Date: July 23, 1967
Location: Dayton, OH
By: Jack M. Osler
Newspaper: Dayton Daily News
Page: 2
The story of Mike Stimac and the Flying Peace Corps is unfolded in an interesting and informative story by Jane Hamilton on Pages 4 and 5.
Mike, who has headquarters at the University of Dayton campus, has begged, borrowed and bugged to get UMATT – Wings for Peace off the ground. The letters stand for United Missions Air Training and Transport. Mike spearheaded the organization of UMATT in early 1965 and just recently it was granted a non-profit charter by the state of Ohio.
The organizer has presented the appeal of Wings for Peace to the American business and social world. Companies have given aircraft and equipment. Two dissililar churches in Columbus started an inter-denominational effort and made a donation. An individual woman in Dayton, working for an insurance executive, formed her own little campaign and contacted area companies for fund support. A business man not only contacted his own company for an annual donation but took the Flying Peace Corps project to the attention of his own service club and others from whom donations and pledges were received.
The organization still seeks support and headquarters have been established by UMATT-Wings for Peace at 300 College Park Ave.
The volunteer nature of the flying peace corpsmen makes costs mainly equipment operating expenses. The UMATT budget to keep the Wings for Peace in African skies is $195,000 a year.
Mike says he feels UMATT-Wings for Peace is a wonderful solution for the American citizens who wish that our foreign aid could make people strong enough to fight their own battles rather than take the forms of guns and bombs.
“More important yet is the thought that by present sacrifices to create Wings for Peace, our American boys will not have to lay down their youthful lives in a fight for freedom on foreign frontiers,” he adds.
Jack M. Osler
Sunday Editor