Clearly Mr Billings doesn't believe she crashed in the Marshall Islands, was rescued by the Japanese, lived in Japan until after the war and returned to the US to live out her days, under an assumed identity, finally dying in 1980s.
"Monsignor James Francis Kelley of Rumson, a retired priest and close friend of Mrs. Bolam's, didn't want to comment on her possible dual identity. "I could not state my feelings," said Mrs. Bolam's confessor. "Doing so would violate everything I learned in the confessional." 1982 Woodbridge New Jersey News Tribune.
Based on their correspondence and information he eventually did convey, there is no doubt Monsignor Kelley and Irene-Amelia developed a deep mutual respect for each other over the course of their long friendship. For not only was he her confessor, but he described how he also served as her post U. S. return therapist. (Monsignor Kelley held Doctorates in Psychology and Philosophy.)
Five years after 'not stating his feelings' about it, in July of 1987 upon the completion of his autobiography in which he claimed to have included a chapter about his friend, Amelia in it... Monsignor Kelley finally decided to disclose to news reporter, Dean Magley who he had previously acquainted, the basic framework of the true Irene-Amelia story. Magley, with his Wife Carol accompanying him traveled to New Jersey from Michigan to conduct an in-person interview with the Monsignor at his Rumson, New Jersey mansion home. The retired Monsignor disclosed many things to Magley about his long friendship with Amelia (Irene-Amelia) following World War Two. Soon Magley started writing a book about it. [Note: Magley would also follow up on a conversation he had with the now late Astronaut, Wally Schirra in the 1970s. Schirra had intimated to Magley, that not only was Amelia still living in the United States in the 1970s, but he had even recently 'seen' her. A few years after Irene-Amelia died, Magley managed to interview the famous Astronaut on film. During said interview he further queried Schirra on the matter. Magley asked Schirra how he came to know what he did, and on camera Schirra replied how "reliable people" had conveyed to him the true identity of the woman he had previously referenced to Magley.] Sadly, Dean Magley died of cancer within a short time after his final 1989 correspondences with Monsignor Kelley, never completing his ms. Yet Magley's writings about Kelley's words to him and his Schirra filmed interview still remain, and are highly worth noting. (*See further NASA mention below.) Add to this as well, the following end to a conversation excerpted from a remarkable 1991 taped interview with none other than Monsignor James Francis Kelley, conducted by the now late USAF Colonel Rollin C. Reineck, (Ret.) (Also note the complete 1991 follow-up tape recorded conversation at the bottom of this page that took place between Col. Reineck and Monsignor Kelley's Sister, Gertrude Kelley Hession who was a past good friend and traveling companion of Irene-Amelia's.)
Rollin Reineck: Specifically, I want to know about Amelia Earhart. Did you bring her home from Japan?
Monsignor Kelley: Yes, I was instrumental in getting her freed and she stayed here. I have some of her things here. I'm certain it's in my book. I did write a book, and I'm positive I did put in a chapter about her.
RR: I understand you were President of Seton Hall (University.)
Kelley: Yes, I was President of Seton Hall for many years.
RR: If I were to come back and talk to you would I be able to see some of the things you have of Amelia Earhart's?
Kelley: Absolutely. Surely.
RR: We believe Jackie Cochran was sent to Japan to help bring Amelia home. Are you aware of that?
Kelley: Yes, I was involved with that.
RR: Could you give me your address?
Kelley: (Provides his Rumson, New Jersey address.)
RR: I'm going to try to come back to talk to you.
Kelley: All Right.
RR: Thank you for your help.
Kelley: What city are you in?
RR: Honolulu, Hawaii
Kelley: Oh my gosh, and you're going to come over here?
RR: Yes sir. If you Have things of hers I would like to see them. Are you aware that she was Irene Bolam?
Kelley: What?
RR: Amelia Earhart was Irene Bolam?
Kelley: That's right, yes.
(*)Note from the paragraphs preceding the Kelley-Reineck conversation: The following excerpts come from a 1993 story written about Irene-Amelia (AKA Irene Craigmile Bolam) by Mrs. John Bolam, her survived sister in-law: "She was intelligent, articulate, and had a commanding presence. She knew a lot of important people including many high-ranking military officers, astronauts and flyers." [Colonel Reineck's book as well, references Irene Bolam being awarded a medal of appreciation by NASA in the early 1960s.][The late Arizona Senator, Barry Goldwater was also a past friend of Irene-Amelia's.] "Guy and Irene knew people all around the world, some of which were well known figures in high places." "She appeared to be completely familiar with any subject we might bring up about flying in the old days, such as types of planes, instruments, early airports, etcetera." "After Guy died, she still continued to manage Radio Luxembourg accounts while trekking around the world." [Irene-Amelia actually took over as corporate President of Radio Luxembourg following Guy's 1970 passing.] "She thoroughly enjoyed life, people, events, theater, travel, new heights. She was the epitome of a "'Classy Lady.'" "Irene told us she was a member of the 99s and the Zonta's, but others say her name does not appear in the records of either organization. Why then would they ask her to speak at their national and international meetings?" (Note: It was later learned how from the mid-late 1940s on as 'Irene Craigmile,' Irene-Amelia was listed in the Long Island chapter of Zonta records, and at times she appeared in Zonta published photographs.)
It was also described in this same article, how according to what his own brother, John somehow came to either know or believe, Guy Bolam had been "a member of British MI6."
Note: Amelia Earhart co-founded the 99s Women's Flying Organization in 1929 and was its first President. Amelia had also joined the Boston chapter of the Zonta's in 1928, but after moving to New York in 1931 she mostly participated, when she could, in Zonta functions held there. Today, Zonta still annually presents its prestigeous Amelia Earhart Scholarship award to aspiring female college students.
The 1982 Woodbridge New Jersey News Tribune series also described Irene Craigmile (Irene-Amelia) as a Long Island Chapter Zonta member, although not prior to 1945. It also inferred her mulit-lingual ability to have enabled her position for Zonta as an International Relations Chair Person. (Recall as Amelia she already spoke several languages.) Regardless of this, and though they were asked the Zonta organization itself would not volunteer any records about Irene Craigmile's past membership. There does exist however, numerous Zonta pamphlets still in public circulation with her photo and name appearing from the late 1940s on. On the other hand, there does not appear to be any record of an Irene Craigmile, Heller, or Bolam ever having been a member of the 99s. Such would make sense, where within a month of the original Irene Craigmile having earned her pilot's license in late May of 1933, she realized herself to be pregnant out-of-wedlock with her last flight instructor, Al Heller's child. There exists no record of her ever piloting a plane after that. Indeed, the original Irene Craigmile appeared to have no more than twenty-odd hours of solo flying time in 1933, and that's all she ever had according to record, before she eloped to marry Al Heller that same August.
"(Peter) Busatti (who had known Mrs. Bolam for many years) said he accompanied Mrs. Bolam to the Wings Club in New York City on one occasion. He said a full length portrait of Amelia Earhart hangs in the room dedicated in her honor. "'It was a dead ringer for Irene,'" he said. "'Sometimes I thought she was, sometimes I thought she wasn't.'" "'I told her she looked like Amelia Earhart and she said, 'No, I don't look like her.'" Busatti said. At a Wings Club event in Washington, Busatti mentioned all the admirals and generals seemed to know her." 1982 Woodbridge New Jersey, News Tribune.
"After her death, [Irene-Amelia's] rumors resurfaced that she was in fact Amelia Earhart, the famous aviatrix who disappeared on a flight between Lae New Guinea and Howland Island in the south Pacific on July 2, 1937. Mrs. Bolam's son, Clarence Heller then requested Mrs. Bolam's fingerprints from the medical school [Rutgers University, College of Medicine and Dentistry] to settle the Amelia Earhart question. The request was deinied. Heller's wife, Joan, said her husband, Mrs. Bolam's only child, sent a registered letter to the medical school requesting the fingerprints, but the request was denied. She said medical school officials told her that Mrs. Bolam's body had been disguised in some manner so that only one or two people in the school knew which was her body. She said she spoke to Norma Davenport, attorney for the school, and was told that an agreement that Mrs. Bolam signed with the school precluded the release of her fingerprints. "'We're not entitled to them,'" Mrs. Heller said she was told. "'They won't tell me anything except that her identity has been switched." She further said Mrs. Davenport refused to give her a copy of the agreement between the school and Mrs. Bolam or to tell her what the agreement specified." 1982 Woodbridge New Jersey News Tribune.
"Dr. Man Wah Cheung of Roosevelt Hospital, who treated Mrs. Bolam for two years, said he remained "'puzzled,'" even after her death, about whether she might have been the missing aviatrix." Dr. Cheung's puzzlement is shared by his assistant, Rose Mulligan. "'Who knows,'" she asked, adding "'I never met anyone like her.'" 1982 Woodbridge New Jersey News Tribune.
Nothing evidenced this fact more than the later 2002 discovery of photo forgeries used within the series, that combined the images of more than one woman to represent a single identified human being. The forged photos were used in a series ending display, and were meant to depict the life long birth to death images of the person known as 'Irene Craigmile Bolam.' Indeed, they were engaged as the chief instrument used to try and finally convince the public, how Irene-Amelia could not have ever been the former Amelia Earhart. For twenty years said forgeries went undetected. This might also remind one of the old addage: 'Sometimes the best way to hide something valuable, is to place it in full view as if it isn't really that valuable.' Think about it: For two weeks in October of 1982, great lengths were gone to by the Woodbridge New Jersey News Tribune, in order to outright lure its readers into considering the notion of the woman whose true identity had been the subject of high scrutiny over the course of the previous twelve years, and who had just died a few months earlier, how she possibly had been the survived, former Amelia Earhart. Then on the last day of the series, the paper suddenly demonstrated its own almost magic capability, to soundly conclude how the woman in question could not have been the former Amelia Earhart after all, by deferring to photographs that at times sloppily combined plural human being images in order to forge one human being's image. So much was done in order to persuade its readers into believing a false truth, that there was never a mystery at all pertaining to the woman in question. Now it can be said with certainty, the series was nothing more than an outright scam, or a lie, that had been highly conceived and orchestrated with a sole end goal in mind. And such a goal was: To outright trick its readers into accepting a false truth. Or, to accept a historical truth that was not a real historical truth... at all.
As mentioned above, on 11/2/91 the now late Colonel Rollin C. Reineck, USAF (retired) recorded his 'Monsignor Kelley' follow-up conversation with the Monsignor's Sister, Gertrude Kelley Hession. The following is the complete transcription of said conversation, with Col. Reineck's own introduction and a few 'explanatory notes' added by Beyond 37':
"The following is a transcript of a taped telephone conversation I (Reineck) had with Gertrude Hession on 2 November 1991. Gertrude was the younger Sister of Monsignor James Francis Kelley. This event took place after I had met with the Monsignor in 1991. A few of the words spoken by Gertrude were hard to understand, otherwise I believe I have interpreted all words correctly:"
ROLLIN C. REINECK: We had it on good authority from other people that the Monsignor did take care of Amelia Earhart when she came back to the U. S. and I wanted to confirm that with you.
GERTRUDE KELLEY HESSION: Now that I couldn't confirm. Why I say that is that I was not in the area at that time. My husband had been transferred with the parent company. I wasn't living in the area so I don't know what really happened. I can say -- he may have. He does many things that we don't know of. As far as that is concerned I couldn't say yes.
ROLLIN: I see. You don't know whether he did or not. Is that what you're telling me?
GERTRUDE: I don't know.
ROLLIN: I talked to someone in St. Croix who knew Mnsgr Kelley. His name is DeKoster. Do you know him?
GERTRUDE: Are they from New Jersey?
ROLLIN: No, they have a home in St Croix. (U.S. Virgin Islands)
GERTRUDE: No. I don't know them. I know the De Kosters from New Jersey.
ROLLIN: They may have a home there too. [Note: The DeKosters were quite wealthy, Donald DeKoster, a long time good friend of Monsignor Kelley’s was a prosperous Detroit auto industry executive.] Anyway they have a house right near the Monsignor’s house in St. Croix.
GERTRUDE: I don't think I've met them.
ROLLIN: They told me that at one time you and Amelia Earhart were to come to visit, but that one of you got sick and couldn't make it.
GERTRUDE: Well now, I'll tell you. I have visited there with Irene Bolam. And, you know who Irene Bolam is?
ROLLIN: Right, yes.
GERTRUDE: Yes, are you acquainted with the name?
ROLLIN: Yes of course.
GERTRUDE: Now, Irene and I had visited out at St. Croix. Irene Bolam and I took several trips together. But actually, I did not know Irene as a child - as a young person - to be able to give you a good background. I know of her family, The doctor O'Crowley and her aunt, but actually, I didn't know too much about her. I met her when her husband died, Bolam was ill with appendicitis. That was when I really knew her intimately. She never discussed much about Amelia Earhart. I don't know if..., that she ever denied it out-rightly to me – you know – that she had no real connection there. But, oh, I had my doubts many times. She had a yacht in Red Bank. As did the Erwins. I don't know if you know them. They had a yacht up there in Red Bank. Irene had her boat there and we used to go out on it. She would always discuss planes coming over. Pulling down maps, pinpointing all these different areas. It made you wonder you know. But I don't know how helpful I can be to you. I wish I could be more.
ROLLIN: You said something a second ago. You said she never denied being Amelia Earhart.
GERTRUDE: Oh, not in my company.
ROLLIN: Did she ever affirm it at all.
GERTRUDE: She. Oh, the only time I recall her making a denial was at the time of her death. There was a memorial service. There was a memorial service for her down where she lived you know. She had a party for all of her friends. She had pre-arranged this affair. And, it was a memorial party. And, some of those people down around Rossmoor could give you a much better explanation about her. She did have a folder made up, pre-advance.
ROLLIN: I have a copy.
GERTRUDE: Oh, then you know where she says "If you believe this."
ROLLIN: Do you know Diana Dawes?
GERTRUDE: Oh yes, she was one of her closest friends I would say.
ROLLIN: When we were back visiting the Monsignor, (Gertrude’s Brother) we visited Diana the next day.
GERTRUDE: Oh Yes, She [Diana Dawes] was about one of her closest friends I would say. More intimate than I. Although, we took all those wonderful trips together. She used to get very upset with people coming up and wanting her to admit – you know – that she was Amelia Earhart.
[Note: Ms. Dawes was left many of Irene’s personal belongings after Irene died in 1982, to include the photographs of the Irenes used in the study, to also include the ones appearing in this website. Plus, the “pre-advance” folder Irene had made for her 1982 Memorial Dinner featured the ‘other’ Irene Bolam on its cover, a person Joe Gervais never met before. Diana Dawes, before she passed away in the late 1990s held to her opinion of highly suspecting the Irene Craigmile Bolam she knew to have been the former Amelia Earhart.]
ROLLIN: What was your personal opinion.
GERTRUDE: Right.
ROLLIN: Your personal opinion was that she was or was not?
GERTRUDE: You know when they were writing the book, Amelia Earhart Lives. That was a very trying time for her. I can recall people coming up. There was a judge. I can't remember his name. [Judge Edward Kennedy.] Anyway he was helping her control those people. I think one was Gervais and the other one.
ROLLIN: Klaas, Joe Gervais and Joe Klaas.
GERTRUDE: Right. Oh you know, that was very disturbing and the judge was handling it. She sued. I sat in on some of the depositions with her. I think she --- didn't she win that suit?
ROLLIN: No. She sued Mc Graw Hill, Joe Klaas and Joe Gervais for two million dollars. She kept asking for a postponement. Finally, [Gervais] agreed to pay her the two million dollars if she would come to court and give her fingerprints in front of the judge.
GERTRUDE: Oh no, that's something she would never do.
ROLLIN: No. She wouldn't do that, so she dropped the suit [against Gervais and Klaas] after that.
GERTRUDE: I think we lost touch about then, but I know that things were very trying for her. (NOTE: This is a contradicting statement made by Gertrude. The lawsuit ended in early 1976, and it was known how at least until 1979 Gertrude continued to occasionally see and even travel at times with Irene.)
ROLLIN: Why wouldn't she give her fingerprints?
GERTRUDE: Why? She didn't want people to prove she was or wasn't - apparently. And even her own son does not have her fingerprints.
ROLLIN: I'm not sure that is her son.
GERTRUDE: Irene was married three times.
ROLLIN: I have her marriage certificate and it says that when she married Bolam, it was her second marriage.
GERTRUDE: Oh really.
ROLLIN: I asked you a minute ago, do you think she was or was not Amelia Earhart.
GERTRUDE: I was very dubious, because there were so many times she would slip, you know with comments and make you feel, you know, and yet, I never really wanted to probe. I felt she could tell me if she wanted to tell me. It was that type of friendship. But there were many times when it was difficult not to go after her and say come on, sit down and tell me. But, we just never quite did. She had a friend by the name of Mary (Eubank) who would have known her as a class mate at the academy of the Boswell Sisters and St. Dominic's academy. She was sent there by her grand parents. She would have known her as a high school person. To me she was the closest one. Then she had two aunts who lived up around the shore line. [The O’Crowley Sisters Edna Madaline O’Crowley Horsford and Attorney Irene Mary Rutherford O’Crowley.] (Attorney Irene) O'Crowley was one. They were two sisters. It was always a very sensitive thing with Irene (Craigmile Bolam.) She would get very disturbed about it when people would come up to her in front of her son you know, at the Flyers Group, Wings Club, or something like that, she would get very upset.
ROLLIN: When I was talking to another lady, her name was Helen Barber, who also knew the Monsignor in St. Croix. She told me that when Amelia Earhart came back and the Monsignor was giving her spiritual and psychological care as well, he tried to get her to keep her name, but she didn't want to – according to the story – because she said she was embarrassed for what she had done.
[Note: Such a statement is questionable. Col. Reineck appeared to be reading something into the story that wasn’t necessarily there. According to Donald DeKoster, in 1979 Monsignor Kelley mentioned to him how Irene decided she “didn’t want to be the famous Amelia Earhart any more,” alluding to her strong desire to continue living her life after the WWII years as a private person in the U. S., as opposed to a highly famous ‘public’ person. Her post-war confidence, the respect she commanded from others, her continued love for Japan, the orient, and the United States…, as well as her overall positive attitude measure never suggested she was embarrassed about anything from her past. Rather, she may have found it to hard to explain what she had somewhat inadvertently become involved with during the war years, after realizing herself to be a somewhat subjugated victim of inordinate circumstances.]
GERTRUDE: Oh really, I don't know, I've never heard that. But my brother got to know her quite well. After all, she would have confessed to him, ah, especially when she was ill at the hospital. We went to visit her on numerous occasions, and that was a very secret deal too. When she was in the hospital, she had this oriental doctor and his name was kept quiet always as to her relationship with people and what not. And that's when she died at that hospital. I do know my brother visited her because I took him there several times as he was her confessor. What she told him, I don't know. I don't know how you could get it from him. I wish you well with this.
ROLLIN: Let me give you my name and address; etc.
GERTRUDE: I gather from what you said that you thought she may have been Amelia Earhart.
ROLLIN: Yes
GERTRUDE: Yes, there were times, yes, I must admit that. If I had been really curious. But, I think I valued our friendship more.
ROLLIN: That's what Diana Dawes said. She said that although she was almost positive, she never asked because it would have upset her and she would lose her friendship. ….I won't take up any more of your time. Thank you very much. You've been a real help. Thank you Gertrude.
(They sign off.)
Note: It is fairly certain Mary Eubamk and the original Irene Craigmile were past good friends, and Mary Eubank was likely introduced to the original Irene’s famous family friend, Amelia Earhart at some point either in the late 1920s or early to mid 1930s. Accordingly, in 1949, the same year records show Viola Gentry and Jackie Cochran corresponding with each other, Jackie Cochran’s own stowed records index indicates at least one letter exchange between Jackie and one 'Mary Eubank.' When Tod Swindell discussed Mary Eubank with the original Irene’s Son, Larry Heller in person in 2006, Mr. Heller appeared reluctant to discuss the subject of Mary Eubank, the woman who was known to at times have cared for him as he grew up. He also refused to verify the spelling of her last name. When asked if it was spelled ‘Eubank’ or ‘Eubanks’ he replied he “couldn’t remember.” Yet it would seem he had to have been aware it was ‘Eubank.’
Beyond 37' holds copies of all audio tape recordings of conversations that took place between Colonel Reineck and Monsignor Kelley, Reineck and DeKoster, Reineck and Mrs. Helen Barber of Wayne, Pennsylvania (who as mentioned also knew Monsignor Kelley well and was told many things by Kelley about his past relationship with Irene Craigmle Bolam,) and between Colonel Reineck and Gertrude Kelley Hession. Beyond 37' also holds a copy of Dean Magley's 1985 filmed interview with now late NASA Astronaut, Wally Schirra.