#5 Snapshots and Secrets: Tracking My Uncle’s Ghost with His Vintage Cameras

Coming out of the Covid time, I began to delve deeper into the contents of the Ancestry folder that cousin Kate had sent:

Most items were dated June, 30 1958 and on into July and August of the same year. Between the time of the investigation and the presenting of the actual investigator’s documents, there were many pieces of correspondence between various international government agencies. At one point my grandmother had requested, yet not received, the government’s investigative report on my uncle’s disappearance. Eventually she contacted the Archbold Buckeye, who in turn contacted then Ohio State Representative Cliff Clevenger. Clevenger’s requests for information on behalf of my grandmother and the newspaper are well documented in the file folder.

A memorandum regarding a government report, issued during the Cold War. It was sent from the Department of State to San Salvador, El Salvador - rather than San Salvador, Bahamas. — *“…the press in the state of Ohio are pressing for information …*“

A 1950's Cold War era letter from the Office of Special Consular Services to Ohio State Representative Clevenger, stating no one in El Salvador is aware of the disappearance of my Uncle Bill. — GAH!

Their efforts were thwarted by the Department of State who wrongly believed the death occurred in San Salvador, EL Salvador. There were letters sent back and forth with no one in El Salvador knowing anything about a William Scales. My mom had shared with me that this had happened, and how frustrating it was at the time. Even now, while reviewing the file, it frustrates me to see so much correspondence and so many people overlook such a simple and glaring geographical error. Eventually the “pressing” press persevered.

A US Department of State letter dated August 4, 1958 regarding the "alleged death of William Scales". They try to blame their geographical error on my grandmother. Now, they have redirected their inquiries back to the Bahamas. "The writer checked with the CIA Map Service and obtained verification that the isle of San Salvador did exist ..." — “***Now*** the mother has reported…” Buncha government assholes, trying to pretend my grandmother gave false info. I’m pretty sure she knew exactly where her son had been stationed and it wasn’t Central America.

Once I got past that frustrating part, the report itself contained cool stuff like eyewitness accounts and depositions … lots of blurred ink.

Still, the scans were mostly readable. Such as…

A page from a Cold War era U.S. Government Report. It states that an underwater camera and strobe were found in a boat abandoned off of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. — *…”underwater camera and light” That line could well bring a sick person to immediate health. (The magnified and highlighted stuff was done by me.)*

Holy Tsar Bomba! A camera in the boat? The report had taken me back to cold war era 1958 and I felt as if I’d been hit by the Big Ivan itself. What kind of camera was it? Where did it end up? What had it photographed? Do I have photographs from that camera? Questions to drive a girl mad! (Bob told me I had too much camera stuff in Installment #3. I was, like, “I DO run a camera website after all.”)

The mysterious U.S. cold war government report. They found a camera belonging to my uncle and in it was a roll of film. When developed, the film was "found to be negative". — *A roll of film was found in the camera in the boat. “The film was developed and found to be negative.”*

Found to be negative? “…found to be negative…”? What does that even mean? Was it blank? Were there images, but no clues? Where are these “exhibits” they’re referring to? (Especially Exhibit f’n D?)

I could go into detail about the government report – and I probably eventually will. But I don’t want to hash and rehash the information – though I probably will. Within the report are paradoxes enough to keep your mind smashing potatoes and meat for a week. If you want to read the entire file, I can send it to you. In fact, I invite you to request the folder from me. outermostuncle@gmail.com Fresh perspectives would be a blessing.

I stewed (another food reference) over these findings for quite some time and two things became apparent.

Thing #1.) I needed to get those slides back from my cousin in Minnesota. Those transparencies are the original bits of film that were in the very camera that exposed them. They would help me to determine which images of Bill’s correspond to the cameras I received from my Uncle John way back when.

Thing #2.) The idea for a photographic project began to form. I knew I would take Uncle Bill’s cameras to the place he was last known to have been. My plan is to document, using Uncle Bill’s cameras, whatever remains of the places he might have seen and experienced.

I sent the little Minox IIIs to DAG Camera for repair.