The Nenana daily news., 1918-05-27
LUFBERRY AIR HERO Something About the Man Who Won Fame Fighting the
 Germans


 drille, whose death was announced few days ago, was a daring avi ator and had been decorated with . four military medals awarded for aerial bravery. His life had been full of adventure even before he ! though of becoming an airman. During the time that he was en- gagged in war flying, he downed !, more than a dozen enemy planes. |
 Fifteen years ago the viator, then seventeen years old, left his home in Wallingford, Conn.,, and set out to see the world. First he went to France, the land of his progeni- tors. He visited Paris, Marseilles, Bourges, and other cities. Then he went to Africa.
 In Turkey he worked for some time in restaurant. His plan was to visit a city get job that would keep him until he had seen what he desired, and then depart to new field of adventure. In this manner he travelled through Europe, Africa and South America. In 1906 he returned to his home and went to New Orleans, enlisted in the United States army, and was sent to the Philippine Islands. Two years later, upon being mustered out, Lufberry visited Japan and China, exploring those countries thoroughly. Then he went to India and worked as a ticket-collector on Bombay railroad While engaged at this occupation he kicked out of the railway station one of the most prominent citizens of Bombay. The latter had insisted that Lufberry say "sir" to him. The aviator al ways did have hot temper.
 Lufberry's next occupation and the business to which he remained attached, was had at Saigon, Cochin China, where he met met Marc Pourpe, young French aviator, who was giving flying exhibitions in Asia. He needed an assistant. Lufberry never had seen an air plane, but he applied for the job and got it.
 The two men gave exhibitions l over the French provinces of Indo- China. After one of these flights the king of Cambodia was so pleas ed that he presented each aviator with decoration that entitled him to a guard of honor on the streets of any town within the realm. Lufberry and Pourpe, now insep- arabic comrades, went to Paris to get new airplane. War was de- clared, and Pourpe volunteered as an aviator. Lufberry, who was anx- ious to be with his friend, tried also to enlist, but was told that he must enter the Foreign Legion as he was not a French citizen.
 , Pourpe was shot to death during t one of his wonderful air feats; and wishing to avenge the death of his friend, Lufberry asked to be trained f as an airplane pilot. His request , was granted and in the summer of 1916 he went to the front as mem
 Der of the American Escadrille. It g was on August of that year that , he brought down his third enemy , plane, and soon afterward was
 decorated with the Military Medal , and the French War-Cross with the I following citation:
 , "Lufberry, Raoul, sergeant with
 the escadrille No. 124; a model of skill, sang froid, and courage. Has f distinguished himself by numerous a long distance bombardments and by the daily combats which he delivers $ to enemy airplanes On July 31 he attacked at short range group of four German airplanes. He shot one S of them down near our lines. On
 August 4, 1916, he succeeded in
 bringing down a second one" Two or more combats a day in the air came to be a common occur renee with Lufbery, and many times he returned to the base with 7 his machine full of holes and his