Born December 30, 1922, in Western NY, NJ, Artie schooled in N.J. Crammer and High school, where he played soccer and football. Art started work in 1939 as a waiter at West point and that is some job, the cadets have twenty minutes to be served start to finish of the meal, three thousand of them three times a day, tables having being laid with white table cloths, cutlery and condiments at each sitting. He lost all of his first paycheck, and had a lien on his second, because he broke two jugs. Leaving that job, he worked as a machinist on an embroidery machine; next he worked as a laundry truck driver in New York City for twenty-five dollars a week. In 1942, Art’s Father said he could get him a job on a Tug in New York Harbor for $35.00 a week.

The extra $10.00 enabled him to get married on August 15,1942 to Marie, a marriage that was to last forty- two years.

When he was sixteen, he had a hankering to fly an airplane, at eight dollars an hour (Wet) to fly a J3 cub on floats, all he could afford was a half hour a week.

He was ready to solo, but it was War Time, and he needed a clearance. But never got one and waited until 1980 to solo in a Cherokee140, and since has 100 hours.

Artie took up Ultralighting in 1988 and has built a Buccaneer two, which in the years to come became a MALLARD.

The rest of Arties story I find fascinating, and all you youngsters will have to bear with me; it’s not your fault you missed out on the era of beautiful boats. I mean BIG boats. If you were lucky and Rich you might have had a cruise on the SS France, now renamed the Queen Elizabeth II. You might be lucky and see an Aircraft carrier or a battleship, these giants of the sea, were proud and beautiful.

So in 1942 during World War Two, Art started work on the tugs in New York harbor, he was in the deep-sea version, and at one time was reported missing. While on a trip to the North Pole towing barges with equipment to built airfields so we could sent planes on shorter hops across the Atlantic, no radio or other form of communication caused them to be reported missing.

After the War was over being a five year Sea Version Tug Pilot, Art started berthing the Great Big Ocean passenger Liners, ships like the Queen Mary, Elizabeth, United States, Norway The France, and still the battleships and aircraft carriers the list goes on and on. His new Title DOCKING MASTER the rarest of Jobs in those days. Can you imagine the responsibility of being in sole charge of one of the massive boats to bring along side into New York harbor?

Art retired in1988, married Arvilla and lives in Leesburg, and always willing to do anything for the club or members

Art you have had a great life and it’s a good feeling to know somebody so rare and famous

May 2005. Art unfortunately does not enjoy good health which comes as a gift of old age, whoever thought up the term the Golden Years needs stuffing with the roughest end of a pineapple. But Art is always at the clubs monthly meeting with a smiling face and a good word to anyone and everyone we all love him dearly and wish he didn’t have to suffer so often. Love you Art Vern.