Eugene Hoy Barksdale
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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.
, 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. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
in Bossier City/Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
was dedicated to Lt. Barksdale on February 2, 1933.
Childhood
Born November 5, 1896, in Goshen Springs, Mississippi. Barksdale had one brother and five sisters. Barksdale attended Mississippi State CollegeMississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
for three years before leaving to enter officers training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots
Fort Logan H. Roots
Fort Logan H. Roots is a military base located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The land was traded to the Federal Government in 1892 in exchange for the property now known as MacArthur Park, in Little Rock, which had been a military arsenal since the 1830s before Arkansas was even a state. The...
in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. He volunteered for the aviation section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Private First Class.
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 CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
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
Bradley Q. Jones
This needs to be deleted or merged with Byron Q. Jones. Byron Q. JonesMajor Bradley Q. Jones, was Commander of the Eastern Zone of the Air Corps Air Mail Service.-References:...
, flew a DH-4B, powered by a 400 horsepower Liberty engine from McCook Field
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
, OH to Mitchel Field using instruments only.
Death
Barksdale died August 11, 1926 over McCook FieldMcCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
, Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
while testing a Douglas O-2
Douglas O-2
The Douglas O-2 is a 1920s American observation aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company.-Development:The important family of Douglas observation aircraft sprang from two XO-2 prototypes, the first of which was powered by the 420 hp Liberty V-1650-1 V-engine and test-flown in the autumn...
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
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.