Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-22
MAJOR RAOUL LuFBERY
LED NOMAD|C CAREER
"Ace" Brought Down Seventeen Bo-
che Air Machines Before Becom-
ing Instructor Under Pcrshing.
TWICE CIRCLED THE GLOBE
Decorated Four Times With Mill
tary Medals for Aerial Bravery.
His Exploits In Air Arc Almost
Superhuman.

NEW YORK. May 2l.--Mator Raoul
Lufbery!
Even the mention OF Captain Kidd.
Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and
Frank Read. Jr, fails 20 grip the brain
OF young America and fill him 'with
such magic as found in these three
words-Major Raoul Lufbery.
Nor does the magic, the keen apprc-
citation and the deepest of respect and
admiration confne itself to our youth.
Young and old alike have read and
pondered of the almost superhuman
doings Of Major Lufbery. Many have
rercad and then wondered If the news
papermen had not strayed bit from
facts in order that they might give
vent to their personal admiration of
the American ace"
With seventeen enemy airplanes to
his credit. Lufbery was actually drag
sed from active service by General
PershinE and commissioned an in
structor in the American generals new
air army.
Those writer's OF fiction. those who
indulge in widest flights OF fancy and
excessive use of painting" adjectives,
have yet failed to pen life so re-
plete with romance. SO highly colored
with actual experience and endless
travel and with climax which even
the most lurid drama has yet failed to
produce.
Of limited space, the early
/, life of Raoul may be chronicled rs fol-
fows: native OF France; born OF Ameri-
can father, now n resident of Yales-
willie, Conn. and French mother spent
carly childhood days in the rugged
hills Of the Cevenncs Mountain range:
later lived with grandmother in small
French town: on death of his mother.
-'Raoul went to live with his father
and the four other children at Blois:
he worked In a chocolate factory while
the father remained ut home TO care
for the other children: later when his
father obtained a lucrative position
Raoul began his nomadic career: work
cd his way through AlGiers, Tunis, Mo-
rocco. Egypt, Constantinorle. Rouna-
sSNta, Austria, Germany: then on 4
steamship plying between hamburg
.1nd South Africa.
Accustomed to going and coming
.Yhen he pleased, Raoul suddenly left
THE boat in South Africa and came TO
America, to WallinEford. Conn. 10 visit
his father, only to find that his father
had departed for Antwerp. From 1907
To 1902, Raoul worked IN Il silver plant
nj Wallingford. Raoul then went *
Cuba, on his second trip around the
.World. He spent eighteen months in
.t!1e Philippines In Uncle Sans service
When next heard from, Raoul was
lin Ceylon. but firing OF tea fields
sltaoul spent a few months In hunting
tigers in Bombay, India. Thence to
Calcutta went the wande.er. lie was
making his way through Asia. having
reached French do-Chna. when TIE
great war started. There, fate again
~shufled the cards. dealing 81 that
fRaoul met Aviator Pourpc, who was
giving flying exhibitions Throughout
the Orient.
From the moment that he first saw
Fourpe fly he was no longer 4 wan
-derer-he was an aviator. Pourp'
taught him to fly and the two hccam,
chums--frm and lasting friends. 70!
lowing a .all, in which both expert
epced miraculous escape from death
~Hst 1914. Il. l..
mo sooner had the echoes OF the
Numbering OF German guns been heart
i4in Paris than Pourpe enlisted as
flyer. Raoul Immediately enlisted a:
hts mechinist. Pourpe was killed af.
ter a few fights and Lufbery. seak
Ing vengeance for his chum's death
nenlisted in the Foreign Legion ant
later Joined the Lafayette Escadrille
soon after Lieutenant Thaw and 9th
,ers had organized 1t.
..s. Raoul was decorated with four mill
starry medals for aerial bravery, ant
searly last September was already cred
tied with having brought down hi
Twelfth enemy plane. Once he en-
,fown one and chased the other three
&Surng that battle he also rescued
scemrade who was in distress and fight
ing overwhelming odds.
se+Lufhery accompanied the !N-fate
Etfftn Rockwell. who was killed Sep
TENDER %. When Raoul learned Of IN
+ fate OF his flying partner, he orderc
his gasoline tank reflled and agai
scared heavenward TO avengc his con-
:ade's death. The Bockes had iepart
cd hastily. They knew Lufbery. Tina
he knew no fear is splendidly show
IN recent letter TO his father, in whIc
appears the following line
fS4l love best to wait behind n cIou
and watch the Boche bird come on :"