The first week of January has marked numerous historic 'firsts' in aviation, from Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine test in 1496 to the launch of the world's first commercial airline service in 1914.
Known as Joe Keil, I was born 11 May 1944 the second son of William and Violet Keil. My earliest recollections were happy ones being raised on a cocoa and coconut plantation at Lotopa, which belonged to my grandmother Hazel (nee Kennison) Elkins-Harrington-Mugele-Hack. We lived in a big old house on the river bank, and we were free to roam the plantation eating all the fruits like esi, mangoes, vi, coconuts, sugar cane etc. I learned to swim at a very young age and we swam in the river every daily.
Why was I thinking about my Dad, who worked for a foreign company, and got a promotion once in perhaps ten years – and yet seemed quite happy and satisfied? (In the 1920s/1950s) Because,
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