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Spring Speaker Event - 75th Anniversary of the Hindenburg Disaster - May 8, 2012, 7:15 pm


Spring Speaker Event - 75th Anniversary of the Hindenburg Disaster
May 8, 2012, 7:15 pm
Old Oakhurst School Auditorium, 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755

Four times larger than the Goodyear blimp, the German airship Hindenburg was described by its designer, Hugo Eckener as “. . . a fabulous silvery fish, floating quietly in the ocean of air . . .”
The grandest of all airships carried its wealthy travelers in splendor.  (Famous passengers on previous trips included a young Nelson Rockefeller, actor Douglas Fairbanks and German world-heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling.)

A one-way ticket cost $400, about the price of a small car in those days.  Passenger staterooms included sinks, with a shower available.  An observation deck provided a spectacular view.  The kitchen was stocked with the finest foods, which were enjoyed in an elegant dining room.  There was a dance floor with a band stage, and a baby grand piano adorned the lounge.  There was even a smoking room!

Anyone alive during the late 1930’s will never forget the fiery nighttime crash of the Hindenburg at Lakehurst Naval Air Station May 6, 1937.  The now famous narrated newsreel of the fatal flight elicited gasps and screams from horrified movie audiences.  This tragic event signaled the death knell for dirigible travel.   

On Tuesday, May 8 at 7:15 pm at the Old Oakhurst School auditorium, 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, Navy Lakehurst Historical Society president Carl Jablonski will conduct a program detailing this moment in history and provide an overview of WWII and Cold War era airship operations.  Information about the Joint Base—McGuire, Dix, and Lakehurst will also be featured.  Hindenburg photos and artifacts will be displayed.

Open to the public free of charge.  (Donations are welcome.)  Refreshments will be served. 


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