The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-06-14

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WET q BECOME a French ace IL not
such an easy matter. IL means not
only the bringing down OF ave
enemy machines. but II must he
-memhe alsr that these ma
- chimes must fall within the allied
0/ lines. Also they must be official"
~ There r. the rub. Many a marvel
O. lous dyer returning to his camp
@. after a vnlorous day In the air.
20 during which he has sent 10 earth
On more than me enemy. with his
machine In names perhaps, realizes
as he ncars his home grounds that. officially. he
mas nothlng to show for his prowcss. The great
day is still nfar on-the day when his fellow air.
men, already arrived NJ tho "ace" stage. viii wei.
come hin az one Of themse,ves-when his relatives
and friends at home, and all the world. Indeed. will
recognize that he Ia a fighting aviator OF France.
out OF the amateur class forever.
Lieut.. Constant soulier, known as the Ben.
Jamin' OF the French aces. who has come TO this
country to show the people OF the Unued Stntes
Just what the lighting airmen OF France are able
TO do IN the way OF flying. like most OF the other
great French airmen, found that winning the ace"
was not the task OF n day. but he won IL although
u took the bringing down OF u machines actually
before the coveted "omcial~ Ave were marked IN
his credit. says n writer IN the New Yort ucrnid
He does not look like n veteran OF the western
mont. this hero OF many air battles. He seems
much more like n pleasant little miltnry schoolboy.
he Is small. with an amazingly youthful face. and
eithough he Ia serious and dlgnlned. Il IL with the
dignity and seriousness OF a boy. such as Il quite
In keeping with his simple aud strnightforrnra
manner.
But on the breast OF this modest. boyish vouns
officer CLEAN medals which speak eloouenflv ~
extraordinary valor-the Medaille Mintnire, the
Croix de Ia virtu Mllltaire OF RoumnnIn ma ,hs
Croix de Guerre OF France with seven palms ana
a golden star. '
These honors tho little ace earned before bs mn.
twenty years old. for before that time he had
accomplished 40 hours % flight. had fought 90
battles In the air, had killed or wounded -
OF enemy ~aviators and had brought down "a onan.
machines His citations In orders and In sneclal
government communications cover two closely
typewriter pages.
A student at the Ecole Polytechnic IN p.rt,
when the war began. Constant soulier fopnd 4,
impossible at first TO enter the service OF his conn.
Try az n volunteer, ns he was MOI copside,ai NJ
suticlenuy good health by fhe military nutbori,t.s
Also be was but seventeen years Old Pr,ssntv
however, ne succeeded In overcoming these obiecs
uons ana neenme n volunteer In the artillery. He
was placed In the Twenty-nrst regiment M An.
gouleme.
But while In the artillery trimming cnmp. like 40
many very young patriots, he becnme intenselv
Interested In the new arm Of the service. He felt
keenly that his vocation was not for the artillery
but that he must become an nlrmnn. He INC.
eeeded In persuading the authorities IN trnnsfs,
him TO the aviation corps and became a student
at the school Gt Longvic. He was transferred 10
Pau In March, 1919, and two months nfterwnrd
obtained the coveted brevet OF pilot. n. bnd
studied aeVotedly at the school and was a notably
promising aviator cadet.
While az the school he wss much liked nv the
older men, and one day an episode occurred
which pleased them greatly. Young soulier found
his machine taken In the eddy OF another air.
plane which was flying over him. He was blown
20 the earth with violence. His machine was
broken to pieces. and the witnesses OF the acct.
dent. without waiting 70 Investigate. Immediately
sent In a call for a medical officer.
Imagine their amazement when they saw the
student aviator issue from the debris OF his ma.
chine without a scratch.
There ARE no more superstluious people any.
where than the men OF the nyiatlon corns az ali
the armies.
And Il was after this eplsode that the Older
ayiators declared 10 one another that no was horn