The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-05-10


after valorOus day in the air,
during which he has sent to earth
oO more than enemy, with his
machine In flames perhaps, realizes
as he nears his home grounds that, officially he
mas nothing to show for his prowess. The great
day is still afar off-the day when his fellow air.
men, already arrived at the lace" stage will well
come him as one of themse,ves-when his relatives
ana friends at home, and all the world. indeed will
recognize that he is n fighting aviator of France
| out of the amateur class forever.
Lieut.. Constant Souer known as the Ben
Jaihih or the French aces. who has come to this
country TO show the people of the United States
just what the fighting airmen of France are able
10 DO In the way of flying. like most of the other
great French airmen, found that winning the "ace-
was not the task of day. but he won it, although
IL ook the bringing down of II machines actually
before the coveted "oficial" five were marked to
MS credit, says writer in the New York Herald
He does not look like a veteran of the western
front. this hero of many air battles. He seems
much more like pleasant little military schoolboy
lie Is small, with an amazingly youthful face and
although he is serious and dignifed it is with the
dignity and seriousness of boy. such as is quite
In keeping with his simple and straightforward
manner.
But on the breast of this modest, boyfsh young
officer CLEAN medals which speak e1uuentIy of
extraordinary valOr-the Medalle Militaire. the
CH)x de la Virtu Militaire of Roumania and the
Crox de Guerre of France with seven palms and
golden
before he
twenty years DID, for before that time he had
accomplished 43O hours of flight had fought 6f
battles in the air. had killed or wounded q scora
OF enemy avlators and had brought down - enemy
machines His citations In orders and in special
government communications cover two closely
typewrtten pages
student at the Ecole Polytechnic in Paris
Wheh me war began. Constant Soulier found II
impossible at first to enter the service of his conn
try as volunteer, as he not considered i'm
sufficiently good health by the military authorities
Also he was but seventeen years Old. Presently
however he succeeded in overcoming these obiec.
tiohS ana became volunteer in the artillery He
was placed in the Twenty-first regiment at An
gOuleme.
BUT while in the artillery tBaining carnp like so
many very young patriots, he became intensely
interested in the new of the service He felt
keenly that his vocation not for the artillery
but that he must become an airnan He enc
ceeded in persuading the authorities to transfer
him TO the aviation corps and became n student
at the school at Longvic. He was transferred 70
Pau in March, 1916, and two months afterword
obtained the coveted brevet of pilot He had
studied devotedly at the school and was a notabIv
promising aviator cadet.
while at the school he much liked by the
older men, and one day episode occurred
which pleased them greatly Young SouIier found
his machine taken in the eddy of another air
plane which was flying him. He was blown
TO the earth with violence. His machine was
broken TO pieces, and the witnesses of the acct
immediately
sent in a call for medical officer
Imagine their amazement when they saw the
student aviator issue from the debris of his ma
chine without a scratch.
There superstitious people any
where than the men OF the aviation corps of all
the armies.
And 1T after this episode that the older
aviatOrs declared to another that he was born
to triumph
The flying school training was followed by
M af y,.ftr
In June. 1916, Soulier appointed to the Es-
cadrille N-26 under Commandment Brocard.
The aviator remembers always his first engage
ment, for matter how extensive his practice has
been the school 1T takes different personal quail
tiles to enable man to hold his against the
enemy. No matter how well he may have done
practice, it is felt that the actual of the
aviatOr's ability must come in battle.
Soulier had no easy task in his first engage
ment.
With comrade, like himself, novice, he
ordered on patrol. Soon they envel-
oped in clouds. but they came out of this snowy
bank they for the first time in the presence
of the enemy They confronted by two
Fokkers which were at that time considered very
much to be feared.
Soulier opened fire. but his mitrailieIse was not
firmly fastened in place, and with the first fire il
shifted striking him the head and almost knock
ing him out by the shock. But he held his own,
plotting with one hand and with the other try
ing to hold his mtrailleuse in place. Although
the gun struck him with each discharge. he was
able to keep In the fight until the adversary, his
exhausted, abandoned the fight. The
French airmen then regained their lines.
Some time after this Soulier. who had then
become n sergeant brought down in two success
siye DAYS two German Drachens, one at the wood
OF vaux and the other east of Mesnil Sant-Nibaise