter titles right there in my chair. It was an extraordinary vision, and I immediately shared it with my family. I have a passion for military history, and through meticulous research, I believe that I've crafted a touching narrative that brings Felix’s story to life. A very special thanks to my wife, Michelle, for her support throughout this project. My mother, and my Uncle Mack & Aunt Barb Stephenson, along with my cousins, Wayne Blanton and Ruvonne Underwood Dennis, provided me with various personal recollections, pictures, or personal belongings of Felix, all of which proved to be extremely helpful in putting together the information found within the pages of this book. The scope of this work was quite daunting when I began the first chapter, since I'm not an avid reader, and I wasn't the best student in English class during my school days. I had no idea how many rabbit holes that I'd need to dive down, but I can proudly say that I left no stone unturned in my quest to complete this project.
The visions with Felix continued throughout the last several years, and he provided me with a great deal of guidance along the way. I've uncovered many details, tidbits, coincidences, and some inspiring, and even hair-raising details while working on this book. Of course, there are some fictional pieces that were added to the story which helped to fill in some of the blanks for the time that Felix spent here on earth. There were many long days with a sore neck as I worked to make Felix's story come to life, but in the end, this was a labor of love. Many thanks go to my mother for the countless hours that she spent proofreading this work, and for the valuable insight and suggestions that she provided along the way. I would also like to give a shout out to my nephew, Kevin Hickey, for assisting me with the initial concept for the cover of my book.
I'm a Southern California resident with deep Texas roots, and military service has been a big part of our family for generations. As a youngster, I stood in my grandparents' living room with awe as I looked at the medals that my maternal grandfather, Wallace Louis Stephenson, had earned for his service before, during, and after WWII. I can undoubtedly say that, he too, was an inspiration for me to want to embark on this wonderful journey. I'd like to give a tremendous thank you to Lynn Blankenship at the San Saba County Historical Museum, and to Lisa Kalmus, curator at the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center at Texas A&M University. Many thanks to John and Karen Jernigan for all of their help with my questions regarding times past in King City, CA. A special thank you to Eric Wydra for his help with my questions pertaining to the University of Oklahoma. Bill Beigel, WWII researcher and author, was instrumental in finding many things about Felix that I couldn't even imagine. Mary Ellen Goddard, a volunteer at the Costa Mesa Historical Society, was also very helpful with my research pertaining to Felix's time at the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB). Heartfelt gratitude goes out to another cousin, Bobbie Lynn Morris, and her husband, Phillip, for providing me with a place to stay during my research visits, and for sharing their boundless knowledge of San Saba County. Finally, this work would've had some holes if it weren't for the invaluable help of John and Debbie Simon along with Nick and Sheryl DeJong. Ray Simon was John and Sheryl's father, and he went through traIning alongside Felix at four different training bases. Additionally, Ray proudly served as a P-51 pilot with Felix up until the time of his death over in India.
In the process of writing this book, I got to know and see the places and people where my Mother's side of the family were born and lived. My mother has always said going to Bend and San Saba and seeing the cousins, the pecan trees, the rivers, is like going home again. On one of my research visits, we all went to Harry's Department store so I could buy boots and a hat. Another cousin, Dardon Ann Hayter, and her husband, Dennis, had come to see me and my mom and Bobbie, and she was with us at Harry's. She helped me pick out the hat. It was as if she'd known me my whole life. It was a good visit. My mom, Bobbie, and Dardon Ann, had known each other their whole lives, and they were doing a lot of laughing. I hope that y'all enjoy my narrative pertaining to the life of an uncle who has been long gone, but never forgotten.
Fly high, Felix, you'll always be in the hearts of your family.