johnsmilingjackhardingjr

This is a photo of the 1924 US Army Air Service fliers that completed the circumnavigation of the globe in their Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) that year. The person in the foreground closest to the microphone is aviator Lowell H. Smith. From those visible closest to Smith's right shoulder and outward are Leigh Wade, Les Arnold, "Smiling" Jack Harding, and Henry Ogden. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aerial_circumnavigation

The postcard is signed "John, Jr." There was only one "John, Jr." among the Around the World Flight Army Air Service flight crews, Lt. John "Smiling Jack" Harding, Jr. (1896-1968), co-pilot (with Lt. Erik H. Nelson) and mechanic of the Douglas World Cruiser named "New Orleans" (Air Service Serial No. A.S. 1232; c/n 148). There are photos of Jack Harding (and the other Around The World flight aviators) throughout the SDASM Flickr Commons collection. See: www.flickr.com/search/?sort=date-taken-desc&safe_sear... Here is a SDASM photo of Harding (left side of the frame) and Nelson (right side of the frame) standing next to "New Orleans": See also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aerial_circumnavigation www.findagrave.com/memorial/194943406/john-harding

The aviator on the left side of the frame is (then) Lieut. Erik Henning Nelson (USAAS), pilot of Douglas World Cruiser No. 4 "New Orleans." There are several photos of him throughout the SDASM's collection on Flickr. See: dmairfield.com/people/nelson_eh/index.html Leaning on the wing on the right side of the frame is Lieut. "Smiling" Jack Harding (USAAS), Nelson's co-pilot aboard "New Orleans." See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aerial_circumnavigation