Pershing at Issoudun?

[retread]

I have to make a correction of my last post in this thread. The date of Sec. Baker's inspection of Issoudun was March 16th ( Saturday) as opposed to the 15th. This is taken from " An American Pursuit Pilot in France , Roland W. Richardson's Diaries and Letters 1917-1919." Richardson closed his March 16, 1918 diary entry with , " Gen. Pershing, Sect. Baker and his staff inspected the camp today & had us all toeing the mark."

[scooterjmuggs]

An interesting story regarding the roughness of Issoudun Training facility. In H. Paul Jeffers Biography of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker he relates a story about when Rickenbacker was the engineering officer at the field. Rick was trying to get his wings at the time and was often put out with the younger "rich" kids there learning to fly. Seems the field was very rough, rocky and often muddy. Once, Rick requisitioned numerous buckets and put the "rich" perspective flyboys to work pulling rocks out of the field.

Apparently rocks often flew up breaking the wooden props of the aircraft. He thought this a fun and cruel way to get even with the young upper crust pilot trainees.

scooterjmuggs, out.

[austin08]

Thanks Very much Retread,
that is a second confirmation of dates. It also now seems likely that one of the touring party pictured was Colonel Douglas MacArthur ( this still needs confirmation-I'm picking up William Manchesters Bio of him) - Chief of Staff for the rainbow division linked in connection with Sec. Baker.

Thanks for the story Scooter,
That ground definately needs a clean up, & may be a likely reason for the wheel guards