Captain Dixie Kiefer: The Indestructible Man

On November 11, 1924, Captain Dixie Kiefer made aviation history right here in San Diego Harbor by being the first person to fly a plane off a ship at night. A hero of both World Wars, Kiefer was one of our Country’s naval aviation pioneers. On November 10^th at 11 a.m., David Rocco, co-author of The Indestructible Man, will share Kiefer’s story of grit, adventure, and survival.

Dixie Kiefer served in both World Wars and was a veteran of some of the U.S. Navy’s most celebrated carriers and battles. The first man to successfully “fly” an airplane off the deck of a battleship, or any ship, at night, Kiefer was a true naval aviator. From being buzzed by a plane and shattering his elbow, to earning a Silver Star in the Pacific Theater, Kiefer’s story will inspire attendees with his spirit.

About The Authors:

Don Keith is a journalist with decades of experience across various media. As a broadcast journalist, he won awards from the Associated Press and UPI for news writing and reporting, received the first Hector Award from Troy University for innovation in broadcast journalism, and was twice named Billboard’s radio personality of the year for his work in Birmingham and Nashville. As a print journalist, his writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, and American Legion. He is author or co-author of thirty books, both fiction and nonfiction, including Hunter Killer, the basis of a 2018 movie starring Gary Oldman and Gerard Butler. He lives outside Birmingham, Alabama.

Photography has been a passion for David Rocco for the past twenty years. A number of his photos have been displayed at regional galleries, historical societies, schools, libraries and street festivals. His work has also been published in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, trade journals, annual and quarterly reports, promotional packages, calendars and websites. In 2013, three of David Rocco's images were selected for a photo exhibition at the Arts Westchester Gallery in White Plains, NY showcasing the Damage and Destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Shortly thereafter, The Museum of the City of New York selected a number of these images as well for their Hurricane Sandy Exhibition. These images were also entered into the New York City permanent records. Several of David Rocco's photos were also selected for Arts Westchester’s 50th Years Through the Decades Anniversary celebration in 2015. In 2019, he was awarded the second annual Lawrence (Larry) Salley Photography Award by Arts Westchester for my body of work documenting the construction and demolition of the Tappan Zee Bridge/ Gov. Cuomo Bridge. Several of his images were selected and installed at kiosk stands on the multi-use pathway rest areas on the new bridge. A number of his photos that were published in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 were considered for a Pulitzer Prize in Photography. The 2020 photo that is under consideration for a Pulitzer was nominated for the New York Press Association Photography Award.  

This talk will be recorded and available for on demand viewing on the Library's  Facebook and Youtube Library's pages following the event. 

Registration is recommended but not required. Please register below for this event.

**All-in person events will be subject to County of San Diego Health Department guidelines**