| Eugene Hoy Barksdale | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 5, 1896 Goshen Springs, Mississippi |
| Died | August 11, 1926 (aged 29) Dayton, Ohio |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Service |
| Years of service | 1918–1926 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Unit | 41st Squadron, Royal Flying Corps 25th Aero Squadron |
| Wars | |
Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale (November 5, 1896 – August 11, 1926) was a noted aviator and was a First Lieutenant in the Air Corps for the United States Army. Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City/Shreveport, Louisiana was dedicated to Lt. Barksdale on February 2, 1933.
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Born November 5, 1896, 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.
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, NY, where he married Lura Lee Dunn in 1921. On 8 March, 1924 then Lt Barksdale and his navigator, Lt Bradley Q. Jones, flew a DH-4B, powered by a 400 horsepower Liberty engine from McCook Field, OH to Mitchel Field using instruments only.
Barksdale died August 11, 1926 over McCook Field, Dayton, 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.[1] He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
More information about Lt. Barksdale can be found here: