Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-05-09


during which he has sent to earth
IN more than 0ae 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 tho "ace' stage will well
come him as one of themselves-when his relatives
anu friends at home and all the world indeed will
recognize that he is a fighting aviator Of France
out of the amateur class forever
Lieut. Constant Soulier, known as the "Ben-
1amin' of 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
70 go IN the way of flying, like most of the other
great French a1rmen, found that winning the face"
was not the task of day, but he won it, although
1T took the bringing down of 10 machines actually
Delore tne coveted official five were marked to
ms credit, says writer in the New York Herald
he does not look like veteran of the western
front, this hero of many air battles He seems
much more like pleasant little military schoolboy
he IS small, with an amazingly youthful face. and
altDough ne is serious and dignifed 1t is with the
dignity and seriousness of boy. such as is quite
in keeping with his simple and STRAIGHTFORWARD
manner. i#
But on the breast Of this modest boyish vouno
omcer Cream medals which speak elouuentlv of
extraordinary valor-the MedaiIle Militaire tho
Croix de Ia Virtu Militaire of Roumania and tho
SrolA de Guerre OF France with seven palms and
a golden star. 4
These honors the little ace earned before he was
twenty years old, for before that time ha bad
accomplished 40 hours Of flight had fouph+ az
Daetles IN the air. had killed or wounded q SCORE
OF enemy aviators and had brought down Is enemy
machlnes. His citations in orders and In special
typewriter pages
student at the Ecole Polytechnic In por
when the war began, Constant Soulier found ~
at nrst TO enter the service of his conn
try as q volunteer, he was not considered n
sufncentiy good health by the military authorities
,aiso ne was Out seventeen years old. Presently,
however ne succeeded in overcoming these obiec
tlons and became volunteer in the artillery He
was placed in the Twenty-frst regiment at An
gouleme.
/ But while in the artillery training camn Ike ca
many very young patriots, he became intensely
Interested m the new arm of the service He felt
keeniy that MS vocation not for the artillery
but that he must become an airman. He s,c
ceeded in persuading the authorities to transfer
tllm 10 the AVIATION corps and became student
at the school at Longvic He was transferred tn
Pau in March, 1916 and two months afterward
oDtaineu tne coveted brevet of pilot He had
studied devotedly at the school and was a notably
promising aviator cadet
While at the school he was much liked nv the
oder men, and one day an episode occurred
winch pleased them greatly. Young Soulier found
his machine taken in the eddy Of another air.
plane which was flying over him. He was blown
to the earth with violence. His machine was
broken to pieces, and the witnesses of the acct
dent, without waiting to investigate, Immediately
sent In call for medical officer
Imagine their Amusement when they saw the
student aviator issue from the debris of his ma
chine without a scratch
There are no more superstitious people any.
WHERE than the men of the aviation corps of all
the armies.
Il oniSo do fhof tho old
avators declared to one another that he was born
to triumph.
The flying school training was followed by a
course at the school of mitrailleurs at Cazeau
In June, 1916 Soulier was appointed to the Es-
cadrille N-26, under Commandment Brocard
The aviator remembers always his first engage
ment for no matter how extensive his practice has
been at the school it takes different personal quail
tiles to enable man to hold his own against the
enemy. No matter how well he may have done
in practice, 1t is felt that the actual test of the
Z ayiator's ability must come in battle.
Soulier had no easy task in his first engage
ment.
With a comrade, like himself, novice, hi
was ordered on PATROL Soon they were envel
oped in clouds, but as they came out Of this snow!
bank they were for the first time in the presence
of the enemy. They were confronted by two
Fokkers, which were at that time considered yer!
much to be feared.
firmly fastened in place, and with the first fire
shifted striking him in 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 mitrailleuse in place. Although
the gun struck him with each discharge he wa
able to keep in the fight until the adversary, hi
cartridges exhausted, abandoned the fight. Thu
French airmen then regained their lines.
Some time after this Soulier, who had thel
become a sergeant. brought down in two success
| sive days two German Drachens, one at the Woo
II yaux and the other east of Mesnil Saint Nibase