Paul Pavelka, Jr. worked many odd and adventurous jobs around the country before serving in the U.S. Navy as a sailor aboard the U.S.S. Maryland, as an infantryman in the French Foreign Legion, and as a pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille and in the Army of the Orient (near Salonika, Greece).
The citation for his French Croix de Guerre with Palm personally signed and awarded by General Sarrial mentioned how "he has given every proof of eagerness to fight and devotion; has had numerous combats, frequently with his machine riddled with bullets."
When Paul discovered that an English cavalryman in a nearby regiment had been a former comrade from the Foreign Legion, he paid him a visit. That same day, fresh horses had arrived at the regiment, and Pavelka, an accomplished horseman from his summers in the American West, had sought his friend's permission to ride one of the mounts. Always seeking a new challenge, Paul chose a horse of a vicious nature which was thought impossible to ride.
A crowd gathered to watch "the Yank bronco-buster" climb onto the horse's back as a stable sergeant held tight the reigns. Once freed, the horse reared and tossed and bucked violently but failed to throw Pavelka. Sensing that it could not throw its rider, the mare fell hard to the ground and rolled in the dust over the top of Pavelka, crushing him.
Sergent Paul "Skipper" Pavelka had performed excellent service on behalf of France in nearly three years of duty with the French Foreign Legion and the Service Aeronautique. His body was removed from the Zietenlick Cemetery in Salonika, Greece to Marseilles, and in 1928 to a crypt in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris where it rests today in the company of his fallen comrades.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History, Atglen, PA: 2000. Pages 347-353.]
The citation for his French Croix de Guerre with Palm personally signed and awarded by General Sarrial mentioned how "he has given every proof of eagerness to fight and devotion; has had numerous combats, frequently with his machine riddled with bullets."
When Paul discovered that an English cavalryman in a nearby regiment had been a former comrade from the Foreign Legion, he paid him a visit. That same day, fresh horses had arrived at the regiment, and Pavelka, an accomplished horseman from his summers in the American West, had sought his friend's permission to ride one of the mounts. Always seeking a new challenge, Paul chose a horse of a vicious nature which was thought impossible to ride.
A crowd gathered to watch "the Yank bronco-buster" climb onto the horse's back as a stable sergeant held tight the reigns. Once freed, the horse reared and tossed and bucked violently but failed to throw Pavelka. Sensing that it could not throw its rider, the mare fell hard to the ground and rolled in the dust over the top of Pavelka, crushing him.
Sergent Paul "Skipper" Pavelka had performed excellent service on behalf of France in nearly three years of duty with the French Foreign Legion and the Service Aeronautique. His body was removed from the Zietenlick Cemetery in Salonika, Greece to Marseilles, and in 1928 to a crypt in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris where it rests today in the company of his fallen comrades.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History, Atglen, PA: 2000. Pages 347-353.]
Paul Pavelka, Jr. worked many odd and adventurous jobs around the country before serving in the U.S. Navy as a sailor aboard the U.S.S. Maryland, as an infantryman in the French Foreign Legion, and as a pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille and in the Army of the Orient (near Salonika, Greece).
The citation for his French Croix de Guerre with Palm personally signed and awarded by General Sarrial mentioned how "he has given every proof of eagerness to fight and devotion; has had numerous combats, frequently with his machine riddled with bullets."
When Paul discovered that an English cavalryman in a nearby regiment had been a former comrade from the Foreign Legion, he paid him a visit. That same day, fresh horses had arrived at the regiment, and Pavelka, an accomplished horseman from his summers in the American West, had sought his friend's permission to ride one of the mounts. Always seeking a new challenge, Paul chose a horse of a vicious nature which was thought impossible to ride.
A crowd gathered to watch "the Yank bronco-buster" climb onto the horse's back as a stable sergeant held tight the reigns. Once freed, the horse reared and tossed and bucked violently but failed to throw Pavelka. Sensing that it could not throw its rider, the mare fell hard to the ground and rolled in the dust over the top of Pavelka, crushing him.
Sergent Paul "Skipper" Pavelka had performed excellent service on behalf of France in nearly three years of duty with the French Foreign Legion and the Service Aeronautique. His body was removed from the Zietenlick Cemetery in Salonika, Greece to Marseilles, and in 1928 to a crypt in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris where it rests today in the company of his fallen comrades.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History, Atglen, PA: 2000. Pages 347-353.]
The citation for his French Croix de Guerre with Palm personally signed and awarded by General Sarrial mentioned how "he has given every proof of eagerness to fight and devotion; has had numerous combats, frequently with his machine riddled with bullets."
When Paul discovered that an English cavalryman in a nearby regiment had been a former comrade from the Foreign Legion, he paid him a visit. That same day, fresh horses had arrived at the regiment, and Pavelka, an accomplished horseman from his summers in the American West, had sought his friend's permission to ride one of the mounts. Always seeking a new challenge, Paul chose a horse of a vicious nature which was thought impossible to ride.
A crowd gathered to watch "the Yank bronco-buster" climb onto the horse's back as a stable sergeant held tight the reigns. Once freed, the horse reared and tossed and bucked violently but failed to throw Pavelka. Sensing that it could not throw its rider, the mare fell hard to the ground and rolled in the dust over the top of Pavelka, crushing him.
Sergent Paul "Skipper" Pavelka had performed excellent service on behalf of France in nearly three years of duty with the French Foreign Legion and the Service Aeronautique. His body was removed from the Zietenlick Cemetery in Salonika, Greece to Marseilles, and in 1928 to a crypt in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris where it rests today in the company of his fallen comrades.
[Source: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History, Atglen, PA: 2000. Pages 347-353.]
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
