For fans of local, military and flight history, a current exhibit at the Wayne County Historical Society covers all the bases: “Cliff Matz, a Highflyer.”
The exhibit runs through July 5. Tours are available at the society at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Members and those age 17 and under are free; others are $5. Wayne County Historical Society is located at 546 E. Bowman St. in Wooster.
Last year David Otto, a close friend and former student of Cliff Matz, contacted the historical society about displaying items he had inherited from Matz.
“The WCHS strives to preserve not only items and events from Wayne County’s history,” said Charles Lepold, chair of the society’s military committee, “but also to honor the individuals who lived here and to highlight their notable contributions made to our society.”
An exhibit honoring Matz was created utilizing loaned items including Matz’s aviation simulator.
Matz was born in Wooster in 1922. He lived in Smithville and graduated from Smithville High School in 1942. He died in 2009 at 87, having lived his entire life, except his military years, in Wayne County.
Matz learned to fly in high school and made his first solo flight in 1941. He accumulated over 500 solo flight hours before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
“Recognizing his skill set,” Lepold said, “Cliff was assigned to instructor duties at several colleges that offered flight programs, where he then taught hundreds of future fighter, cargo and bomber pilots to fly.”
Matz was selected to train to fly the Northrop twin-engine P-61 Black Widow reconnaissance plane, the first U.S. aircraft designed to fly as a night fighter.
“The training was a long course, and the wash-out rate was 90% of the selected pilots,” Lepold said.
Matz passed, but by then the war had ended. He was honorably discharged in December 1945 and returned to Smithville.
He continued to use his flight skills, working as an aerial inspector for a gas pipeline company. Flying low in a two-seat single-engine Cessna 150, he would look for indications of problems. Matz held the job until retiring in 1972.
“In his spare time, Cliff operated a flight school,” Lepold said. “The ground portion of the course was conducted in the basement of his home and the flight portion at the Wayne County Airport.”
When he retired from teaching in 1992, Matz had accumulated over 37,000 hours piloting an airplane.
Over 150 additional stories are in the military section of the WCHS, showcasing Wayne County American Service members.
“On display at this time are several other Wayne Countians who served our country as air crew and ground crew members of our Air Force,” Lepold said.
There also is a new acquisition: “Stuart Ling, Soldier, Musician and Teacher.”
“Stuart was not only a well-known, well-loved music professor at The College of Wooster, but had a remarkable military career,” Lepold said.
Other current displays include “From Italy to Wooster” (includes Armed Forces veterans of Italian descent from the WCHS archives), “Friendtique: 20 Years,” “Wooster Rotary,” “Connected by Design — A Tribute to Virginia Gunn” and “The Fantastic Comptons.”
Anyone who wishes to donate or loan a family member’s memorabilia to WCHS may call the WCHS office at 330-264-8856. Find WCHS online at waynehistoricalohio.org.
