Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-12-21

even the life Of man. And man
Is O man, indeed, who has eaten the
steel of an enemy-in the upper air.
AS these be men, so Guynemer, the
republics hero of the air, was super
man. We cannot. qualify the express
sion-and would not.
When the furies released the COW
ers Of hell in the fateful months OF
August in the year 1914, the tri-colors
of the French republic swung in a
line Of steel from the Vosges to the
sea, to save the civilization so labor
iously welded by the blood of French
men at Tours under Charles Martel, at
Chalons against the Huns and at Val
my against the same perfidious enemy
they face today.
The republics manhood went out
to war. Some men there were who
were denied the privilege of receiV-
ing the steel Of the republics enc
mics. And Guynemer was one of these
tortured Of humans-he could not fight
for France.
Enters Aviation School.
AS he watched class after class
swing by under the vivid tri-color he
volunteered again and again in an
ecstacy of patriotism. But-they
wouldn't accept him. So? France
needed men.
Finally, after six months of maneu-
yering, he used what influence he
could avail himself of to enter the
aviation training school mt Pau.
He proved entirely efficient and was
graduated to the front as sergeant
pilot in April of 1915. For eight
months he filed the position of an I'M
derling among the hangars-but that
was a triumph, for he was serving
France. His first aerial work was I'M
eventful, merely observing behind the
French lines.
And then came the day when he
went over on his first raid. AS he
took the air a German plane immedi-
ately gave battle. Mon Dieu! They
were coming to- him! What happi.
ness!
His attack was SO vicious that the
Boche machine was merely peck
marked heap Of junk when it crashed
to the ground.
Early in 1916 he became an "ace."
He had conquered five German planes.
Before November he had brought
to earth twenty-one enemy machines
At Verdun he flew with strange COM
panions-the shells of the barraSe-
and none outdid him. 1t was here
that he received several bullets In one
of his arms in q thrilling battle with
four enemy planes. His spirit con.
uuered. He became a captain.
In March, 1917, he attained his thlr%
ty-fourth victory in Il battle with Three
Germans. In five minutes al thrce
were crumI.led to earth through
series Of 5ewildering evolutions and
daring firing. He started for thu
hangers, spied another enemy rising,
and journeyed over to investigate. As
his piece-de-reSistance he played q lit
tie with the newcomer and then sent
him down to join the other three. In
May his score mounted to thirty-nine.
In June it was forty-three.
Lead "Stork Escadrille."
1t was Guynemer who led the fa-
nous "Stork Escadrille," formed early
in 1916. In fact, he came on the
scene just at the time the squadron
formation was becoming popular with
both armies. After short time as
member of the escadrille he formed a
taste for fighting alone. Ever after
that his fighting was done alone. He
fired his own guns and managed his
own controls. His brother officers con-
sidered him perfectly safe as long as
he had not more than ten adVerSarlcs.
He travelled in his own automobile
and carried his own chef. He was
free to go to any front, though he
accepted the advice Of the officers IN
regard to his presence on sectors
where his action might be stringently
needed AL the yalor awards the
French army conferred were his, III
Guiding the Legion of Honor. There
were no honors he could further at
tain. But he knew the admiring ana
thankful hearts of many a French
poilu and many French cottage were
praying for him and were happy i'll
l. tesn:.rae4the thought that their France
l. was pii(asa breed;
, rs tory. HeY@gBeR}pTee the war ai'' he
dc n mst euyn S s.Ish machiness Fac ns
ir, -,o,,as. Ii eo,L oI them. n
ha curiQrs aboye ~,