Eugene Hoy Barksdale
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Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale (November 5, 1896 – August 1926) was a noted aviator and was a First Lieutenant in the Air Corps for the United States Army. Barksdale Air Force Base (or "Barksdale Air Field") in Bossier City/Shreveport, Louisiana was dedicated to Lt. Barksdale on February 2, 1933.
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[edit] Childhood
Born November 5, 1897, in Goshen Springs, Mississippi. Barksdale had one brother and five sisters. Barksdale attended Mississippi State College for three years before leaving to enter officers training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots in Little Rock, Arkansas. He volunteered for the aviation section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Private First Class.
[edit] Life and Career
Barksdale volunteered for the aviation section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Private First Class. He received flight training with the Royal Flying Corps and was assigned to the 41st Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, in 1918. In 1919, Barksdale was assigned to Mitchel Field, Long Island, where he married Lura Lee Dunn in 1921.
[edit] Death
Barksdale died in August 1926 near Wright Field, Ohio while testing a Douglas O-2 observation airplane for spin characteristics. He did not recover from a flat spin while parachuting out of the plane, and his parachute was caught in the wing's brace wires, causing Barksdale to fall to his death. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
More information about Lt. Barksdale can be found here:
- Arlington National Cemetery Website--a brief biography and tribute to Lt. Barksdale
- Barksdale Air Force Base--the base provides information about its dedication to its namesake
[edit] External link
- Eugene Hoy Barksdale at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2008-02-10
