Air and Space: The Museum That Fell From the Sky

By Jerry Copas

    In 1923, the USS Shenandoah was christened as the Navy's first rigid airship. It was intended to provide airborne surveillance and was sent on test flights across the nation. On September 3, 1925, during a flyover in Ohio, a morning squall destroyed the ship, killing 14 crewmembers. The wreckage was scattered for miles, and before officials could arrive, thousands looted the scene. It took officers four truckloads to recover everything, and even then, pieces were displayed on parlors and windows.

    Theresa Rayner and her late-husband Bryan run a museum-on-wheels commemorating the USS Shenandoah.