James Rogers McConnell

James Rogers McConnell. . In January 1915 James Roger McConnell left Carthage, N.C. For N.Y. And sailed to France. He volunteered in the American Ambulance Service as an ambulance driver. He was awarded the much coveted Croix de Guerre for Bravery Under Fire. He later joined the French Flying Corps and was one of the world's first fighter pilots by the Fall of 1915. McConnell was the 4th of seven original founders of the world famous Lafayette Escadrille. (N 124), known as the “Darlings of the Air”. McConnell was shot down and killed by 2 German airplanes as he was pursuing another “Boche” plane on March 19th, 1917. He was the last of the group killed before the U.S. entered the war. He just had his 30th birthday a week before. His very good friend, Kiffin Rockwell from Asheville, N.C. Was also one of the founders and was killed before McConnell. McConnell wrote the book “Flying for France”. It was published just before his death in 1917. Another Croix de Guerre was awarded after his death. He is buried outside Paris in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial., This monument was sent by the French Government in late 1917. It was placed at the James Rogers McConnell Hospital at Farm Life School in rural Moore County, N.C. The well could not supply enough water and the hospital and monument were moved to Pinehurst, N.C. Later it was moved to the old Town Hall in Carthage. In 2010 the Carthage Town Board approved a request by Roland Gilliam to relocate the monument to his airport. The airport is names Gilliam-McConnell Airfield. The James Rogers McConnell Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is headquartered here. Plans are to build a museum bearing his name across the runway. Roland and Nancy Gilliam donated the land that this memorial occupies to the Town of Carthage.