Thanks to Harold G. Kraus, widely known and respected Ellis County resident, and former naval aviator, the mystery behind the Hays High School fight song showing up in a parade and review at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Miss., in the 1950s, has been solved.

I think Hays High School needs to include the following information in its curriculum in some fashion so students, staff and faculty are aware of its origin. And to thank Mr. Kraus for the wealth of information he has brought to the table.

He writes:

"Back in the early '20s, the Navy was looking at some of the early firsts.

"The Atlantic had not been crossed by airplanes, so they decided it was their job. They readied 5 NC model flying boats, and I mean boats. These were their latest and best machine wind wagons. Powered by three Packard engines with wooden props, tri wings, boat hull and open cockpit at the bow of the boat. Crew was back in the body of the plane and to change pilots, they had to crawl over open fuselage to do the trick. They flew the great circle to the Azores and thence to Portugal. Only one, the NC-4 made it to Lisbon. There are numerous pictures and articles on the Internet to chronicle the event.

"This attracted worldwide interest. A composer in England was so taken up by this and proud of his American cousins that he composed a march, "The NC-4 March." Toward the end of the march is the melody of "Hays High, Dear Hays High." When I was in school, the band master simply referred to it as the NC-4 March. I had no idea then of what or why the march. This too is available on the Internet.

"Fast forward to the late 1950s on the island of Malta at the Royal Naval Air Station, Halfar. I was a naval aviator and patrol plane commander of a P2V-7 patrol bomber with a crew of 12. Our squadron of 12 planes was based there. The Brits had a change of command ceremony which meant that we had to march in review to honor the incoming and outgoing. The Royal Navy Band was playing traditional marches, but as the U.S. Navy airmen passed the reviewing stand, they played what I though was the Hays High fight song.

"Smugly smiling to myself that I was being honored, it wasn't until later I read the story of the NC-4. Then I realized, the Brits knew more of our history than we did. They were honoring US Naval airman old and new.

"Fast forward some more, to the present time. The NC-4 rested at the Smithsonian in D.C. without a place to be displayed. About 10 years ago, U.S. Naval Air built a Naval Air Museum at Pensacola, Fla. The Smithsonian donated the dismantled craft to be displayed there. They did not have any instructions to go with the pile of parts. Using volunteers and retired airmen, the NC-4 flying boat was assembled and now soars over the static displays in the Museum.

"Quite a sight even for landlubbers.

"So, if you should ever be in the Pensacola area, don't miss the Naval Air Museum. See for yourself, and if you listen carefully, you will hear the strains of "Hays High, Dear Hays High."

(So, there you are. And what I heard at the parade and review at Keesler AFB so many years ago was what I heard. Thanks to Harold Kraus for restoring my sanity.)

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I've been working for weeks on my New Year's resolutions, but just can't seem to get past the first one: Eat more bierocks.

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Happy New Year to all of you!

Tom Dreiling is a retired northwest Kansas journalist. He writes for the Goodland Star-News and The Hays Daily News. He makes his home in Goodland. tad1@st-tel.net