This cache was originally placed by Mojave_rattler as a remembrance of all those brave men and women that gave their lives so that the United Sates of America can sustain its freedom and way of life. This cache was place by him on Memorial day of 2012. It was archived later. We are adopting and reinstating this cache because men like this one, that this memorial honors, should be honored with a visit, and all who served should always be remembered.
At the cache site you will find a rock memorial and plaque dedicated to one American hero by the name of Maurice (Maury) Francis Graham. Captain Graham, international renowned for his courage and flying ability, was a hero of World War I and a pioneering airmail pilot. He is credited with saving the lives of hundreds of American servicemen of the "Lost Battalion" when their unit was overrun in a dense fog by German ground forces in the Argonne Forest in 1918. Captain Graham was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Legion of Honor during his military service.
After the war Captain Graham pioneered a viable airmail route from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City for Western Air Services of which he was a co-founder. He was considered by many to be the world's foremost weather capable airmail pilot. He was "at home" in the air and on the mail route. Maury departed from Los Angeles on January 10, 1930 on his regularly scheduled mail service run with a scheduled refueling stop at Las Vegas, NV where he found that he was pacing a fast‐moving snow storm. Maury elected to continue ahead of the storm to deliver the mail on time. Smoke pots and flares were lighted and awaiting his arrival at Cedar City, but his intended landing was thwarted by a heavy snow. Maury was last reported by the Cedar City Airport flying to the northwest of them. Nothing after that last reporting. A search was launched for Maury, eventually involving resources of the US Postal Service, air lines, Iron County residents and the entire Army Air Corps, the largest and longest aerial search in history, all to no avail. It was not until June 24, 1930 that the mail plane was eventually discovered by Parowan residents Elburn Orton and Ward Mortensen, 2 miles east of Hornet Hill on Kanarra Mountain.
In an extraordinary feat of airmanship, Maury Graham had managed to land safely in the dark of night, in a howling snow storm, on top of a 9,500 ft mountain, in the dead of winter, and with no beacon or visual reference to guide him! Maury had only a turn & bank indicator, airspeed indicator, altimeter, and a compass in the airplane; no radio, no attitude gyro and no means of communication. Captain Graham's remains were found in late July about 6 miles from his plane with the securities mailbag on his person.
**Interesting side note: the mail that was recovered from this site continues to be of value by collectors to this day.