Woody Cline Interview - April 2023

Woody Cline (left) and John Parsons discuss finding the crash site.

Woody Cline pinpointed the precise location of the 1927 aircraft crash site. It's a rather roundabout story how Woody became involved in looking for the crash site.  Woody's Life History with Gila County, Pleasant Valley, Young and other localities goes back to his very birth in Globe.

When Woody was just a child he often heard Old Timers mention things about the 1927 crash and subsequent Lion Rescue.  After all, it was (and remains) one of Gila County's prominent legends.

Everything worked out and the interview was conducted the afternoon of April 5, 2023, at the USFS Roosevelt Work Center in Tonto Basin,  Arizona.  USFS Staffer Laura Lee Marshall graciously provided scenic patio space to set up the interview apparatus.

Woody's interview lasted more than 43 minutes and it covers a lot of ground.  Woody provides excellent context for how he happened to become involved in finding the precise crash site.

Woody's account is THE most credible and specific information in existence about the precise crash site. Although it is unanimously agreed that the crash took place in what became known as Leo Canyon, the exact specific site was unknown until Woody became involved. 

Woody used his ample Life Experiences to match a 1927 photo of the crash site with a distant ridge.  Woody then found pieces of debris from the crashed aircraft as well as hacksaw blades presumably used to cut the lion's cage out of the aircraft frame

Naturally, it was very exciting to chat with Woody about his involvement.  Woody is Chairman of the Gila County Board of Supervisors and also the Tonto NRCD so he's comfortable with a microphone.  Woody's also a "natural born" storyteller and a downright joy to listen to!

We were thoroughly captivated and entertained by Woody's narrative and the 43+ minutes flew by as if in a blink of an eye.

MANY THANKS to Woody Cline for his gentlemanly hospitality and engaging personality.  We appreciate you sharing your story about this vital and important piece of history regarding the Leo The Flying Lion Story.

The MP3 digital file was uploaded to Sound Cloud on April 7, 2023.  Here is the link:

https://soundcloud.com/gila-stories/woody-cline-april-5-2023

Beware that Sound Cloud will probably attempt to "auto play" other audio files after the conclusion of this one.  YMMV.

Woody Cline at the Tonto NRCD Spring Field Day 2023.