The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Kiffin Rockwell & Lafayette Escadrille (1916-1918) - May 28th, 2003

http://www.rockwell-family.org/articles/article00011p1.htm ^ | Marshall Pywell

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the The Foxhole
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

.................................................................................................................................

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Kiffin Rockwell And The Lafayette Escadrille

Kiffin Yates Rockwell, the youngest son of James Chester and Loula Ayres Rockwell, was born on 20 September 1892 in Newport, Tennessee. His older brother, Paul Ayres Rockwell, was born at the Ayres home, "Beechwood", in Marion County, South Carolina, on 3 February 1889. His sister, Agnes, was born in Morristown, Tennessee, on 5 September 1890. Kiffins' father died on 14 September 1890 at Newport of Typhoid fever and was buried at Morristown, TN.

Kiffin and his brother and sister were raised with the utmost of care and devotion by their Mother, who personally supervised their education. They divided their time between Newport and their Grandfather Ayres' place in South Carolina. Both at Newport and at their Grandfathers' home, Paul and Kiffin spent much time fishing and swimming and riding horseback. It was here that they learned to shoot guns.

Kiffin Rockwell

The family moved to Asheville, NC in 1906. Paul Rockwell attended Wake Forest College in 1907-1908 and Washington & Lee University from 1908 to 1910, majoring in History and Modern Languages. Agnes entered Wellesley College in the fall of 1908 and received her A.B. degree in 1912. Kiffin attended the Virginia Military Institute in 1908 to 1909; was appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1909, and in September of that year entered the Werntz Preparatory School at Annapolis to take courses for the Naval Academy entrance exams. He was unhappy with the life at Werntz and resigned his appointment in the late fall of 1909, joining his brother at W & L University.

After leaving Washington & Lee, Paul spent some time in Asheville and the winter of 1911-1912 in Washington, DC, hoping to prepare for the diplomatic or consular service. Kiffin, after a long trip through the Western part of the United States and Canada, joined his brother in Atlanta early in 1914.

Early in World War I, several Americans who were sympathetic to the Allied cause, volunterred their services to France as ambulance drivers, while others fought in the trenches with the French Foreign Legion. On 3 August 1914, Paul and Kiffin wrote to the French Consul-General at New Orleans offering their services to France. On 5 August 1914, without waiting for a reply from the French Consul-General, they left Atlanta, stopped in Washington, DC to get their passports, and sailed from New York on the American steamship 'St. Paul' for Europe on 7 August 1914.



During the winter of 1914-1915, in the Aisne and Champagne trenches, the Legionnaires experienced severe weather conditions and constant enemy fire. Paul Rockwell was shot in the right shoulder and developed inflammatory rheumatism, causing him not to be able to lift a rifle. He was mustered out of the Legionnaires in May 1915. After a long convalescence period, during which he did war propagnda work, he returned to the front in 1917 as official war correspondent attached to French Army Headquarters where he served until after the Armistice. He was cited in Army Orders and decorated with the 'Croix Guerre' and was made a 'Chevalier of The Legion of Honor'.

Kiffin Rockwell was shot through the leg on 9 May 1915 when his regiment charged La Targette, north of Arras. He spent six weeks in the hospital at Remes and when he left for Paris on convalescent leave, his leg was completely healed. He spent time with his brother, Paul, who was a war correspondent with the Chicago Daily News.

Prior to the end of 1915, Kiffin Rockwell, along with six other Americans, formed the Escadrille Americane on 16 April 1916, designated as N.124, and was placed on front-line duty at Luxeuil-les-Bains near Switzerland. The Escadrille Americaine flew its first mission on 13 May 1916, commanded by Capt. Georges Therault, and during the succeeding twenty months the unit served on the front, it had an additional thirty-one Americans assigned as pilots and was known as THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE.



On 18 May 1916, over the Alsace battlefield, Kiffin Rockwell attacked and shot down the first German airplane destroyed in combat by an American aviator. For this action, he was cited with the 'Medaille Militaire' and the 'Croix de Guirre'. Sent to the defense of Verdun, Rockwell was wounded in the face, on 26 May 1916, by an explosive bullet during combat with an enemy airplane. He refused to enter a hospital for treatment and continued his service as a pilot.

On 17 September 1917, a new American pilot had been assigned to the Escadrille. He was Robert Lockerbie Rockwell (a distant cousin of Kiffin and Paul Rockwell) from Cincinnati, Ohio. Rockwell, whom everyone called "Doc", had interned at the Anglo-American Hospital in Paris and was working at an auxiliary hospital in St. Valery-en-Caux when he decided to switch to aviation. he served with the Lafayette Escadrille from 17 September 1917 to 18 February 1918.

On 23 September 1916, during a battle high in the air with a German two-manned plane, Kiffin Rockwell was shot through the chest by an explosive bullet and killed instantly. His plane crashed to earth in a field of flowers between the first and second line French trenches, not two and a half miles from the spot where Rockwell's first air kill crashed four months earlier.



Kiffin Rockwell was buried two days later in the little cemetery at Luxeuil-les-Bains with full military honors. He had won numerous victories, another citation in the 'Order of The Army' and a promise of a promotion. His promotion to the rank of sous-lieutenant was signed shortly before he was killed, and he was awarded posthumously the "Cross of the Legion of Honor".

Kiffin Rockwell's death drew unprecedented reaction from the press on a world-wide level. In Paris, 'L'Illustration' commented, "Kiffin ignored danger and fear. He went into combat as to a ball. The name of this young hero (he was only 24) will live always in the memory of France".

[SAMWolf]

The Lafayette Escadrille

Before the United States entered the war in 1917, American sympathy for the Allies took many forms. One of the most famous was the Lafayette Escadrille, which started in April, 1916 as the Escadrille Américaine. As this name prompted German diplomatic complaints, it was renamed the Escadrille Lafayette. The fame of its thirty-eight American pilots exceeded their tangible impact; in 20 months, they downed 57 German planes, a solid, if unspectacular achievement. In February, 1918, the Lafayette Escadrille was absorbed into the U.S. forces as the 103rd Pursuit Squadron. (Many Americans flew with other French units; in general, these volunteers were called the Lafayette Flying Corps.)

Beginnings



Dr. Edmund L. Gros, director of the American Ambulance Service, and Norman Prince, an American expatriate already flying with the French, got the squadron started. The French authorities stationed them at Luxeuil and provided them with a CO, Captain Georges Thénault, and some Nieuports, (thus the designation Nieuport 124 or simply N.124). Prince, Elliot Cowdin, James McConnell, Laurence Rumsey, Kiffin Rockwell, Victor Chapman, William Thaw and others of the initial group, settled themselves in luxury at the Grand Hotel. They selected an Indian head as their insignia, painted on the fuselages of their Nieuports. Dr. Gros recruited more experienced American aviators from French air units: Paul Pavelka, Didier Masson, Chouteau Johnson, Raoul Lufbery, Dudley Hill, and Clyde Balsley.

Combat

Kiffin Rockwell had the honor of the Americans' first aerial victory, a German two-seater L.V.G. on May 18, 1916. Shortly afterwards, the escadrille moved up to Bar-le-Duc, an airfield near Verdun. And soon, war no longer seemed like a romantic game. Rockwell, Bill Thaw, and Chapman suffered terribly bloody bullet wounds. Next Clyde Balsley was hospitalized with a leg injury. While flying to deliver some oranges to the hospitalized Balsley on June 23, Victor Chapman became the escadrille's first casualty. After this, they were sent back to Luxueil for more training. About this time, they adopted a lion cub, nicknamed "Whiskey," as their mascot; it was later joined by another, inevitably dubbed, "Soda."

On September 23, Kiffin Rockwell and Raoul Lufbery took their Nieuports (now equipped with the latest British interrupter gear) to the the front. They became separated and when Rockwell jumped a two-seater, its rear gunner sprayed him steadily and brought him down.

The French put the reckless Americans on bomber escort duty. On October 12, after a raid on a Mauser factory at Oberndorf, four Lafayette Escadrille pilots were assigned escort duty. Fokkers jumped the returning bombers, and Norman Prince got one, but while approaching an emergency strip, he snagged his landing gear in a power line. His Nieuport flipped over, mortally wounding Prince.

The call went out for more American volunteers; fifty more enrolled. In late 1916, Spads replaced the Nieuports, and redesignated S.124. By January, 1917, Raoul Lufbery had shot down seven German planes to become the leading American ace. Notwithstanding the aura of heroism that settled on the group, it was not without problems. One flier, Bert Hall, a boorish braggart, a soldier of fortune, was sent packing. But he did shoot down four German planes.

Eleven Americans who served with French air forces became aces:

Raoul Lufbery

• Raoul Lufbery (KIA), 16 --- N.124, none with U.S. 94th Aero Sqn.
  

• David Putnam (KIA), 13 --- Spad 94, Spad 38; four with U.S. 139th Aero Sqn.
  Born in 1898, Putnam, a descendant of American Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam, grew up in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He joined the French Air Service at age 18, and scored his first victory in January, 1918, while flying with MS 156. By early June, he had four confirmed victories and many more unconfirmed. He transferred to Spad 38 and got two more confirmed kills, before moving over to the U.S. 139th Aero Sqn. He was shot down by the German ace Georg von Hantelmann in September, 1918.
  

• Frank Baylies (KIA), 12 --- Spad 3
  Another Massachusetts native (from New Bedford), Frank Baylies was born in 1895. He served with the Ambulance Service into 1917. He volunteered for the Air Service and joined Spad 3, with whom he started scoring in February, 1918.
  

• Paul Baer (POW), 9 --- all with 103rd Aero Sqn.
  
• Thomas Cassady, 9 --- five with Spad 163, four with U.S. 28th Aero Sqn.
  
• Ted Parsons, 8 --- seven with Spad 3, The Storks; one with N.124
  
• Gorman Larner, 7 --- two with Spad 86; five with U.S. 103rd Aero Sqn.
  
• Charles Biddle, 7 --- Spad 73, Spad 124, and 6 with U.S. units
  
• James Connelly, 7 --- Spad 157/163
  
• Bill Ponder, 6 --- three with French; three with U.S. 103rd Aero Sqn.
  
• Bill Thaw, 5 --- two with Lafayette Escadrille; three with U.S. 103rd Aero Sqn.

N.124 and Spad 124 both refer to the Lafayette Escadrille.

[SAMWolf]

The Lafayette Escadrille

Early in World War I, various Americans, sympathetic to the Allied cause, offered their service to France as ambulance drivers, while some of their countrymen fought in the trenches as members of the French Foreign Legion. A handful of these men successfully transferred to the French Aviation Service at the end of 1915 where they were joined by several Americans who enlisted as civilians. Some of these men suggested they sent to the Front as a squadron (escadrille) composed of American rather than French pilots. After months of deliberation by the French Government, the Escadrille Americaine, N.124, was formed and, on April 20, 1916, placed on front-line duty at Luxeuil-les-Bains, near Switzerland.



Escadrille Americaine was commanded by a Frenchman, Captain Georges Thenault, initially with seven Americans assigned as pilots — Norman Prince, Victor Chapman, Kiffin Rockwell, James McConnell, William Thaw, Elliot Cowdin, and Bert Hall. During the succeeding 20 months at the Front, an additional 31 Americans signed on as pilots. It flew its first mission on May 13, 1916. Five days later Rockwell scored their initial victory by shooting down an LVG recon. On June 23, 1916, Chapman was shot down and became the first Escadrille Americaine pilot to lose his life in aerial combat. When the unit's fame spread, the German government protested about the use of the "Americaine" in the title, since the US was still neutral at the time, and its name was changed to Escadrille Lafayette in December 1916.



Because of world-wide publicity, other Americans inquired about flying for France. As a result, a committee of American and French businessmen known as the Franco-American Flying Corps — subsequently as the Lafayette Aviation Corps, then Lafayette Flying Corps — was created to assist young Americans in enlisting in the French Aviation Service. More than 200 Americans eventually were trained by France as flyers, and most were assigned individually, or in twos and threes, to various French escadrilles. To say they served with the Escadrille Lafayette would be an historical inaccuracy; rather they all were "members" of the Lafayette Flying Corps, an organization which never actually served as an entity at the Front.

In February 1918, escadrille airplanes and most of its pilots were taken over by the United States, and French ground personnel replaced by members of the AEF's 103rd Aero Squadron. During its illustrious history with the French Aviation Service, the Escadrille Lafayette had served on practically every battle front in France, had downed 57 enemy aircraft, and lost nine of its pilots in action.



Although Americans in the French Aviation Service were of immense value to France, probably their greatest contribution was in 1918 after most had transferred to the AEF's Air Service (USAS). As combat veterans, they were the pilots that the USAS depended upon when sending its own "green" pursuit pilots at the Front. Because of their experience, they were assigned to newly-arrived American units where they could pass along their combat knowledge to the fledglings. One can only guess the number of inexperienced USAS pilots who survived their initial patrols over the Front under the protective guidance of a handful of their countrymen who previously had fought under the French Flag.

Additional Sources:

www.ashevilleregionalairport.com
www.people.virginia.edu
www.aerofiles.com
www.stenbergaa.com
www.homeofheroes.com
www.brooksart.com
www.firstworldwar.com
www.ku.edu
www.flyandrive.com

[SAMWolf]

The Lafayette Escadrille, which initially flew Nieuport and later Spad aircraft, gets its name from the French word for squadron (escadrille) and the famous French general who helped America during the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette.

"The squadron's original nickname was Escadrille Americaine (American Squadron), but America had not officially entered the war yet and Germany objected, so they (the French) changed the name in honor of Lafayette in December 1916."

As word of the escadrille's exploits spread, more Americans volunteered to serve in the unit than it could handle.

"Americans in Paris created the Lafayette Flying Corps, an unofficial organization that recruited American pilots and helped assign them to French operational units."

All told, 260 Americans joined the French Air Service (38 in the Escadrille). Out of those, 181 served in front-line units, 25 died in action and 96 eventually transferred to U.S. units once America entered the war -- a year after the Lafayette Escadrille was formed.

"These guys were our first combat pilots. They were pioneers, not just the forerunner of the Army Air Corps of World War II, but the Air Force of today."

The Escadrille is officially credited with 40 aerial victories. The top ace, U.S. pilot Raoul Lufberry, accounted for 17 of them. Three other Americans who flew with the Escadrille became aces. The group as a whole, the Escadrille and LFC, is credited with 199 victories. Twelve LFC pilots became aces, downing 104 enemy aircraft.

-- Gen. Gregory S. Martin, USAF

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[Valin]

On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on May 28:
1371 John the Fearless Burgundy France, Duke of Burgundy/warrior
1577 Floris II van Pallandt Dutch earl of Culemborg/politician
1660 George I king of England (1714-27)
1738 Dr Joseph Ignace Guillotin France, physician/inventor (guillotine)
1759 William Pitt the Younger (C), English PM (1783-1801, 1804-06)
1765 Jean Baptiste Cartier composer
1777 Joseph-Henri-Ignace Mees composer
1778 Friedrich Westenholz composer
1780 Joseph Frohlich composer
1782 Wouter J van Troostwijk Dutch painter
1789 Bernard S Ingemann Danish author (Tomorrow- og Aftensange)
1798 Josef Dessauer composer
1807 Jan van Swieten Dutch general/Governor of West-Sumatra
1807 Louis Agassiz Switzerland, naturalist/geologist/teacher
1810 Alexandre Calamo Switzerland, painter/etcher/lithographer
1818 Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard St-Bernard LA, US Confederate General (Hero of Sumter)
1819 William Birney Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1907
1820 Willem Doorenbos [Keerom] literary/critic
1828 Alpheus Baker Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1891
1828 Bartel Wilton machinefabrikant/ship builder
1830 George Lucas Hartsuff Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1874
1830 Karoly Filtsch composer
1831 Eliza Ann Gardner underground railway conductor
1838 Basil Wilson Duke Kentucky, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1916
1841 Giovanni Sgambati composer
1844 Leon Felix Augustin Joseph Vasseur composer
1851 Dick Barlow cricketer (immortal England all-rounder of 1880's)
1862 Henry W Slocum Jr tennis champion (US Open-1888)
1863 Georg Adler German state economist
1865 Gerrit Grijns Dutch physiologist (Vitamin E)
1868 Claude Anet [Jean Schopfer] French writer (Fille Perdue)
1874 G K Chesterton writer
1879 Milutin Milankovic Yugoslavian astronomer/meteorologist
1883 George Dyson composer
1883 Luigi Perrachio composer
1884 Edvard Benes premier/President of Czechoslovakia (1921-22, 35-48)
1884 Theo(door) van Reijn Dutch sculptor/lithographer
1886 Nicolai Sokoloff near Kiev Ukraine, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
1887 Hank Mann New York NY, actor (City Lights, Smoky, Dawn Trail, Fugitive Road)
1888 Jim [James Francis] Thorpe Shawnee OK, decathlete (Olympics-gold-1912)
1889 Jose Padilla composer
1892 Minna Gombell Baltimore MD, actress (Bad Girl, Thin Man, Hello Sister)
1894 Sammy White Rhode Island, actor (711 Ocean Drive, Sound Off)
1896 Marius Monnikendam Dutch choir composer
1896 Warren Giles baseball's National League president
1897 Henry Kendall London, actor (Amazing Quest, Shadow, Rich & Strange)
1898 Andy Kirk jazz musician
1900 Owen Aisher president (Marley)
1903 Gaston Duribreux Flemish writer (Golden Sail)
1904 Shalva Mikhaylovich Mshvelidze composer
1906 Mary Ralton director (British WRAC)
1906 Phil Regan singer (My Wild Irish Rose)
1907 Frederick George Emmison archivist/historian
1907 Henry Ritz comedian/dancer (Ritz Brothers)
1907 Patrick Browne British Lord justice of appeal
1908 Ian Lancaster Fleming London England, author (James Bond)
1909 John Schepens [Jean Baudoux] Flemish journalist/writer (Polyfoto)
1910 Rachel Kempson actress (Captive Heart)
1910 Stuart Piggott archaeologist
1910 T-Bone Walker Linden TX, blues guitarist (Funky Town, Well Done)
1911 Bob Crisp cricketer (South African pace bowler of 30's)
1911 Jean-Pierre Levy resistance leader
1912 Leslie Monson diplomat
1912 Patrick White Australia, novelist (Happy Valley, Nobel 1973)
1913 Gordon Wolstenholme physician
1914 W G G Duncan-Smith fighter pilot
1915 Scott McKay Pleasantville IA, actor (Stage Door)
1915 Wolfgang Schneiderhan violinist
1916 C Wright Mills US sociologist (Power Elite) [or Aug 28]
1916 Gerald McArthur detective
1916 Thora Hird actress (Nightcomers, Kind of Loving)
1916 Walker Percy Birmingham AL, author (Adventures of a Bad Catholic)
1916 Walker Percy Birmingham AL, writer (Adventures of a Bad Catholic)
1917 Barry Commoner Brooklyn NY, biologist (Science & Survival)
1917 Gerald Cash Governor-General (Bahamas)
1917 Marshall Reed Englewood CA, actor (Fred Asher-Lineup)
1917 Papa John Creech rocker (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane)
1919 Duke of Rutland British land owner/multi-millionaire
1919 Frank Middlemass actor (Island, Oliver Twist)
1919 John Eldridge CEO (Matthews Wrightmson)
1922 John Alderson chief constable (Devon & Cornwall UK)
1923 György Ligeti Dicsöszentmartin Transylvania Hungary composer
1923 Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao India, film star (Patala Bhairavi)
1924 Edward du Cann CEO (Lonrho)
1924 Lord Rippon British MP
1924 Reginald Eyre solicitor/MP
1925 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Zehlendorf Germany, baritone (Doktor Faust)
1925 Martha Vickers Ann Arbor MI, actress (Alimony, Man I Love, Ruthless)
1927 Bernhard Lewkovitch composer
1927 François Nourissier French writer (Un petit bourgeois)
1927 Norman Ireland CEO (Bowater)
1927 Robert Evans CEO (British Gas)
1928 Albert Booth British government minister
1928 Jacob R Druckman composer
1929 Leslie Wight cricketer (one Test West Indies vs India 1953, scored 21)
1929 Patrick McNair-Wilson MP
1930 Edward Seaga PM (Jamaica)
1930 Julian Penkivil Slade composer
1931 Carroll Baker Johnstown PA, actress (Andy Warhol's Bad, Babydoll, Harlow)
1931 Ervin Junger composer
1931 Peter Talbot Westergaard composer
1931 Raymond Miquel chairman (Scottish Sports Council)
1931 Stephen Birmingham Hartford, author (Real Lace America's Irish Rich)
1932 Henning Christiansen composer
1932 Lord Timothy Renton MP (Conservative)
1933 John Karlen Brooklyn NY, actor (Harvey Lacey-Cagney & Lacey)
1933 Philip Otton high court judge
1934 Dionne Quintuplets (Annette Cécile, Émilie, Marie, Yvonne), Ontario Canada, First known set of surviving quintuplets, these girls were treated as a side show and lived in a virtual museum
1934 Julian Slade composer
1934 Rob du Bois composer
1935 Kenneth Kleinwort English banker/multi-millionaire
1936 Maki Ishii composer
1938 Jerry West Cabin Creek WV, NBA superstar (Los Angeles Lakers, Olympics-gold-1960)
1938 Prince Buster Jamaican reggae musician/producer (Madness)
1940 Betty Shabazz educator/talk show hostess/widow (Malcolm X)
1940 Hans Dulfer tenor saxophonist/director (Paradiso)
1940 Thomas E Petri (Representative-R-WI, 1979- )
1941 Beth Howland Boston MA, actress (Vera-Alice, Company)
1941 Guntram Vesper writer
1943 Dennis Riley composer
1943 Liz Edgar horse show jumper
1943 Ray Mitchell governor (Albany Prison, England)
1943 Tony Mansfield [Anthony Bookbinder], rock drummer (Billy J Kramer)
1944 Adriaan T "Ad" Zuiderent poet/critic (On the Droge)
1944 Billy Vera musician (& the Beaters-At This Moment, Into the Night)
1944 Gladys Knight Atlanta GA, singer, leader of the Pips (Last train)
1944 Rudy Giuliani (Mayor-R/L-NYC, 1994- )
1945 Gary Stewart Latcher County KY, country singer (She's Actin' Single)
1945 John Fogerty Berkeley CA, rock vocals (Creedence Clearwater Revival
1946 Madeleine Le Roux Wyoming, Broadway actress (Cry Uncle)
1947 Beth Howland Boston MA, actress (Vera-Alice)
1947 Faith Brown impressionist
1947 Patti Reynolds Chicago IL, playmate (Sept, 1965)
1947 Sondra Locke Shelbyville TN, actress (Heart Is a Lonely Hunter)
1948 Bob Shearer Melbourne Victoria Australia, Australasia golfer
1948 Ray Laidlaw British rock drummer (Jack the Lad)
1949 Shelley Hamlin San Mateo CA, LPGA golfer (1978 Patty Berg Classic)
1949 Sue Holderness actress (Marlene-Only Fools & Horses, Sandbaggers)
1949 Wendy O[rleans] Williams Rochester NY, punk rocker (Plasmatics)
1953 Arto Lindsay rocker/actor (Cookie, Desperately Seeking Susan)
1954 George E Mahlberg Astrophysicist, Mount Palomar/Mount Wilson CA (1974-78)
1954 Joâo Carlos De Oliveira Brazil, triple jumper (Olympics-bronze-1976, 80)
1956 Germaine Montenesdro 2nd victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives)
1956 Jeff Dujon cricket wicket-keeper (West Indies 1981-91, their most successful)
1956 Mark Alexander Lees rowing Coach
1956 Susie Diane Owens Arkansas City KS, playmate (March, 1988)
1957 Kirk Gibson Michigan, outfield (Tigers, Dodgers, 1988 National League MVP)
1957 Walter R Tucker (Representative-D-CA)
1958 Yvet Anna painter
1959 Leon "The Bop" Klaasse rock drummer/singer (The Pilgrims-Red)
1960 Allan Green cricketeer
1961 Roland Gift Birmingham England, rocker (Fine Young Cannibals-She Drives Me Crazy)
1962 Brandon Cruz actor (Eddie-Courtship of Eddie's Father)
1963 Eugene Robinson NFL safety (Seattle Seahawk, Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1964 Armon Gilliam NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets)
1964 Beth Herr Middletown OH, tennis star
1964 Leisa Sheridan Omaha NE, playmate (July 1993)
1964 Mark MacKay Brandon Germany, hockey forward (Team Germany 1998)
1965 Catherine Tanvier France, tennis star
1965 Chantal Bailey Champaign IL, speed skater (Olympics-1994)
1965 Christa Miller New York NY, actress (Kate-Drew Carey Show)
1965 Michael Charles Brisky Brownsville TX, PGA golfer (1995 Buick-2nd)
1966 Gavin Robertson New South Wales cricket off-spin all-rounder (Australia ODI-Pakistan 1994)
1967 Glen Rice NBA guard/forward (Charlotte Hornets)
1967 Kari Wuhrer Brookfield CT, MTV/actress (Remote Control, Beverly Hills 90210, Out Of Sync)
1967 Tory Epps NFL defensive tackle (New Orleans Saints)
1968 Char Thompson WLAF running back (Barcelona Dragons)
1968 Kylie Minogue Melbourne Australia, rock vocalist (Locomotion)
1968 Sandra Bacher Long Island NY, half-heavyweight judoka (Olympics-92, 96)
1968 Tomas P Pukstys Chicago IL, javelin thrower (Olympics-96)
1969 Bob Meeks WLAF corner (Barcelona Dragons)
1969 Damian Rhodes St Paul, NHL goalie (Ottawa Senators)
1969 Frank McCormack Leicester MA, cyclist (Olympics-96)
1970 Ben Williams WLAF defensive end (London Monarchs)
1970 David Roberts Alameda CA, US hockey forward (Olympics-1994)
1970 Jason Belser NFL cornerback (Indianapolis Colts)
1970 Morgan Fox Prince George British Columbia, playmate (December 1990)
1971 Jeff Gove Seattle WA, Nike golfer (1991 Ralphs Senior Classic)
1971 Nick Bravin New York NY, fencer-foil (Olympics-96)
1972 Cheryl Demkowski Syracuse NY, dance skater (& Gregory Maddalone)
1972 Denise Booker Liverpool, golfer (South Australian Jr champion 1990)
1973 Pat Peake Rochester, NHL center (Washington Capitals)
1973 Todd Sweeris Grand Rapids MI, table tennis player (Olympics-96)
1975 Caresa Winters Miss South Dakota USA (1996)
1975 Mike Fisher Naperville IL, soccer midfielder (Olympics-gold-96)
1977 Ashley Ryan Ruiz Offord Miami FL, singer (Menudo-Cannonball)
1980 Cheri Wheeler Miss Georgia Teen USA (1997)

---

Deaths which occurred on May 28:
1089 Lanfrance Archbishop of Canterbury, dies
1259 Christoffel I King of Denmark, dies
1317 Guy van Avesnes/Henegouwen bishop of Utrecht, dies at about 63
1357 Afonso IV King of Portugal (1325-57), dies at 66
1521 Willem van Croij duke of Soria, dies at about 62
1534 Dirk Martens Flemish printer/humanist, dies at about 83
1650 Gilles Hayne composer, dies at 59
1685 Pieter de la Court economist/historian, dies at about 67
1787 Johann Georg Leopold Mozart Austrian composer, dies at 67
1791 Joseph Schmitt composer, dies at 57
1805 Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini Italian composer/cellist (Minuet), dies at 62
1833 Johann Christian Friedrich Haeffner composer, dies at 74
1836 Anton Reicha composer, dies at 66
1838 Thomas Busby composer, dies
1843 Noah Webster lexicographer (Webster's Dictionary), dies at 84
1849 Anne Bronté novelist, dies
1863 Edmund Kirby Jr Union-Brigadier-General, dies of injuries at 23
1864 Henry H Giesy US Union-Brigadier-General, dies in battle
1883 August Freyer composer, dies at 79
1889 Willem M d'Ablaing lawyer, dies at 37
1890 Viktor Ernst Nessler composer, dies at 49
1898 Edward Bellamy US author (Looking Backward), dies
1911 Stephanus J du Toit South African theologist/journalist (African Bond), dies
1913 Lord Avebury [John Lubbock] British banker/politician, dies
1914 Adolf Gustaw Sonnenfeld composer, dies at 76
1921 Geo Mestdagh Belgian aviation pioneer, dies
1922 Carl Tieke composer, dies at 58
1927 Georges Eekhoud Belgian writer (Belgian Kempen), dies
1937 Alfred Adler Austrian psychiatrist (Individual Psychology), dies at 67
1940 Adriaan J Enschedé director (Dutch printers Joh Enschedé), dies at 50
1940 Randle Ayrton actor (Manx Man), dies at 70
1940 Theodor Streicher composer, dies at 65
1940 Walter Connolly actor (It Happened One Night, Good Earth), dies at 53
1942 Jean F van Royen German secretary PTT (Camp Amersfoort), dies
1944 Katri Vala Finnish poet, dies at 42
1954 Achille Longo composer, dies at 54
1958 Mikulas Schneider-Trvavsky composer, dies at 77
1959 Bert Collins cricketer (19 Tests for Australia 1920-26), dies
1963 Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin composer, dies at 60
1964 John Finley Williamson conductor (Westminster Choir), dies at 76
1969 Rhys Williams actor (Nightmare, Okinawa, Corn is Green), dies at 71
1971 Audie Murphy actor (Whispering Smiths), dies at 46
1972 Duke of Windsor who abdicated the throne, dies in Paris at 77
1972 Edward VIII King of Great Britain/Northern Ireland/emperor (India 1936), dies at 77
1973 Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt German composer/conductor (Hassan), dies at 73
1973 Jacques Lipchitz Polish/French/US art critic sculptor, dies at 81
1975 Eric Emerson entertainer, dies
1975 Roy Roberts actor (Petticoat Junction, Lucy Show), dies at 75
1977 Jiri Reinberger composer, dies at 63
1981 Mary Lou Williams black musician, dies at 71 in Durham NC
1981 Stefan Wyszynski Polish Cardinal, dies
1984 Eric Morecambe British comedian (Morecambe & Wise), dies at 58
1986 Lurene Tuttle actress (Father of Bride, Julia), dies at 79
1987 Charles Ludlam actor (Big Easy), dies at 44
1990 Giorgio Manganelli writer, dies at 67
1990 Hussein Bin Onn 1st minister of Malasia (1976-81), dies
1990 Joseph Hardy actor/director (Tree Grows in Brooklyn), dies at 71
1991 Brigitte B Fischer writer, dies
1991 Ethel Lois Payne journalist (Chicago Defender), dies at 79
1993 Billy Conn boxer/actor (Pittsburgh Kid), dies at 75
1993 Charles Barnett cricketer (20 Tests for England), dies
1994 Julius Boros pro golfer (US Open 1952), dies of heart attack at 74
1994 Rita Gillespie tV Director, dies at 65
1995 Daniela Rocca actress (Battle of Austerlitz), dies at 57
1995 Henning Kronstam dancer, dies at 60
1995 Jean Elizabeth Leuckert Muir British designer dressmaker/model, dies at 66
1996 John "Jack" Layden local politician, dies at 70
1996 Sidney Greenbaum grammarian, dies at 66
1998 Phil[ip Edward] Hartman actor/comedian (NewsRadio, Saturday Night Live), shot to death while asleep in his bed by his wife at 49

---

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1968 HILL JOSEPH A. TAYLORVILLE IL.
1968 INGVALSON ROGER D. AUSTIN MN.
{03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98}
1971 CHAVIRA STEPHEN WASCO CA.
1971 URQUHART PAUL D. MC MURRAY PA.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

---

On this day...
0585 -BC- Thales Miletus predicts solar eclispe Persian-Lydian battle ends
0640 Severinus begins his reign as Catholic Pope (elected in 638)
1037 German emperor Koenraad II removes "Constitutio the Feudis"
1156 Battle at Brindisi: King Willem of Sicily beats Byzantine fleet
1349 60 Jews murdered in Breslau Silesia
1358 Daint-Leu at Oise begins French boer uprising
1521 Pope Leo X signs treaty with German emperor Charles V
1533 England's archbishop voids King Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn's marriage
1539 Hernando de Soto lands in Florida
1608 Claudio Monteverdi's "Arianna" premieres in Mantua
1635 Zorilla's "El Desafio de Carlos V" premieres in Madrid
1664 1st Baptist Church is organized (Boston)
1674 German Parliament declares war on France
1731 All Hebrew books in Papal State are confiscated
1741 Spain & Bavaria sign treaty
1742 1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman's Fields, London)
1754 George Washington defeats French & Indians at Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh)
1774 1st Continental Congress convenes (Virginia)
1818 1st steam-vessel to sail Great Lakes launched
1830 Congress authorizes Indian removal from all states to western prairie
1845 Fire in Québec Canada, 1,500 houses destroyed
1849 Princess WFLC Marianne & Albrecht of Prussia separate
1851 Sojourner Truth attends Women's Rights Convention
1858 Dion Boucicault's "Foul Play" premieres in London
1863 1st black regiment (54 Massachusetts) leaves Boston to fight in Civil War
1866 Dutch Government of Zuylen van Nijevelt/Heemskerk forms
1871 Paris communards revolt put down
1875 3rd Preakness: L Hughes aboard Tom Ochiltree wins in 2:43½
1880 8th Preakness: L Hughes aboard Grenada wins in 2:40½
1892 Sierra Club forms by John Muir in San Fransisco, for conservation of nature
1894 Belgium Princess Josephine marries Prince Karl von Hohenzollern
1900 Britain annexes Orange Free State (as Orange River Colony)
1900 Fire in Cincinnati nearly destroys Reds' grandstand
1900 Solar eclipse occurs
1901 26th Preakness: Fred Landry aboard The Parader wins in 1:47.2
1901 Laws against phosphor matches enacted (inhibition white phosphorous)
1904 29th Preakness: Eugene Hildebrand aboard Bryn Mawr wins in 1:44.2
1906 Shields/Cobbs musical "His honor, the Mayor" premieres in NYC
1907 1st Auto-Cycle Union Tourist Trophy
1912 Jackie Matthews takes 2 cricket hat-tricks same day Australia vs South Africa
1915 John B Gruelle patents Raggedy Ann doll
1918 Tatars declares Azerbaijan, in Russian Caucasus, independent
1919 Armenia declares it's independence
1923 Attorney General says it is legal for women to wear trousers anywhere
1923 US unemployment has nearly ended
1926 Military coup by General Manuel Gomes da Costa in Portugal
1926 US Customs Court created by congress
1927 Hammond scores his 1,000th cricket run of the season after 22 days
1928 Dodge Brothers Inc & Chrysler Corp merged
1929 1st all color talking picture "On With the Show" exhibited (NYC)
1930 Georges Forbes succeeds Joseph Ward as premier of New Zealand
1932 Dam closed, at current monument (South Seas)
1934 Bradman gets 160 Australia vs Middlesex, 124 minutes, 27 fours, 1x6, 1x5
1934 Hobbs scores his 197th & last FC cricket ton at 51 years 163 days
1937 Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco opens to vehicular traffic
1937 Neville Chamberlain becomes PM of England
1938 Foundation for Tel Aviv harbor laid
1938 Hindemiths opera "Mathis der Maler" premieres in Zürich
1940 Belgium surrenders to Germany, King Leopold III gives himself up
1940 British-French troops capture Narvik Norway
1940 Irving Berlin's musical "Louisiana Purchase" premieres in NYC
1941 1st night game at Washington DC, Griffith Stadium (Yankees 6, Senators 5)
1941 British army begins evacuation of Kreta
1942 1,800 Czechoslovakians murdered by Nazis during attack on Heydrich
1943 British militia reaches Tito
1946 1st night game at Yankee Stadium (Senators 2, Yankees 1)
1948 Iraq captures Ge'ulim settlement
1951 After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his 1st homerun (also his 1st major league hit)
1951 Bernardus J Alfrink appointed bishop's assistant of Utrecht
1951 Jerry Colonna Show, debuts on ABC-TV
1953 Premier of 1st animated 3-D cartoon in Technicolor-"Melody"
1955 81st Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Nashua wins in 1:54.6
1955 Bob Sweikert wins Indianapolis 500 with an average speed of 128.213 mph
1955 Fay Crocker wins LPGA Wolverine Golf Open
1956 Dale Long becomes 1st to hit homeruns in 8 straight games
1956 Eisenhower signs farm bill allows government to store agricultural surplus
1957 National League approves Brooklyn Dodgers' & New York Giants' move to west coast
1957 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1957 WPSD TV channel 6 in Paducah KY (NBC) begins broadcasting
1958 French Government of Pflimlin resigns/200,000 demonstrate against De Gaulle
1958 Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Land of Sky Golf Open
1959 Congressional Committee of Astronautics meets Project 7 astronauts
1959 Johnson & Bart's musical "Lock Up Your Daughters" premieres in London
1959 Monkeys Able & Baker zoom 300 miles (500 km) into space on Jupiter missile, became 1st animals retrieved from a space mission
1960 "Greenwillow" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 95 performances
1961 Amnesty International is founded (Nobel Peace Prize 1977)
1961 Last trip (Paris to Bucharest) on Orient Express (after 78 years)
1961 Record 27 homeruns hit in 7 American League games
1962 Suit alleging de facto school segregation filed in Rochester NY
1962 US stock market drops $20.8 B in 1 day
1962 Wide World of Sports with Chris Schenkel premieres on CBS radio
1963 Cyclone hits Chittagong, Bangladesh; estimated 22,000 die & 1 million houses destroyed
1963 Jomo Kenyatta becomes 1st PM of Kenya
1964 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 9th String quartet
1964 Jawaharlal Nehru cremated in New Dehli
1964 Palestine National Congress forms the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) in Jerusalem
1964 Unmanned Apollo 2 Saturn test launched into Earth orbit
1965 Fire & explosion at Dhori mine in Dhanbad India kills 400
1966 "Ballad Of Irving" by Frank Gallop hits #34
1966 Dmitri Shostakovich's 11th String quartet, premieres in Leningrad
1967 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 2nd Violin concerto
1967 Francis Chichester arrives home at Plymouth from Round-the-world trip
1967 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1968 American League announces it is splitting into 2 divisions
1968 National League grants San Diego Padres a franchise
1968 Senator Eugene McCarthy wins Democratic primary in Oregon
1969 AC Milan wins 14th Europe Cup 1 in Madrid
1971 Paul McCartney releases his 2nd solo album "Ram"
1971 USSR Mars 3 launched, 1st spacecraft to soft land on Mars
1972 White House "plumbers" break into Democratic National HQ at Watergate
1973 Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland Indians, 6-3, in 21 innings (game started 5/26)
1974 26th Emmy Awards: MASH, Alan Alda & Mary Tyler Moore win
1974 Emmy 1st Daytime Award presentation
1974 Italians fascist bomb demonstrators in Brescia, 6 killed
1974 Stephen Schwartz' musical "Magic Show" premieres at Cort Theater NYC for 1859 performances
1975 Bayern München wins 20th Europe Cup 1 in Paris France
1975 Soyuz 18 launches
1977 165 killed in a fire at Beverly Hills Supper Club in Kentucky
1978 Al Unser became 5th to win Indianapolis 500 (average speed of 161.363 mph), 3 times
1979 European Market accepts Greece as member
1980 2 Oakland A's steal home in 1st inning
1980 Joe Darby does a standing long jump of 12'5"
1980 Nottingham Forrest wins 25th Europe Cup 1 in Madrid
1982 Leonard Maltin's 1st appearance on Entertainment Tonight
1982 Pope John Paul II is 1st pope to visit Great Britain
1983 "Ricky" by Weird Al Yankovic hits #63
1983 Hamburger ZV wins 28th Europe Cup 1 in Athens
1985 David Jacobsen taken hostage in Beirut Lebanon
1985 Discovery moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-G
1986 Democratic Labor Party wins parliamentary election in Barbados
1986 White Sox Joe Cowley sets record striking out 1st 7 Rangers he faces
1987 60th National Spelling Bee: Stephanie Petit wins spelling staphylococci
1987 Baltimore Oriole Mike Young hits 2 homeruns in extra innings
1987 Bob Milacki sets Southern league pitching record 11 1/3 no hit innings
1987 Mathias Rust, 19, West German pilot, makes unauthorized landing in USSR
1987 Monitor, Civil War warship, is discovered by a deep sea robot
1987 Paul Pearman jumps 21 barrels on a skateboard in Augusta
1987 Stacking of Discovery's SRBs completed
1988 Genie Francis (General Hospital) weds Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek TNG)
1989 Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Corning Golf Classic
1989 Delta Burke (Designing Women) weds Gerald McRaney (Major Dad)
1989 Emerson Fittipaldi wins the Indianapolis 500 with an average speed of 167.581 mph
1990 César Gaviria Trujillo installed as President of Colombia
1990 Dave Thomas Comedy Show, debuts on CBS-TV
1990 Eugenia Charles' Dom'n Freedom Party wins election in Dominica
1990 Longest wheelie (David Robilliard with 5 hours 12 minutes 33 seconds (Channel Islands)
1991 Ethiopian rebels seize Addis Ababa
1992 65th National Spelling Bee: Amanda Goad wins spelling lyceum
1993 200,000 demonstrate against mafia terror
1993 Polish Government of Suchocka falls
1994 "Cafe American" last airs on NBC-TV
1994 Twin's Dave Winfield passes Rod Carew into 15th hit list (3,054)
1995 "Inspector Calls" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 454 performances
1995 Alison Nichols wins LPGA Corning Golf Classic
1995 Dottie Mochrie wins J C Penney/LPGA Skins Golf Game
1995 Earthquake hits Russian town of Khabarovsk, killing 2,000 people
1995 Southwestern Florida outside of Tampa begins using new area code 941
1995 White Sox (5) & Tigers (7) combine for record 12 homeruns at Tiger Stadium
1997 Bob Dylan hospitalized in England with histoplasmosis
1997 Linda Finch completes Amelia Earhart attempted around-the-world flight
1997 Tornado in Jarrell TX kills at least 28
1997 Wallace Berg, 42, is 4th American to scale Mount Everest for 3rd time

---

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Puerto Rico : Memorial Day
US : Memorial Day/Decoration Day, a legal holiday (1868] - - - - - ( Monday )
Virginia : Confederate Memorial Day (1868) - - - - - ( Monday )

---

Religious Observances
old Roman Catholic : Feast of St Augustine, 1st achbp of Canterbury, confessor
Christ : Commemoration of St Bernard of Montjoux, patron of mountain climbers

---

Religious History
1725 English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'I can't think that when God sent us into the world He had irreversibly decreed that we should be perpetually miserable in it.'
1818 Former president Thomas Jefferson set forth in a letter to a Jewish journalist his opinion of religious intolerance: 'Your sect by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal point of religious insolence, inherent in every sect, disclaimed by all while feeble and practised by all when in power. Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religions, as they do our civil rights, by putting all on equal footing. But more remains to be done.'
1898 In Italy, the Shroud of Turin was first photographed by Secundo Pia in Turin's Cathedral, where it had rested for 320 years.
1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill which added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.
1958 The Presbyterian Church in the U.S. merged with the Presbyterian Church of North America to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA).

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

---

Thought for the day :
"Every human being comes equipped with a brain at no extra cost."

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Snippy.

[SAMWolf]

NO. You get to learn about the Americans who where doing the french's fighting, as usual.

[Valin]

Ermey visits troops at Camp Victory - 'Mail Call' star hopes to film for his show
Antelope Valley Press ^ | May 27, 2003. | DENNIS ANDERSON


Posted on 05/27/2003 9:39 PM CDT by BenLurkin


FALL IN! DROP AND GIVE ME 20...MAGGOT!

[Valin]

I'm an idiot go to
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/918658/posts

[snippy_about_it]

Oh good. I shall study at lunch then.

[SAMWolf]

The Ballad of Irving
Frank Gallop

He was short and fat, and rode out of the West
With a Mogen David on his silver vest.
He was mean and nasty right clear through,
Which was kinda weird, 'cause he was yellow too.

They called him Irving.
Big Irving.
Big, short Irving.
Big, short, fat Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.

He came from the old Bar Mitzvah spread,
With a 10-gallon yarmulke on his head.* [see below]
He always followed his mother's wishes,
Even on the range he used two sets of dishes.

Irving.
Big, fat Irving.
Big sissy Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.

A hundred and forty-one could draw faster than he,
But Irving was looking for one forty-three.
Walked into Sol's Saloon like a man insane,
And ordered three fingers of two cents plain.

Irving.
Big, fat Irving.
Big sport Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.

---

[The following lines were edited out of the original release, and are only in
the version available on Dr. Demento's 20th Anniversary Collection.]

One day Bad Max happened into town.
His aim was to shoot fat Irving down.
Bad Max said, "Draw, and draw right now!"
And Irving drew, drew a picture of a cow.

Irving.
Big, fat Irving.
Big gunfighter Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.

---

The James Boys was comin' on a train at first sun,
And the town said, "Irving, we need your gun."
When that train pulled in at the break of dawn,
Irving's gun was there, but Irving was gone.

Irving.
Big, fat Irving.
Big help, Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.

Well, finally Irving got three slugs in the belly.
It was right outside the Frontier Deli.
He was sittin' there twirlin' his gun around,
And butterfingers Irving gunned himself down!

Irving.
Big, fat Irving.
Big dum-dum Irving.
Big dum-dum dead Irving.
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West.
Really.


*The line about the 10-gallon yarmulke was on the original LP, but the single
version and subsequent LP pressings substituted the line:
Schlepping a salami and pumpernickel bread.
This substitution was made because the record company felt the joke would be
lost on non-Jewish listeners.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL!

[SAMWolf]

I just love Ermey!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[Valin]

OY! What a mensch! :-)