[Leica] First publication (was: I'm Published!)

[pklein at 2alpha.net (Peter Klein)]

I was a little kid when I had my first picture published, in the early 
60s.  We lived near an Air Force base.  Propeller-driven planes were 
constantly flying low over our area on landing approach.  Drove us nuts.

One day one of these planes dropped a cargo bay hatch, which landed in my 
next door neighbor's driveway, just grazing the back of their station 
wagon.  I'd never heard such a loud sound in my life.

When contacted, the good folks at the base at first denied that it could 
have happened.  Except that I had taken a photo with my old Brownie.  Guess 
I had a little bit of PJ instinct even then.  Once the air force guys heard 
that a photo existed, they came by quickly, retrieved the hatch, apologized 
and paid for the damage.  It's just lucky nobody was hit. It was summer, 
and kids were outside playing.

The picture was published in the town paper that week.  It felt 
good.  Years later, when I was in high school, I wrote and photographed for 
that same paper.

Now I'm curious.  I think I know where that photo is.  I'll try to dig it up.

--Peter