Help Identifing WWII/Aviation Signatures

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

OK, so I come across this old French 100 Francs banknote the other day at an estate sale. At first I thought it was defaced with a bunch of graffiti, but then I looked a little closer at the writing.

The note has a total of 7 signatures - 2 are from the French Mint and, much like our dollars, are standard on all their paper money from that time. They are located on the very bottom/middle.

On the far left is Colonel Ernie Hugonney. I Googled him and I believe he was shot down over occupied France and spent time running from the Nazi's and hiding out with the French Resistance.

The next signature to the right of Ernie is the one and only Chuck Yeager - the first man to break the speed of sound.

The sig in blue in the top middle of the note I believe is Roy LaGrone. Roy was one of the Tuskegee Airmen - America's first African-American combat pilots.

The sig above his I cannot make out. The signature on the bottom dated 1986 I cannot make out either.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

 

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[Mackaydon]

Something to consider:
The date on the bill is May 24, 1986. In 1986, Yeager was invited to drive the Chevrolet Corvette pace car for the 70th running of the Indianapolis 500. The race was scheduled for May 25, but rained out that day and the next; then postponed a week. I'm guessing he was in Indy town for prerace activities when he signed this bill with his buds.
Don....

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

That could be something to consider. I wonder why the person chose this 100 Franc note to get autographed?

 

[clovis97]

Something to consider:
The date on the bill is May 24, 1986. In 1986, Yeager was invited to drive the Chevrolet Corvette pace car for the 70th running of the Indianapolis 500. The race was scheduled for May 25, but rained out that day and the next; then postponed a week. I'm guessing he was in Indy town for prerace activities when he signed this bill with his buds.
Don....

I was at that race. In fact, that was my first ever Indy 500. I'm not sure I've ever seen the infield so wet since then.

Since the race in now always held on Memorial Day weekend, I wonder if there was a WWII get-together, ceremony, reunion, etc., honoring WWII vets in Indianapolis that weekend?

 

[Mackaydon]

h-d-p-f
if the moment suddenly comes when you can get an autograph of a famous person, you reach for the nearest 'paper' available. My guess: One of the signatories came from France; and I'm further guessing it's the guy who signed and included the date.
Don...

 

[clovis97]

What is the possibility that all those signatures are from veterans who were honored during the race, and were given pre-race parade laps??

Not that long ago...well, it has probably been 10 years ago...the Indianapolis Motor Speedway honored Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and they all got parade laps before the race.

As well, Indianapolis has a very nice Memorial Day event, and has done so for many years. All of these guys may have been in the Circle City for that event.

 

[Mackaydon]

Suggestion:
Contact Gen. Yeager, send him a pic of the bill and ask him who these signers are.
http://www.chuckyeager.com/#/CONTACT
Don........

 

[GopherDaGold]

You have what is known as a 'short snorter'.

(pasted from http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2010/02/short_snorter_dollar_bill_is_a.html )

It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to record a list of places they visited on a dollar bill, said John McGarry III, executive director of the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon. The bills even had a name: a "short snorter," McGarry said.

Some service members had other soldiers sign their dollar bills during their travels.

"First of all, you want something easy to carry and that you're not going to lose," McGarry said. "You can fold up a dollar bill and put it in your pocket."

He said the practice dates back at least to the Civil War when soldiers would write the names of locations they visited on canteens.

 

[clovis97]

Anyone getting tired of me droning on?

I've read that air crews during WWII used to sign a currency note of the country they were in at the time. A B-17 crew would have had 10 or 11 currency notes, and each crew member would have signed each note. Each member of that crew would have kept a note as a memento of their time served overseas.

I remember reading about a currency note that was signed by Eisenhower, and a whole slew of important people, like his staff of generals. Did the Smithsonian feature this in an article in their magazine several years ago? Seems like it was signed by everyone at a conference during WWII or by everyone that went to the conference on a C-47....I've slept since then!!!!

At any rate, signing a currency note was a popular thing to do during the war, whether it be by an air crew or a group of soldiers.

I think the OP's note is a 'throw back' to that era, and that is why they used a French note.

 

[clovis97]

You have what is known as a 'short snorter'.

(pasted from http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2010/02/short_snorter_dollar_bill_is_a.html )

It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to record a list of places they visited on a dollar bill, said John McGarry III, executive director of the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon. The bills event had a name: a "short snorter," McGarry said.

Some service members had other soldiers sign their dollar bills during their travels.

"First of all, you want something easy to carry and that you're not going to lose," McGarry said. "You can fold up a dollar bill and put it in your pocket."

He said the practice dates back at least to the Civil War when soldiers would write the names of locations they visited on canteens.

Aha!!!! I knew these bills had a name!!! I just couldn't remember it!!!!

 

[GopherDaGold]

Clovis97 you may be referring to an old Antiques Roadshow or History Detectives episode that featured a short snorter and was signed by Gen. Eisenhower and other WWII high ranking officials.

I was at the '85 race. Headline in the newspaper the next day read: Sullivan Spins and Still Wins! (Danny Sullivan)

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

"Short Snorter" lol! I like that name. Thanks to everyone for all the help. I am going to continue to try and decipher the other two names.

There is a website dedicated to these things:

http://www.shortsnorter.org/index.html

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Suggestion:
Contact Gen. Yeager, send him a pic of the bill and ask him who these signers are.
http://www.chuckyeager.com/#/CONTACT
Don........

I followed your advice. I wonder if I will hear back from Chuck?

 

[GopherDaGold]

"Short Snorter" lol! I like that name. Thanks to everyone for all the help. I am going to continue to try and decipher the other two names.

There is a website dedicated to these things:

http://www.shortsnorter.org/index.html

If I'm not mistaken, the name has something to do with buying a round of drinks for your buddies (or those gathered) if you were caught without your short snorter.

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Contacting Yeager was very, how should I say, frustrating?

They are some real tools over there. I actually might use this thing to light a cigar now.

After contacting the Yeager website about this note by typing a long and detailed email, here is the reply I got:

"We are not convinced Gen Yeager signature is authentic. Thank you for writing."

The funny thing is - I NEVER EVEN SENT THEM A SCAN OF THE BANKNOTE! LOLOLOLOL! They never even saw the darn thing.

Yeager sells autographs on his site so I guess they only want to talk about signatures if you are forking over cash for them. I am going to try and have it authenticated now just to prove them wrong.

Here is a comparison:

 

[clovis97]

Clovis97 you may be referring to an old Antiques Roadshow or History Detectives episode that featured a short snorter and was signed by Gen. Eisenhower and other WWII high ranking officials.

I was at the '85 race. Headline in the newspaper the next day read: Sullivan Spins and Still Wins! (Danny Sullivan)

Thanks!!! When you've spent all of your teenage years and all of your adult years reading about WWII, it all starts running together. I couldn't remember where I had seen that particular Ike signed note...not that it was the only one he signed...a simple Google search shows that Ike signed many short snorters.

I wanted to be at the '85 500 so bad. I was a junior in high school. I was GLUED to the radio that day, and I vividly remember hearing the "spin and win" episode, almost if it happened yesterday.

My two favorite loves of my life:

1. WWII
2. Indianapolis 500

(not in particular order)

And I'm getting to talk about them in the same post!!!!!!

I still think the French short snorter has an Indianapolis connection.

 

[clovis97]

Contacting Yeager was very, how should I say, frustrating?

They are some real tools over there. I actually might use this thing to light a cigar now.

After contacting the Yeager website about this note by typing a long and detailed email, here is the reply I got:

"We are not convinced Gen Yeager signature is authentic. Thank you for writing."

The funny thing is - I NEVER EVEN SENT THEM A SCAN OF THE BANKNOTE! LOLOLOLOL! They never even saw the darn thing.

Yeager sells autographs on his site so I guess they only want to talk about signatures if you are forking over cash for them. I am going to try and have it authenticated now just to prove them wrong.

Here is a comparison:

That sounds very disappointing.

My estimation is that your sig is authentic. The comparisons are identical.

 

[Mackaydon]

When one door closes, usually another one opens.
La Grone's oldest daughter, Marilyn LaGrone-Amaral, who is also an artist, lives in Los Angeles. You may wish to find her and verify it's her father's signature. Maybe she could also confirm the Yeager meeting. You can also compare La Grone's signature on the bill to his signature on his artwork.
I hope you find the signatures are real; what a great piece of history you would then own.
Don...........

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]

Contacting Yeager was very, how should I say, frustrating?

They are some real tools over there. I actually might use this thing to light a cigar now.

After contacting the Yeager website about this note by typing a long and detailed email, here is the reply I got:

"We are not convinced Gen Yeager signature is authentic. Thank you for writing."

The funny thing is - I NEVER EVEN SENT THEM A SCAN OF THE BANKNOTE! LOLOLOLOL! They never even saw the darn thing.

Yeager sells autographs on his site so I guess they only want to talk about signatures if you are forking over cash for them. I am going to try and have it authenticated now just to prove them wrong.

Here is a comparison:

That sounds very disappointing.

My estimation is that your sig is authentic. The comparisons are identical.

Oh it gets better. Here is my email exchange with Yeager's "representatives".

We are not convinced Gen Yeager signature is authentic. Thank you for writing.

Wow. You can tell that without even looking at it?

If he never signed one, of course.

Pardon me for being so bold as to question your hasty analysis. Are you General Yeager sir? Or is he currently within earshot so you could ask him personally?

It's OK... I understand your frustration that I don't need to fork over some cash for the signatures you peddle on your website. I will just do what I should have done in the first place - head to my local PSA DNA Autograph Authentication Service location to have it examined. I'll be sure and contact you with the results.

God Bless America and these great American heroes. Good luck but if anyone else asks us if they are planning on purchasing it, we will be telling them what we told you because Gen Yeager has told us.

Well then, I guess that's just a sad fact that I will have to live with... Seriously, if you think for one minute I believe you either called on the phone, contacted via email, or otherwise spoke in person to Mr. Yeager about this particular signature then you are loony.

"General Yeager sir! There is some guy on the internet claiming you signed a French Banknote! Do you remember signing a French banknote in your 88 years on this earth and over 60 years in the national spotlight?"

Yeager replies:

"Hell no! I never signed some froggy French banknote! The only short snorters I ever signed were good ol' greenbacks! Now, get back to making me some money by selling my autograph on the interwebz you wormy little IT geek!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah right... I'm so sure that conversation actually took place. I also find it laughable you would claim Mr. Yeager can actually REMEMBER every item he has signed during the course of his 88 years. If you guys need the money that bad I will be glad to send in a $20.00 donation or something. Begging for money in this manner is below a great American such as Mr. Yeager. You should really be ashamed of yourself.

Also, since you have such exclusive and instant access to Gen. Yeager, have him give me a call. I will forward my cell phone number if you like.

Sincerely,

"Hombre"




Still waiting on another reply....

lol

 

[hombre_de_plata_flaco]