The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-23
SAYS The LAST OF The ARNhY'S THREE MuSKETEERS-
1MAY GET mine, BUT I'm GOING TO CARRY ON
Twice Lieutenant Irving Wood.
ring Has Seen a Pal Plunge
to Death
It in No Way Makes Me Think
That Flying Is Unsafe, the
Last Says

San Diego, Calf, Oct. 23.-His
buddies have gone-called by the
Grim Reaper.
Twice Lieutenant Irving Wood
ring, only surviving member Of the
famous army stunt team, "The Three
Musketeers," saw bodies of his pals
lifted from twisted masses of wreck
age which had been airplanes. Twice
he nursed sorrow known only to
those who have witnessed the death
of comrades.
But Lieutenant Woodring is carry
ing on just the same-carrying on
so that the name of "The Three
Musketeers" will continue to live.
my buddies gave their lives for
The Three Musketeers.' The least
l can do is to carry on-for them"
says Lieutenant Woodring.
How They Died
The leader of "The Three Musket-
eers," Lieutenant ]. J. Williams, was
killed at Mines Field. Los Angeles,
in September. His motor stalled
while he was flying upside down at
very low altitude and the ship
crashed before her could right it.
A short time afterwards Lieutenant
William j. Cornelius was killed when
his plane crashed into another one
during daily maneuvcrs at Rockwell
Field, here.
More than anything else | want
to get two more men and keep the
name of The Three Musketeers'
alive in the army" Lieutenant Wood
ring told me. "I feel vedy badly
over the death of Williams and Cor
nelius, but it is nothing l can hold
against flying. And it in no way
makes me think flying is unsafe.
The boys got tough break from
Lady Luck-that's all.
"No, / am not afraid Of being
killed and I don't think that any
army flyers consider The Three
Musketeers' a bad omen. / person.
ally intend to keep right on stunt
ing just as l always have done.
Some day l may get it, too, but l
don't think 50, and I'm not worry
ing about it.
"A man who can't stunt a plane
has no place in the army. Stunt
ing is not dangerous tom-foolery.
1t is essential to good flying and
absolutely necessary in a pursuit
squadron. Every stunt we perform
is a necessary maneuver in war
times"
Indy Joins Musketcers
After the death of Lieutenant
Williams during the National Air
Meet in Los Angeles, Colonel Charles
A. Lindbergh joined "The Three
Musketeers" and led them through
their daily stunt performances for
five days.
II enjoyed flying with Colonel
Lindbergh as leader" says Wood
ring. 1T is a pleasure to fly with
9 man who loves aviation rs Colonel
Lindbergh does. It was little diff
ficult to go through the maneuvers
the first day, but as soon as we be-
came used to Colonel Lindbergh's
flying and his signals it was easy.
For a man who pilots pursuit ships
as seldom as he does, he is a re-
markable flyer.
"Only once during the five days
we flew with Colonel Lindbergh did
we face any trouble. As we were
coming out of dive l saw Colonel
Lindbergh pull his ship up sharply.
l followed, figuring that something
was wrong. but not knowing what"
The writer was an eye witness
of the incident Woodring mentions.
Indy, Woodring and Cornelius were
diving from about 5000 feet. AS
they swooped down to within $50
feet of the ground two navy bombers
were just taking off. Lindbergh
apparently did not see the navy
planes until he was nearly on top Of
them. Then he pulled his ship up
sharply, his companions following
and all Of them missing the navy
planes by q scant few feet.
Like most aviators, Lieutenant
Woodring is a man of very few
words. He doesn't like to talk Of
his own exploits.
Escaped in Parachute
"The National Air Meet in Los
Angeles was to have been one of
the high spots Of our careers as a
team" he says. "There was a GER
tain amount Of rivalry between our
team and The Three Sea Hawks
of the navy. It was our chance to
steal the limelight from them. Then
Williams ran into tough luck and
was killed.
1.-THE air gods seemed to have
been against us, though, because it
was only q short time later that
Cornelius was killed here. We were
flying in regular squadron forma-
ton over the field here when Cor
nelius, who was leading his element,
crashed into Lieutenant R. b. Will
liams, who was plotting the rear
plane of my element. didn't see
the crash, as it was behind me, and
Williams told me afterwards that
he didn't see Cornelius coming until
their planes crashed together. Both
men jumped with their parachutes,
but Cornelius chute got caught in
his plane and he went down with
the wreck"
Few men who have seen their
closest pals laid to rest would have
the courage to carry on. Lieuten-
ant Woodring is, for "The Three
Musketeers"-and the memory Of
his buddies.