Little Tom and Fats

Alvan L. Mitchell, formerly of Ripley, was the real-life Fats in his book. Ultimately living in California, Mitchell was the author of technical manuals and articles, various trade brochures, short stories, two books, and a newspaper column, ＂The Red Baron.＂ As a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, he wrote the manual used by the air force for shipping air freight.