CALL of CTHULHU - 1925

Captain Johanthen 'Nate' Perry-Rodgers III



Background - "The Soldier's Boy"
Johnathan Perry Rodgers III was born on Mar 27, 1898 in Washington D.C. to John Rodgers II and his wife Joan.  Johnathan and his younger sister Madelyn inherit a rich history of Naval officers and a military dynasty of Rodgers dating back to the war of 1812; his great grand fathers, Commodores both, Rodgers and Perry in the US Navy.  He is related by blood to Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry who opened Japan to trade with the west and Commodore Parry's naval cutlass is a prized family heirloom, which John carries with him almost everywhere.  Johnathan's own father, Commander John Rodgers, is famous for being one of the first US Naval Aviators.  On September 1911 then, Lieutenant John Rodgers flew a crated (he then assembled) Wright model B-1 aircraft delivered by Orville Wright at an armory in Annapolis, Maryland.  Johnathan grew up with the heritage of military service strong in his family.  His first memories were of his father leaving to fight in World War I in Europe as a Submarine captain for the U.S. Navy.  Johanthan's young life was often touched with joy and wonder first with the birth of his sister Madelyn and loss and sadness with the death of his mother, a year later, from Tuberculosis when he was only 5.  His father was able to come back home for the funeral and instilled in Johnathan a firm resilience to loss.  His father gave him his mother's crucifix, silver Saint Jude pendant and rosary to remind him of her gentle ways.  It is this resilience that has served him well all through his life for Johnathan in later years is able to endure with stoic resoluteness many of the tragedies that befell him.

His father returned to the war and for some years his grandmother, Harriet Megis Perry raised him and his sister, but Johnathan never grew bitter about the long times of his father's absence.  His father wrote him constantly and inspired him to protect his sister and John developed a keen longing to travel and see the world that never diminished in his heart.  With those letters also came a deep love for flying.  He and his sister became very close being constant companions as they lived miles from other children.  His grandmother's farm was in the rolling hills of Westchester New York State and long did Johnathan and Madelyn roam those hills dreaming of adventure and travel.  He couldn't wait to grow up to be a naval officer and pilot... just like his father.  His grandmother did not want Johnathan to become a soldier but could see adventure and a bold heart were his by birthright... a spirit that could not be denied.

As soon as Johnathan was 17 he entered the Naval Academy just like his father.  He showed a keen interest in naval aviation and the ever-expanding role of air strategies in warfare.  His father missed his graduation from the academy but his grandmother and sister were present to share their pride in him.  Johnathen graduated an officer and immediately volunteered to go to Great Britain and aid the RFC in defending against the entrenched Central Powers in 1916.  His sister, only 13 and extremely bright & gifted, was keenly interested in the physical world and was making plans go to college to study Science but it was still many years away.

It was there in Britain that John met Corporal Crowfoot Harris, he was a Native American.  Crowfoot had joined the U.S. military as an army soldier and when the war in Europe broke out saw the opportunity for possible advancement in rank and prestige in real combat.  Like many minorities in America... he had not been given the opportunities that many other 'white' soldiers were given for promotion and career advancement.  He had hoped here, in Europe, on the front - he might get ahead as the attrition of troops built up... but always he was passed over for others, though he was treated better by the British soldiers.  Crowfoot was a Choctaw Indian and following his grandfather's legacy, who fought in the Oklahoma Battalion during the civil war, also joined the military as well.  Both Johanthan and Crowfoot came from long dynasties of soldiers & warriors both saw a kindred spirit in each other and were fast friends.  John was called "Nate" in the RFC as were 5 johns in his unit.. so he got "Nate" to set him apart.  Only his fellow soldiers in the war have ever called him by 'Nate'.

"Nate" was assigned scout missions on the France front for the Entente Allies and was assigned a Sopwith 1-1/2 "Strutter" as his plane.  He asked for Corporal Crowfoot as his Observer/Gunner.  They made a fantastic team with Crowfoot's sharp eyes and Johanthan's prodigy piloting skills and flew many successful missions.

Crowfoot died on a bomb mission to support Entente forces when he was hit by ground fire and they were attacked by a flight of German Albatros BII's.  John's flight wing was scattered by the aerial battle and to escape a pursuit he had to fly close to ground cover.  His 'Strutter' had its fuel line hit along with Crowfoot by ground fire and John was forced to land loosing a lot of fuel in the process with the wounded Crowfoot.  He was near the front and was able to see approaching his position Canadian soldiers coming to his rescue but as he pulled his friend from the plane he saw Austrian troops closing in and knew they would get to him them first.  John dragged Crowfoot to an embankment under a bridge to hide him.  Crowfoot gave him his knife as neither had much in the way of pistol ammo.  John led the approaching Austrians as a diversion toward the Canadian troopers not realizing they had already been pinned down by a machinegun emplacement.  John fought off the Austrians expending all his bullets then used the terrain to close with them and fought Cutlass and knife eventually downing 12 soldiers with a combination of skill, cunning, reckless heroics and a lot of luck.  The Canadians finally able to assist him with cover fire he was able to link up with them and return to Crowfoot.  However, Crowfoot had lost too much blood from his injuries and died before John could get him to the medics.  Crowfoot gave him his medicine bag that he had carried all the time and asked he take it home to his tribe and family.  Crowfoot was posthumously promoted to lieutenant by the Air Marshall of John's flight group.

As the war progressed pilots and crews grew more and more scarce.  As such a replacement observer/gunner was not found for John and he had to fly missions solo for some time.  It was during this time John gained some repute as a good pilot and an ace of sorts.  As aircraft technologies progressed his 'Strutter' came to be more and more 'behind-the-times' but John passed over opportunities to fly a better machine out of memory of his friend Crowfoot.  He managed to shoot down 18 enemy aircraft before his 'Strutter' was damaged beyond repair.  John became known as a dare-devilish agile and adaptable pilot.  Uncannily capable of stomach churning maneuvers while maintaining a precision aim on his foes.  He took the hardest bombing missions and most unorthodox aerial tactics... some would say 'reckless' flying but he came to be good friends with his British Air Marshall, Kennington 'Kenny' Lancaster.  John became known for daring and dogged determination to complete his missions... and come back despite the odds.

John got himself into as much trouble as he escaped.  Once after a successful long range raid on an Austrian-Hungary supply convoy in terrible storming weather he got lost and separated from his wing coming back.  Fearing the terrible cross winds but still behind enemy lines he flew close to the ground hoping to avoid the high winds and loss of ground visibility in the storm.  He spotted a German Albatros DIII that had tried to land and was swept into a river the pilot trapped trying to escape.  John's personal sense of respect and honor towards a fellow pilot would not allow him to let him die that way.  So John landed his 'Strutter' and went to his aid.  The German pilot had fractured a leg and was pinned but with John's help he pulled him from the cockpit.  The German officer was Lieutenant Fritz Rumey, he was at first very suspicious of an enemy pilot coming to his aid but he understood a little English and was honored by John's valor.  John could have left him then but obviously Fritz was suffering from exposure and a chill had set up in his chest from being in the river too long.  So John carried him to a nearby hamlet he saw hoping the locals would care for him until German troops arrived to claim him.  Fritz was shocked by such chivalry John only commented, "That's why we are going to win this war!".  Fritz had to laugh at his high-spirits when all evidence was that the Entante allies were losing more than the Germans... and for a brief moment they were just two tired soldiers who needed shelter.

John found the hamlet but before he could leave the Germans arrived and took him prisoner.  Fritz was received as a hero and John was manacled in a make-shift cell in a local barn.  Little did John know Fritz Rumey was a famous German Ace pilot and when word reached his airbase he was rescued by an enemy pilot his Air Commander ordered the incident buried as it did not look good for the image of the German air-corp and the enemy pilot executed as a spy.  Fritz learned of this that evening and was grieved that such an honorable soldier would be killed for a purely political reason.  So Fritz went to where John was being held - told him what was going on and helped John escape.

He gave John his Iron Cross for his gallantry and told him, "... Such valor is to be commended... I owe you my life and I will win it back in combat.  Death by execution is not suitable for a pilot... but my superiors have ordered your death.   I'll meet you in the air and when I shoot you from the skies I'll recover this medal from your corpse... thus fulfilling my orders.  You will know me by the blue cloth banner flying from my wings."

John smiled and saluted him, "You will know my plane by the same blue cloth... I'll look forward to our meeting then!" John made good his escaped and found his way back to his plane he had concealed in a creek.  He flew back to his airbase and related the tale.  That was when he learned exactly who Lieutenant Fritz Rumey was, a German Ace with over 25 kills to his record.  John's superiors were not pleased with his 'magnanimous' deeds but were pleased to learn of a new German offensive trying to out-flank the ground forces again that plus his success in hitting his targets on his bombing raid probably kept him out of the brig.  Also he was only 1 in 5 of his wing to return undamaged from the storm or the raid - good and mainly successful pilots could have many of their more eccentric deeds overlooked, especially with the desperate need of pilots the Entente forces were in need of.

Word spread among his flight group about his promised air-duel with the German Ace Lt. Fritz Rumey and an unspoken lookout was kept for the dangerous ace.  Though John was shocked to learn who he had saved he did not show any fear or trepidation in taking the same daring and willingness to fly the longest ranged sorties into German controlled air space.

John met Fritz Rumey in the air twice the first time he actually got to fly a sortie over France with his father, John Rodgers II.  Father and Son made a good team in the air... John Jr. with his daredevil 'reckless' flight techniques... and John Sr. with his experienced cool hand in the air.  Though his father was a decorated submarine captain for the U.S. Navy in the North Sea - rank with its privileges allowed him to join his son on the air sortie when his battlegroup pulled into port in Le Havre for resupply where John's flight wing was stationed temporarily.  John Jr. spotted the blue wing clothed Albatros DIII just before Fritz was on him.  The duel was inconclusive Fritz was low on fuel when he spotted John's 'Stutter' and the dog-fight of the intervening air craft made for a chaotic battle.  John's Strutter was heavily damaged and John himself grazed by gunfire but Fritz was forced to withdraw with his flight from the conflict's attrition... lest he run out of fuel.  There was no doubting though that - although John was a very aerobatic and agile pilot... Fritz was the overall superior pilot.  John Sr. was impressed by his son's aerial skill but critiqued him on his recklessness, but an aerial battle one could walk away from was a battle won.  John's Sopwith 1-1/2 "Strutter" was damaged beyond the willingness of the Air Marshal to have repaired... though John had flown the same plane for the majority of the war it was decommissioned with honors.  John was issued a new Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe and he flew that plane from then on.

As the war had decidedly turned against the Central Powers and the Entente forces began to push the war to a new level of fighting.  John went on many missions flying aerial escort and ground support against the German and Austro-Hungarian air squadrons.  John actually met the infamous and deadly "Red Baron" Manfred von Richthofen in the skies above Austria.  John and his wingman were caught off guard as the 'Red Baron's' signature red Fokker Dr. I Triplane dived out of the sun spraying gunfire.  John's wingman was ripped to shreds.  John himself angled around to move to the attack before he realized who he was facing.

Then the rest of the 'Baron's' flight came down on John's flight wing.  The aerial dogfight was intense and John found himself dodging the persistent 'Red Baron'.  Quickly John realized 'The Baron' was a far better pilot than Lt. Fritz Rumey and no matter John's aerobatic jinks and dodges the Red Baron stayed on him riddling his Sopwith with holes but the sturdier Sopwith design of the 7F.1 Snipe held together.  The Baron was clinical and took no unnecessary chances in battle - tried and true to his aerial engagement skills.  His gunfire severed John's fuel line forcing John to make an emergency landing for repairs.  Fortunately for John, the front was extremely fluid in the final year of the war... he found himself surrounded by Italian Entente forces on his landing.  With their help he quickly made patch repairs and got back into the air.  John managed to shoot down two enemy planes before the flight leader signaled the recall.  John watched the 'Red Baron' and his flight wing pull away from the aerial engagement.  Though John's wingman had been killed he had learned a lot from dogfighting the 'Baron' and looked forward to their next battle.  It was never to occur.  Two months later word was received that the 'Red Baron' had been shot down and killed by a Canadian flight Commander - Captain Arthur "Roy" Brown on April 21, 1918.  The Baron had managed to land his plane relatively undamaged before dying.  John met and drank with the Canadian Captain to his victory and in honor of the fallen Manfred the best pilot either had ever met in combat.

The second time and last time John met Fritz Rumey in the air it was, ironically during a violent storm, during a battle escorting a bomb mission over Germany.  The entente forces were winning and the outcome was almost certain at this stage of the war.  John again entered a dogfight with the better pilot - Lt. Fritz Rumey and through skill and a lot of luck managed to stay air worthy avoiding most of Rumey's gunfire but still flying on the defensive... unable to turn upon him.  John's wingman distracted Fritz with an attempt to assist John and John managed to get in a long distance 'indirect' spray of gunfire at Fritz that hit and did some damage.   This caused Fritz to do a break and loose contact with John in the mix of the aerial fight.  John lost track of Fritz but finally saw him angling in to reengage him in aerial duel but Fritz flew right into the line of fire from one of the escorted bombers and his plane was shot up - engine gouting smoke and wing torn loose on fire; obviously out of the fight.  John saw Fritz leap from the plane trying to use a parachute... but he fell unable to get the 'chutte' to open.

John watched as he fell and prayed for the daring Ace to get the chute open but to no avail.  Lt. Fritz Rumey fell to his death on September 27, 1918.  John mourned the death of the noble enemy pilot along with his flight wing and drank a toast to the fallen German Ace.  To this day... John always ties a blue sash to the outside of his plane somewhere in memory of the German Ace he would have liked to have called friend.

When the war ended John had shot down 27 enemy aircraft and was decorated for bravery by the now ~ RAF Air Marshall for his gallantry in battle.  But the war left the young Johnathen "Nate" Perry-Rodgers drained and done with fighting... having seen many good and brave men on both sides of the war come to their deaths.  His Air Marshal - "Kenny" sympathized with him and announced his plans for retirement after the wars end.  As a favor the Air Marshall had "Nate's" damaged Sopwith 1-1/2 "Strutter" shipped to the states and sent it to John's grandmother's farm where it sits today.

Not satisfied with Lt. Fritz Rumey's death John went to Berlin to visit the deceased Ace Pilot's widow and return the Iron Cross he had been given by him in life.  Frigga Rumey lived in a mansion on the west of Berlin and when he went to see her she invited him in and listened to his story of her husband's death, his grief over his untimely end and his desire to return the Iron Cross he had given John.  She was appreciative of his gesture, but her 8 year old son - Kurt Rumey was enraged at John yelling at him, "I hate you! I hate you! You killed my Father!!".  John tried to explain that he did not kill his father but the boy was inconsolable.  John at age 24 let the boy pound on his chest until he tired himself of crying.  Frigga put the boy to bed and told John he should keep the Iron Cross... the war was over, and had brought so much pain to many... she wanted as few reminders of it as possible.  She thanked him again for his gallantry and he left.   It wasn't until that moment that John had decided to leave the military... he now realized he had had enough of soldiering ... and killing little boy's fathers.  It was not as simple a matter as that but it was a combination of experiences that led to him ending his commission, after all it was being called 'The Last War', and he had done his part ...his duty.  His father did not understand ...but he at least respected his son's wishes, though he promised he would try to get John to change his mind and return to the Air Corp someday.  John countered he did not need to be in the military to fly.

On return to the states, a heroes welcome awaited Johnathen.  His sister and grandmother warmly welcomed him and his father back to the states.  John was promoted to Captain as a Naval Aviator and his Navy C.O. Captain Ernest Joseph King presented him with the gift of a custom-made, double-action Colt .45 Peacemaker, stamped with the American double-eagles along the barrel and mother-of-pearl grips, thanking him for his service and bravery in the defense of his country and its allies.  John almost changed his mind and returned to military service, but instead returned to his grandmother's farm to relax and recover some from his war-time strains.  He and his father worked on the damaged Sopwith 1-1/2 "Strutter" until it was in flying condition.  They would spend hours flying it together or taking his sister for flights, whom also learned to pilot admirably.

When his father returned to the military and his sister was seeking means to return to college at Massachusetts University for her Graduate Studies in 1919, John took a trip to Oklahoma to deliver his friend's - Corporal Crowfoot Harris' medicine bag as he had promised.  On arrival he was warmly greeted - apparently Crowfoot sent many letter home to his tribe and family about "Nate". They knew all about his friendship with their son.  Johnathen related to them the events of the war and his friendship with Crowfoot, eventually revealing to Crowfoot's father, Redbear Harris who was the tribal chief, his distaste for anymore war in his life.  The chief welcomed Johnathen to stay with the tribe as long as he wanted to stay.  John seeing the wide open plains of the beautiful Oklahomas' was entranced by those strangely peaceful lands - accepted and stayed for several months living among the tribe.  John and the Redbear spoke with each other for long hours and the chief revealed a depth of wisdom and understanding for the pains of war that wound a man's spirit and John befriended the insightful and spiritual man.  He learned to ride and many survival skills among the Indians.  Redbear insisted that Johnathen do a spirit quest to find his totem animal spirit guide.  John laughed at the idea of the mysticism that the Indians held to but tried to keep and open mind accepting his offer.  The images he saw in his vision quest were powerful and bazaar but not frightening.  Redbear revealed to him that his spirit totem was the Thunderbird a guardian and protector of the weak and an opposer of evil.  It was a very special and powerful totem.  John was not sure how to take the experience... he did not believe in the supernatural... but he could not shake the feeling that he had indeed experienced something... extra-ordinary.  He kept asking himself how different was their beliefs from his own Christian devotions, did he not carry his mother's crucifix, silver Saint Jude {patron saint of lost causes} pendant and rosary... did they not give him comfort when he felt he needed guidance and strength?

These questions awoke a hidden wonder at the world around him in John - a wonder that made him want to explore the world and look at it in a different light to see its mysteries and discover its secrets.  Redbear offered to have a tattoo of John's spirit guide animal placed upon John's back, John accepted.  The experience left John stunned... proof to John... the world was a lot stranger than he'd ever imagined!

John stayed three months with the Choctaw Indian tribe and made many friends and when he felt his spirit had healed from the war wounds he was ready to leave.  Redbear gave John Crowfoot's, hunting bow, arrows and obsidian fighting knife telling him to use them in his quest to understand life and know he would always be considered one of their tribe... and the son that was lost to him... returned.

John then went to Texas and took several jobs as a pilot, from a commercial pilot to a flying circus, he even flew a 14 year old Howard Hughes on a private flight as Hughes Sr. was told John was a RAF war veteran.  John ended up talking with the Hughes over lunch after the excitable young Howard wanted to hear all about his war stories.  John enjoyed his time in Texas but felt he still wanted more out flying than just flying... he felt a growing wonderlust to journey the world.

John saved up his earnings and turning down a flight instructor job in Texas went to North Africa in Morocco.  He bought a Douglas C-1 Cargo plane, affectionately named 'Thunderbird', in favor of his "spirit guardian".  There he accepted a jobs as a charter pilot flying private passengers all over the dark-continent - in his opinion the last frontier of the world.  He spent time in Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tangier, Algiers, Tunis, and flew as far as Tripoli, as a charter pilot.  More and more John started taking non-piloting ground jobs as a hired hand on many of the caravans and trading routes into the less than civilized desert routes criss-crossing North Africa.  He wrote frequently to his father, sister and grandmother of his adventurous travels.  He also receive many letters from his family of their activities.

He learned of his father's, now Commander John Rodgers II, historic attempted non-stop flight from California to Hawaii in command of the flying boat PN9-1 and its sister craft the PN9-3 commanded by Lt. Allen P. Snody.  He was pleased to learn his sister was there to greet his father's arrival when a fuel shortage forced his plane to land short of their destination in Hawaii and he commanded the crew in improvising sails from the plane's wing material to continue their trip on the ocean.  The harbor master and Madelyn had rowed out to the plane and helped the crew surf over the reef into the safe harbor as it was towed in by Submarine R-4 on a routine patrol when it discovered the plane 15 miles from Nawiliwili Bay, Kauai after being overdue for several days.

He also received a letter from his sister reporting that she had graduated Salutatorian from MIT in the field of physics and had gained a job as a lab assistant for the eccentric and famous scientist and electrical engineer/inventor Nikola Tesla and how fascinating some of the experiments and projects they were working on.

Johanthan had many adventures in Africa.  Once he flew a Sheik Jalal's daughter, Anisa, and escort from Tangier to Cairo into an unexpected sandstorm that downed his cargo plane.  He managed to land the plane relatively safely but had to abandon the plane and continue on foot through the desert.  John and his passengers met some Shiite traders and purchased horses to continue the journey to Cairo.  It turned out that there was a saboteur and traitor in the escorts that had the Sheik's daughter kidnapped and John and the remaining escort guards had to rescue her from a Libyan desert warlord who intended to force her to marry him.  John's riding and survival skills learned from Redbear came in quite handy in the rescue and the escape to Cairo.  Sheik Jalal was deeply grateful of John's heroic dedication to protecting his daughter and told John he was welcome anytime to his hospitality.  Anisa, who was indeed of direct decent to the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt, gifted John with a golden Ankh.

Johanthan remained in North Africa a pilot and navigator for hire sometimes doing escort jobs into the orient for the right price.

John has flown 'Thunderbird' to the States visiting family and delivering cargo.  He is in New York with his sister Madelyn.  Her boss Prof. Nikolai Tesla is here seeking investment capital in his experiments from Regina's Father Mr. Chadwick cause he's rich.  The Profs presentation/investment pitch is in a day or two.. but in the meantime he has asked Madelyn to make a good impression on Mr. Chadwick's daughter to help his chances.  Madelyn has gotten an invitation to Regina's Homecoming party and has Asked her big brother, John, to escort her to the party so she's not alone.. AND secretly.. his little sister is trying to match make for her brother... who she feels need a good woman to settle down with {an old argument between the two ~ 'father wants grand-children' [And if John settles down.. her father will stop bugging her about getting married with children as she is more interested in spending her time in the lab plumbing the secrets of the universe]}.

Madelyn is not necessarily TRYING to get John hooked up with Regina Chadwick specifically.. but any young heiress at the party would do if it would get John to stop his globe-trotting and settle down!

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Sopwith 1/2 Strutter - Grandma's farm
- This plane rests at his grandmother's farm not actually flown in a few years now.


"Thunderbird"
Aircraft - Douglas C-1 [1920's passenger/Cargo plane]
- This is John's working plane that he carries passengers and cargo all over the world in.


John's Sister - Madelyn Perry-Rodgers
- Physicist Assistant to Professor Nikola Tessla