Flying for France: With the American Escadrille at VerdunMcConnell, James R. (James Rogers)
History
Flying for France: With the American Escadrille at Verdun
McConnell, James R. (James Rogers)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations
No greater blow could have befallen the escadrille. Kiffin was its
soul. He was loved and looked up to by not only every man in our
flying corps but by every one who knew him. Kiffin was imbued with the
spirit of the cause for which he fought and gave his heart and soul to
the performance of his duty. He said: "I pay my part for Lafayette
and Rochambeau," and he gave the fullest measure. The old flame of
chivalry burned brightly in this boy's fine and sensitive being. With
his death France lost one of her most valuable pilots. When he was
over the lines the Germans did not pass--and he was over them most of
the time. He brought down four enemy planes that were credited to him
officially, and Lieutenant de Laage, who was his fighting partner,
says he is convinced that Rockwell accounted for many others which
fell too far within the German lines to be observed. Rockwell had been
given the Médaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre, on the ribbon of
which he wore four palms, representing the four magnificent citations
he had received in the order of the army. As a further reward for his
excellent work he had been proposed for promotion from the grade of
sergeant to that of second lieutenant. Unfortunately the official
order did not arrive until a few days following his death.
The night before Rockwell was killed he had stated that if he were
brought down he would like to be buried where he fell. It was
impossible, however, to place him in a grave so near the trenches. His
body was draped in a French flag and brought back to Luxeuil. He was
given a funeral worthy of a general. His brother, Paul, who had
fought in the Legion with him, and who had been rendered unfit for
service by a wound, was granted permission to attend the obsequies.
Pilots from all near-by camps flew over to render homage to Rockwell's
remains. Every Frenchman in the aviation at Luxeuil marched behind
the bier. The British pilots, followed by a detachment of five
hundred of their men, were in line, and a battalion of French troops
brought up the rear. As the slow moving procession of blue and
khaki-clad men passed from the church to the graveyard, airplanes
circled at a feeble height above and showered down myriads of flowers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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