The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-15
when | was sure the Fokker was done
or l looked around for them"

when was sure the Fokker was done
for looked around for them"
Thaw Is Wounded.
Thaw's fellow-airmen weren't there,
but two airplanes of the enemy were
My quick-frer had stuck and as / had
no other arms l got little out of the
enemy's way preparatory to arrang-
ing the gun. Unfortunately I did not
get far enough and when I was reach
ing for the quick-firer l got bullet
through my arm. | turned toward our
lines and the bullets hit my little
Newport in several places. When one
or the missiles struck my gasoline
tank, tearing the bottom open, / shut
OFF the motor and dtved for the French
tren sheS"
Thaw's first ''big league" experience
so to speak, is cited simply as an In
dlcation Of what the Americans forced
themselves to do from the very first.
They nhirked no responsibility nor
danger and battled their way to the
thickest Of the clashes between the
German and French air forces, which
became more and more frequent as
the Importance Of aerial warfare In
creased.
Side by side with Thaw was Raoul
Lufbery, who was the first American
mentioned for bringing down five hos
tile planes. His case was rather
unique, in that his parents died when
very young and he was brought I'D by
q family at Bourges. At thirteen he
ran away from home, his tours finally
bringing him in contact with the avia-
tor, Marc POurpe, who trained him to
be his assistant.
Lufbery was Of French nationality.
but when he desired to enlist In the
French army at the start of the war
he was turned down because it was
discovered he was an American. AZ
ter many appeals he was allowed to
go with Pourpe as his mechanic.
Lufbery swears Vengeance.
POurpe was killed soon afterward
and Lufbery swore to avenge him. He
importuned his superiors to allow him
to train as a pilot, and his request was
finally granted and shortly after he re-
ceived his pilots certificate he was
transferred to the American flying
corps.
The fact that he was not talking
Idly when he swore to avenge his
friends death Is shown by the fact
that he Is the premier "ace" Of the
Lafayette Escadrille. Now "winging"
a machine behind the German lines
means nothing. or rather not as much
as bringing them down behind the
French lines, because the latter Is a
much more difficult feat. To bring
down five German planes In back of
the French lines Is the necessary re-
quisite to be termed an "ace." Luf-
berry, who comes from New Haven,
was the first American aviator to turn
the trick.
So month by month as the Esca-
drille grew, with more and more Amer
leans attracted to 1t by its exploits,
the number Of German planes destroy
ed by the American airmen grew in
Very few weeks passed but
what the Lafayette Escadrille was
In the official French COM
muniQues, and there are so many or
binary feats Of bravery performed ev-
cry day on the firing line that 1t re-
Quires something above the ordinary
to break into official reports.
Thaw and then Lufbery were given
medals Of honor apd several times
cited for bravery. Others followed,
the last being Sergeant Andrew Camp
bell. to whom official recognition came
but last week, and who could safely
be called a superman from bis deeds
Of the past month or two.
Death Toll Heavy.
Naturally, the death toll was COM
paratively heavy. Among those who
were rated as good fighters and who
gave their life for France were Victor,
Chapman, Norman Prince, James Nc
Connell. Renald Heskier, Kenneth
Rockwell and Edward Genet. Others,
however. took their places, 1t being
only month or so ago that eight
young Americans Of prominent fam
lies left for the front for service.
They were selected from one hundred
applicants for the service.
Such Is the brief record of the La
'ayette Escadrille, an organization that
has fought as Americans should. Its
'ecord will not be sunk in its trans
er to General Pershing's forces, for
sentiment on the part Of both Ameri-
an and French army chiefs favor the
etention Of the distinctive name.
At present plans call for the com.
Of Lieutenant Thaw as a
major, with present members of the |
qHadron being named as captains and
ieutenants, to take charge of Ameri-
an aviators who will shortly join Per-
hing's troops In France.