Details: Rickenbacker: Fighting the Flying Circus, Chapter 20;Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Commander of the 94th Aero Squadron (alsoknown as the "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron), in his memoirs describedRoosevelt's character as soldier and pilot in the following words:Citation Text: Quentin Roosevelt's death was a sad blow to the wholegroup. As President Roosevelt's son he had rather a difficult task tofit himself in with the democratic style of living which is necessaryin the intimate life of an aviation camp. Every one who met him forthe first time expected him to have the airs and superciliousness of aspoiled boy. This notion was quickly lost after the first glimpse onehad of Quentin. Gay, hearty and absolutely square in everything hesaid or did, Quentin Roosevelt was one of the most popular fellows inthe group. We loved him purely for his own natural self. He wasreckless to such a degree that his commanding officers had to cautionhim repeatedly about the senselessness of his lack of caution. Hisbravery was so notorious that we all knew he would either achieve somegreat spectacular success or be killed in the attempt. Even the pilotsin his own Flight would beg him to conserve himself and wait for afair opportunity for a victory. But Quentin would merely laugh awayall serious advice. His very next flight over enemy lines wouldinvolve him in a fresh predicament from which pure luck on more than afew occasions extricated him. A few days before his death QuentinRoosevelt went over the lines with his formation, and they came homewithout him. Later he arrived and laughingly announced that he hadshot down his first Hun machine. Upon being questioned about thecombat, he admitted that he had been lost after striking off byhimself to investigate a large formation of enemy machines, which hehad discovered in the distance. Resolving to be prudent in the matter,he reversed his direction after discovering they numbered over twentyto his one. He flew about alone for a while, then discovering, as hesupposed, his own formation ahead of him he overtook them, dropped inbehind and waited patiently for something to turn up. It cameabout fifteen minutes later. His formation continued almoststraight ahead during all this time, he following quietly along in thelast position. Quentin had no idea where they were headed and didn'tcare. He had violated his duty once by leaving them and now heintended blindly to follow the leader. Meditating thus, he failed tonotice that the leader had dipped a signal and had begun to virage tothe left. Quentin awoke just in time to see the aeroplane ahead of himsuddenly stick his nose up and begin a virage. Then to his horror hediscovered that he had been following an enemy patrol all the time!Every machine ahead of him wore a huge black maltese cross on itswings and tail! They were as unconscious of his identity as he hadbeen of theirs. Quentin fired one long burst as he in turncompleted the virage and rejoined the formation. The aeroplaneimmediately preceding him dropped at once and within a second or twoburst into flames. Quentin put down his nose and streaked it for homebefore the astonished Huns had time to notice what had happened. Hewas not even pursued! It was this style of Indian warfare that hadmoved the German Intelligence Office to state that their training wasindeed hopeless against the Americans' recklessness. German formationflying was admirable until an American joined it and maneuvered inconcert with it for fifteen minutes before shooting it up! One canimagine the disgust of the methodical Boches as they digested thislatest trick of the Yank! Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt met hisdeath during an unusually severe dog-fight in the air. He left theaerodrome with his formation of five planes and proceeded across thelines east of Château-Thierry. The sky was thick with enemy formationsas usual. Both our own and the enemy's aeroplanes were largely engagedat that time in strafing trenches and the main highways upon whichcolumns of troops were continually advancing to occupy the lines. Onedid not have to seek far to find a fight. Within ten minutes aftercrossing the trenches the little formation from 95 Squadron took on aFokker formation of seven machines. They were both at a low altitudeand evidently both were intent upon discovering a favorable groundtarget covered with marching men. The five Americans accepted the Hunchallenge for a combat and dropped all other business for the timebeing. During the rapid circling about, in which both groups wereendeavoring to break up the formation of the antagonist, Quentindiscovered the approach of another flight of red-nosed Fokkers,coining from above and behind. He withdrew by himself and flew aheadto meet the newcomers, climbing as he flew. The others were utterlyunconscious of his departure, since Quentin flew in the last rearposition on one of the wings. It was a cloudy day and theaeroplanes were up near to and occasionally lost in the obscurity ofthe clouds. Suddenly Lieutenant Buford, the leader of Quentin'sformation, saw a Nieuport falling through the clouds from above him.It was out of control as it swept by him. Without realizing whosemachine it was, Buford knew that an enemy force was above him. Healready had more than his hands full in the present company.Signalling his pilots to follow him, he broke off the contest andre-crossed the lines. Then he discovered the absence of QuentinRoosevelt! That same night a wireless message came from theGermans saying that Quentin had been shot down by Sergeant Thom of theRichthofen Circus. Thom at that time had a record of twenty-fourplanes to his credit. The additional information was received thatQuentin had been buried with military honors. No honors, however,could have compensated our group for the loss of that boy. The newswas flashed throughout the world that Quentin Roosevelt was dead!Occasional press reports came to us that some imaginative reporter hadstated that perhaps he was not in reality killed, but was merely aprisoner; thereby selling several more papers while unnecessarilydistressing a bereaved family with utterly false hopes. - Details: Rickenbacker: Fighting the Flying Circus, Chapter 20;Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Commander of the 94th Aero Squadron (alsoknown as the "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron), in his memoirs describedRoosevelt's character as soldier and pilot in the followin