Lieutenant Edward Buford Jr.
from
The Idaho Statesman
May 26, 1918
Yankees
Account for two Germans
Lieutenants Buford and Rickenbacher Bring Down Enemy Planes in Sharp Battles
With the American Army is France (AP) -- Lieutenant Buford Jr., of Nashville, Tenn. was officially credited Friday with shooting down a German airplane or St. Midiel on May 22.
Buford, while patrolling, encountered two German pursuit planes. He attacked one of the German planes, which tried to lead him into the fire from the other. Suddenly Buford looked overhead and saw two more Germans coming down for him.
He took a dive, all the Germans diving at the same time, and when he came up he had one of the enemy planes in front of him. Buford began firing with his machine gun, causing his adversary to disappear in a nosedive. Although he was sure he had hit the German it was not until Saturday that the victory was confirmed.
GUN JAMS IN FLIGHT
A few minutes later Lt. Buford by maneuvering managed to get behind two of the remaining three machines and opened fire, but his machine gun jammed. As he was unable to use his weapon he started a series of skilful dives and turns and was successful in shaking off the three enemy planes.
Lt. Edward Rickenbacher, the former automobile racer, has added another aerial victory to his record. Announcement was made Friday that it had been confirmed that the Lieutenant shot down a German biplane in the neighborhood of Thiaucourt on May22. The fight took place 5500 meters in the air. With another pilot Rickenbacher engaged in a long fight with two enemy machines. He finally got on the tail of one machine and fired at short range. The enemy machine went into a spinning nose-dive. Saturday positive confirmation that the machine crashed to the ground was obtained.
The first victories in which the American squadron brought down two German machines were gained the day after they took up flying on this sector. The occupants of the German machines were made prisoner.
Other
machines aside from those in this squadron, it is permitted to mention, also are
flying on the Toul front. The fact that an American squadron was there
could not be mentioned previously because it was not desired that the Germans
should know the fact.
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Biography for Edward Buford the 3rd
Edward
was born February 19, 1892 the son of Edward 2nd
and Lizinka Elliston Buford of Nashville, Tennessee.
He was the Grandson of William Wirt and Eleanor Ray Pointer Buford also of
Tennessee. Edward's father and Uncle Brown Buford owned a very large Iron
and Steel, Carriage and Wagon Makers store "The Buford Brothers Store."
His father, at the age of 19 in 1861, joined the Confederacy and followed the
fortunes of the South until General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the remnant
of the Confederate Army at Salisbury, North Carolina, in May, 1865. He
returned to his home in Nashville in June, 1865.
Captain Edward Buford the 3rd volunteered for service in the first WW in May 1917 and trained at Camp Rantoul, Illinois. He wears the ribbons of three decorations which he won for gallantry in action-two gold chevrons on his left sleeve. He proudly wore the shoulder insignia of the First Army having seen 17 months service in France. The distinguished Service Cross was awarded him in May, 1918 when he routed five German planes single-handed at the Toul-sector. He also received the Croix de Guerre, with the palm for shooting down two Hun planes in flames at Marne-Aisne. The Legion of Honor Cross, the highest decoration honor bestowed by the French government was given Edward for general work around Chateau Thierry. His squadron, the 95th, was in charge the day young Theodore Roosevelt was killed. He returned to his Nashville home the 16th of March, 1919 and joined his father's business.
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Edward
can be counted among the hundreds of other Buford men who fought for the peace
that Americans enjoy. Let us never forget that "freedom has never been
free." There has always been the brave among us who took that brave
step forward and gave us their all. Fern
BUFORD Families in America Book 2005
Letters
Simeon R. Buford
Letters
John Quincy Adams Buford
And my ALL-TIME favorite ~ TRIVIA
~~~Clouds by Torie~~~