Final Jeopardy: Military Installations (3-11-26)

The Final Jeopardy question (3/11/2026) in the category “Military Installations” was:

Home to dry lake beds in the Mojave, it was once known as Muroc Field & later renamed for a test pilot who died in a crash

3x champ James Denison, a college prof. & museum curator orig. from Alexandria, VA, had a close call yesterday, but he’s up to $90,799 today. He could go over the $100K mark if he can defeat these 2 players: Chris Kearney, a H.S. social studies teacher from West Chester, PA; and Molly Hackett, a typewriter poet from orig. from Denver, CO.

Round 1 Categories: Fun Place Names – Bundle Up! – Hyphenated Adjectives – The Wurst of Times – History – Picture the Music Makers

James found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Hyphenated Adjectives” under the $600 clue on the 11th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $4,600, $3,000 more than Chris in second place. James made it a true Daily Double and said elephant-eared. That was WRONG.

It can describe a pachyderm, literally, or a person insensitive to criticism show

WHAT IS THICK-SKINNED?

James finished in the lead with $4,200. Chris was in second place with $2,600. Molly was last with $1,600. All clues were shown.

Round 2 Categories: Recurring Characters – “U” Said It – Med. Abbrev. – Set in France – Parades – Triple Rhyme Time

Molly found the first Daily Double in “Set in France” under the $1,600 clue on the 2nd pick of the round. She was still in last place with $1,600, $2,600 less than James’ lead. Molly bet $2,000 and she was RIGHT.

This award-winning biopic had a different French title in France: “La Mome”, from Edith Piaf’s nickname “Kid Sparrow” show

WHAT IS “LA VIE EN ROSE”?

Two clues later, Molly got the last Daily Double in “Recurring Characters” under the $1,600 clue. In second place with $3,600, she had $1,000 less than James’ lead. Molly bet $2,000 and she was RIGHT.

John Le Carre created this British agent & titled one novel his “People” show

WHO IS SMILEY?

James finished in the lead with $13,800. Chris was in second place with $8,600. Molly was last with $2,400. All clues were shown.

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NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE?

Starting out as a railroad water stop, Muroc was founded by the Corum brothers (who reversed the spelling of their last name). In 1933, Lt. Col. Henry. H. Arnold established the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range there. In 1942, Muroc Army Air Base was established as a base for training combat flight crews. It was in Oct. 1947 at Muroc that Captain Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1.

Just 9 months later, in June 1948, 30-year-old Captain Glen Edwards was co-piloting a test flight in the YB-49, when it broke apart in the sky and crashed to Earth, killing all 5 crew members. Colonel Albert Boyd, commander at Muroc, chose to name the base after Edwards as he was a resident of California. Major Daniel H. Forbes from Kansas was the pilot that day and Topeka Army Airfield was renamed Forbes Air Force Base in his honor that same year.

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Molly wrote down “goose.” She lost $101 and finished with $2,299.

Chris thought it was Yeager, who died in 2020 at age 97. That cost him $3,799 and left him with $4,801.

James went with Yeager, too. He lost $5,199 but won the game with the remaining $8,601. James ended up with a 4-day total of $99,400, $600 short of you-know-what.

A triple stumper from each round:

FUN PLACE NAMES ($400) Toad Suck is a crossing of this river, like Clinton Presidential Park Bridge further downstream

PARADES ($2000) As seen on film with Ferris Bueller on a float, Chicago’s German community parades in honor of this man who helped George Washington

More clues on Page 2

2 years ago: ALL of the players got this FJ in “BOOKS OF THE BIBLE”

This book is named for a tribe of Israel that carried out judgment of the idolaters of the golden calf show

WHAT IS LEVITICUS?

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