I'm impressed that Steve could get that photo of the war memorial in Bucharest! I was there last year but had no opportunity to get a good photo. It's in the middle of a very busy traffic circle.
Great picture of Chatkoff's gravestone, although he was never--as the inscription indicates--a member of the Lafayette Escadrille. He was a member of the Lafayette Flying Corps. Many people confuse the two. All Americans who flew for France in WWI were in the Lafayette Flying Corps, but only those who flew specifically in the almost all-American Escadrille N.124 (later S.124) were members of the Lafayette Escadrille. Chatkoff flew for the French Escadrille C.11. On 15 June 1917, he was stunting over the airfield at Chaudun, where his friends flying for the Lafayette Escadrille were stationed, when he lost control of his Caudron and crashed, killing his passenger and severely injuring himself. In 1931, Congress had to pass a special law, "An Act for the Relief of Herman Lincoln Chatkoff," in order for him to receive veteran's benefits, even though he never served in the American military. He died in 1964 at the age of 75. Steve Ruffin
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I'm impressed that Steve could get that photo of the war memorial in Bucharest! I was there last year but had no opportunity to get a good photo. It's in the middle of a very busy traffic circle.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture of Chatkoff's gravestone, although he was never--as the inscription indicates--a member of the Lafayette Escadrille. He was a member of the Lafayette Flying Corps. Many people confuse the two. All Americans who flew for France in WWI were in the Lafayette Flying Corps, but only those who flew specifically in the almost all-American Escadrille N.124 (later S.124) were members of the Lafayette Escadrille. Chatkoff flew for the French Escadrille C.11. On 15 June 1917, he was stunting over the airfield at Chaudun, where his friends flying for the Lafayette Escadrille were stationed, when he lost control of his Caudron and crashed, killing his passenger and severely injuring himself. In 1931, Congress had to pass a special law, "An Act for the Relief of Herman Lincoln Chatkoff," in order for him to receive veteran's benefits, even though he never served in the American military. He died in 1964 at the age of 75. Steve Ruffin
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