WHEREAS, On October 5, 1931, Clyde Edward Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr. solidified their place in history with the completion of a 5,550 mile, 41 hour, 15 minute nonstop flight from Misawa, Japan, to East Wenatchee, Washington, aboard Miss Veedol, their single engine, bright red Bellanca "Skyrocket" monoplane; and
     WHEREAS, This historic flight was the first nonstop crossing of the Pacific Ocean in the history of the world, and was due in large part to Pangborn's revolutionary idea of releasing the landing gear upon take-off, increasing the range of the plane by fifteen percent; and
     WHEREAS, Without landing gear, Pangborn and Herndon were forced to land the plane on its belly in the sagebrush flat above the Columbia River, which they accomplished safely; and
     WHEREAS, While their momentous accomplishment equaled or exceeded that of Charles Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic crossing, Pangborn and Herndon were nationally celebrated for only a short period of time as the country lapsed back into the depths of the Great Depression; and
     WHEREAS, This historic flight would have nearly been lost to the history books had it not been for a dedicated group of airmen in the Wenatchee branch of the Experimental Aircraft Association, appropriately named "The Spirit of Wenatchee," who have been hard at work raising awareness of the magnificent achievements of Pangborn and Herndon; and
     WHEREAS, Through the construction of a replica plane and regular travel to airshows across the country, the Spirit of Wenatchee Project has been telling the story of Pangborn and Herndon to an entirely new generation of Americans; and
     WHEREAS, In concert with the 75th anniversary of this historic flight, the Spirit of Wenatchee Project is hard at work preparing for a complete trans-Pacific re-creation, complete with the sagebrush belly landing in East Wenatchee; and
     WHEREAS, The Spirit of Wenatchee Project has increased the unity between sister cities Wenatchee, Washington, and Misawa, Japan;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Clyde E. Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr. for their tremendous accomplishment, and honor the Spirit of Wenatchee Project for its dedicated community service to the State of Washington and its commitment to preserving the memory of Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr.