Page 117 - MY STORY

Scene 2 – Two days later

Failure Analysis Lab at Douglas Aircraft
I escorted Sid B to our failure analysis lab after he showed
up at our gate a couple of days later carrying a rather

heavy looking attaché case. I introduced him to our
failure analysis crew headed by Austin P, with Victor K
and Marion R as support staff. After the usual

introductions and amenities, Sid proceeded to open the
attaché case and dump large chunks of rusty steel pieces
on our conference table. He then asked if we would mind

doing him and the Air Inspector General’s office a small
favor by examining the broken, rusty chunks of metal

laying on our table, and helping determine the cause of
fracture. Before we could respond to this highly unusual
request (our failure analysis work was aimed primarily at
Douglas Aircraft products) he asked, “So how is Don

doing?”

When we asked, “Don who?” he said, “why Don Douglas
of course.” Man! Did that get the red flag up in our brains?
We explained that none of us at our station in the

company hierarchy had ever met, much less known,
Donald Douglas, Jr., our CEO. He indicated that was a
shame because “Don was a nice guy.”