Melon for dying Major, 1951

Melon for dying Major, 28 December 1951. Major Francis J Furey dying of leukemia in Walter Reed Hospital made a request for honey dew melon, Western Air Procurement District in Los Angeles will send one to him;Captain Marvin R Davis (delivered melon to Los Angeles International Airport where it was shipped to him);Opal Wingate (Trans World Airlines Hostess).;Supplementary material reads: 'TWA Public Relations, Los Angeles, MI 8141. (Emmet Jordan -- Joe Cordova). For immediate release: 1951-12-23. U.S Air Force. Major Francis J Furey, dying of leukemia in Walter Reed Memorial Hospital, Washington, D.C., yesterday made a request for honey dew melon from California, and thanks to the efforts of the Western Air Procurement district in Los Angeles he will be tasting his favorite dish sometime today. Last night Captain Marvin R Davis delivered the out-of-season melon to Los Angeles International Airport where it was put aboard a TWA Constellation flight bound for the nation's capital. Major Furey, who had been stationed at Andrews Field in Washington, D.C prior to his confinement at Walter Reed Hospital, told doctors of his yen for honey dew melon yesterday. No time was wasted by air force officials to see that the dying major would have his request filled. Both Major Furey's wife and his two-year-old son have stayed in Washington with him during the three months that he has been hospitalized with the dreaded illness. Their home is in Hartford, CT Caption: Melon for Dying Major. Air force Captain Marvin R Davis hands over honey dew melon to TWA Hostess Opal Wingate for delivery to Major Francis J Furey at Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C Major Furey, dying of leukemia, requested his favorite dish honey dew melon, before he died'.Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles International Airport. (Photo by Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)