A year after his death, the town of
Twentynine Palms dedicated a bronze
plaque, purchased with the contributions
of individuals and businesses throughout
the community, to Jack and his service to
the desert oasis and its people. His wife,
Clara, who passed away in April of 1977,
is buried alongside him.
REMEMBRANCES OF THE LEGEND
Cones Field (2CA2) is still an active, albeit
private, airport—its three dirt runways a
silent witness to history and home to several airplanes. Bob Gorbould stills lives in
the Cones homestead adjoining the field
and maintains the runways as a sort of
monument to its role in local history.
while taking flying lessons at nearby Cones
Field in the early 1970s.
On the source of his inspiration, Tim
stated, “Mainly because I learned out of that
field in 1972, and his story was inspiration
to me and got me excited in flying and old
vintage aircraft. I heard stories from my old
boss, Marvin Cobb, and Cones’ wife, Clara.”
The mural, dedicated in January of
1996, is located at 6308 Adobe Road in
Twentynine Palms. Making the project a
community effort, several family members
and friends of Jack, as well as local resi-
dents, were allowed to paint small sections
of the mural under Tim’s supervision,
serving as a lasting reminder of the Flying
Constable of Twentynine Palms.
Any direct association between Sky King
and Jack? None that
any of the locals are
aware of. “I loved to
watch Sky King, but
I am unaware of any
connection between
the two,” Bob
Gorbould said.
Virtually everyone
associated with the
production of Sky King is dead today.
While Jack’s exploits were well-docu-
mented in the press of the day and for 15
years before the first airing of the Sky
King radio show in 1946, no direct con-
nection can be made today.
"I REMEMBER FLYING OUT EAST OF
TOWN, OVER WONDER VALLEY, WHERE
HE WAS LOW FLYING. SO LOW THAT WE
WERE UNDER THE TELEPHONE LINES.""
BOB GORBOULD
Today, in downtown Twentynine Palms,
a 16-foot by 60-foot mural of the pilot and
lawman adorns the town. The artist, Tim
O’Connor, of Twentynine Palms, came to
admire the constable—whom he never
met—after hearing stories of Jack’s exploits
THE THIRD SONGBIRD
According to Bob Dunn, “Aside from
flying an airplane, and both being cowboys
of sorts, I don’t see how the two are con-
nected. But it wouldn’t surprise me.”
Christopher Freeze is a commercial pilot and flight
instructor in the San Francisco Bay area. A native of
Alaska, he researches and writes about historic aviation personalities and accidents. To learn about such
mishaps, visit www.Check-Six.com.
