France. Armée. Légion étrangère; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
=Frank Musgrave=, San Antonio lawyer, a long-limbed raw-boned Texan, not
only looks the part but acts it. Original as they make them, even in
original states. It was a joy to meet such a character. After dodging
death in Champagne, he changed into the 170th and at Verdun was captured
in the spring of 1916 by the Boche, during an attack. He is now a
prisoner in Germany.
=Frank J. Baylies=, New Bedford, Mass., drove ambulance in Serbia in
1916. Went into the French Aviation. At Lufberry’s death, he became the
leading American Ace and was himself killed June 17, 1918. The news of
how he was shot down in combat with German aviators, and went to his
death among the flames of his machine on German soil, was brought in a
letter dropped by an enemy pilot. He brought down 11 Boche machines, was
promoted to lieutenant, and decorated with the Legion of Honor.
=David E. Putnam=,[B] Brookline, Mass. Putnam succeeded Baylies as chief
American Ace with 12 Boche machines to his credit. In the month of June,
1918, he brought down seven machines.
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Footnote B:
Descendent of General Israel Putnam. Killed in combat Sept. 18, 1918.
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=Paul Ingmer=, New York City. American of
Danish extraction, joined the Legion in 1916, went up on the Somme for a
preliminary, though bottled up in the Legion like Johnny Walker’s
whisky, is still going strong, and getting better with age.
=Nicholas Karayinis=, New York. One of the Americans who lived to tell
about it. Changed from Legion to American Army.
=Cyrus Chamberlain=, Minneapolis, Minn. Killed in combat while he and a
Frenchman were fighting twelve German aviators. Odds 6 to 1. Though he
lost his life, he gained the admiration of a brave people, and freely
gave his blood to cement the tie that binds the two Republics. Decorated
with the Croix de Guerre. Buried at Coulommiers.
=Harold E. Wright.= Along with others had much trouble getting
discharged from the French army. June 6, 1918, was ordered to Paris to
be transferred to American Army. No papers. Waited around for weeks.
Went to French Minister of Aeronautics for information. Was told to
report to the Commander of the Fourth Army at the Front, where he was
arrested as a deserter, and ordered to be shot at sunrise. Friends
interceded, and he was ordered to report at the Bureau of Recruitment,
Paris, where he received his discharge from the French Army, dated
January 21, several days before he was sentenced to be shot. Again
arrested on orders of the Prefect of Police, an examination of his
papers resulted in him being catalogued with the U. S. Army. Provost
Marshal receipted for him like a bale of merchandise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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