Lt. Quentin Roosevelt 1917

Quentin Roosevelt (November 19, 1897 – July 14, 1918) was the youngest and favorite son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Family and friends agreed that Quentin had many of his father's positive qualities and few of the negative ones. Encouraged by his father, he joined the US Army Air Corps where he became a fighter pilot during World War I. Extremely popular with his fellow pilots and known for his daring, he was killed in aerial combat over France. Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_in_Uniform_1917. ... Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_in_Uniform_1917. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Roosevelt Family in 1903 with Quentin on the left, TR, Ted, Jr., "Archie", Alice, Kermit, Edith, and Ethel

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (747x722, 116 KB) Pres. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (747x722, 116 KB) Pres. ... Theodore Roosevelt. ... Archibald Roosevelt was the fourth child of president Theodore Roosevelts marriage to his second wife Edith Carow. ... Alice Roosevelt, taken about 1900. ... Kermit Roosevelt, explorer, author and soldier, accompanied his father, Theodore Roosevelt on several expeditions to Africa and the Amazon Kermit Roosevelt I (October 10, 1889 – June 4, 1943) was a son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (also known as TR). ... White House portrait Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt (August 6, 1861 - September 30, 1948), second wife of Theodore Roosevelt, was First Lady of the United States from 1901 to 1909. ... Ethel Roosevelt Derby in 1912 - Ethel was Theodore Roosevelts second daughter Ethel Carow Roosevelt Derby (August 13, 1891-December 10, 1977) was the youngest daughter and fourth child of the President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt. ...

Childhood

Quentin Roosevelt and Rosewell Pinckney, members of the "White House Gang" of young playmates. Theodore Roosevelt was an honorary member.

Quentin was the youngest child of the Roosevelt family including half-sister Alice, sister, Ethel, and brothers Theodore Jr., Kermit and Archibald "Archie". Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Alice Roosevelt, taken about 1900. ... Ethel Roosevelt Derby in 1912 - Ethel was Theodore Roosevelts second daughter Ethel Carow Roosevelt Derby (August 13, 1891-December 10, 1977) was the youngest daughter and fourth child of the President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt. ... Theodore Roosevelt. ... Kermit Roosevelt, explorer, author and soldier, accompanied his father, Theodore Roosevelt on several expeditions to Africa and the Amazon Kermit Roosevelt I (October 10, 1889 – June 4, 1943) was a son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (also known as TR). ... Archibald Roosevelt was the fourth child of president Theodore Roosevelts marriage to his second wife Edith Carow. ...

Quentin was only three years old when his father became president, and he grew up in the White House. By far the favorite of all of President Roosevelt's children, Quentin was also the most rambunctious. He was nicknamed "Quentyquee" and "Quinikins" by his father. He shared T.R.'s physical, intellectual, and linguistic characteristics. For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

Quentin's behaviour prompted his mother, Edith, to label him a "fine bad little boy". Amongst Quentin's many adventures with the "White House Gang" (a name assigned by T.R. to Quentin and his friends), Quentin carved a baseball diamond on the White House lawn without permission, defaced official presidential portraits in the White House with spitballs, and threw snowballs from the White House's roof at unsuspecting Secret Service guards.

He quickly became known for his humorous and sometimes philosophical remarks. To a reporter trying to trap the boy into giving information about his father, Quentin admitted, "I see him occasionally, but I know nothing of his family life." The family soon learned to keep him quiet during dinner when important guests were present.

Once, when his brother Archie was terribly ill, it was Quentin (with the help of Charles Lee, a White House coachman), who brought the pony Algonquin to his room by elevator, sure that this would make his brother better.

As a young man, Quentin displayed a natural mechanical aptitude. He could fix almost anything, and even rebuilt a motorcycle to present to a friend as a gift.

Quentin was as gifted intellectually as his father and sailed through Groton and Harvard - Quentin age 13

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Education

Quentin attended the Force School in Washington, D.C.. Later he was a student at Groton School. Quentin sailed through all his formal schooling, consistently scoring high marks and showing much of the intellectual capacity of his father. He was admitted to Harvard University in 1916. Quentin loved machinery and rebuilt a motorcycle while in college. By the time Quentin was a sophomore at Harvard, also like his father, he was showing promise as a writer. Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack... Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, USA. It enrolls approximately 350 boys and girls, from the eighth (IInd Form) through twelfth grades (VIth Form). ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Founded in 1636,[2] Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. ... Motorcyclists take a break from the road A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ...

Personal life

The young Roosevelt was engaged to Flora Payne Whitney, the great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the country’s richest men, and also an heiress to the Whitney family fortune. The couple met at a ball in Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1916 and soon fell in love, although the alliance, between the modest, old-money Roosevelts and the flamboyantly wealthy Vanderbilt-Whitneys was at first controversial on both sides. Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt I (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), also known by the sobriquets The Commodore [1] [2] or Commodore Vanderbilt [3], was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads and was the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family. ... Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ...

Quentin’s letters to Flora, from the time they met until his death, charted the course of America’s entry into the war. Theodore Roosevelt, incensed at America’s continuing neutrality in the face of Germany's actions -- including the sinking of the British cruise liner Lusitania in May 1915, in which 128 Americans drowned, campaigned unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1916, severely criticizing Woodrow Wilson, who was reelected on a neutrality platform. While he was initially neutral, Quentin came to agree with his father, writing to Flora in early 1917 from Harvard University, where he was studying, “We are a pretty sordid lot, aren’t we, to want to sit looking on while England and France fight our battles and pan gold into our pockets.” In red is the province of Lusitania within the Roman Empire, 120 AD Lusitania was an ancient Roman province approximately including current Portugal, except for the area between the rivers Douro and Minho (part of Hispania Tarraconensis), and part of modern day western Spain, the present autonomous communities of Extremadura... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924), was the 28th President of the United States. ...

Military Service

All the Roosevelt sons except Kermit had had some military training prior to World War I. With the outbreak of war in Europe in August 1914, there had been a heightened concern about the nation's readiness for military engagement. Only the month before, Congress had belatedly recognized the significance of military aviation by authorizing the creation of an Aviation Section in the Signal Corps. In 1915 Major General Leonard Wood, a friend of Theodore Roosevelt since the Rough Rider days, organized a summer camp at Plattsburg, New York, to provide military training for business and professional men at their own expense. It would be this summer training program that would provide the basis of a greatly expanded junior officers corps when the Country entered World War I. During the summer of 1915, many well-heeled young men from some of the finest East Coast schools, including Quentin Roosevelt and two of his brothers, attended the Camp. When the United States entered the War, commissions were offered to the graduates of these schools based on their performance. The National Defense Act of 1916 continued the student military training and the businessmen's summer camps and placed them on a firmer legal basis by authorizing an Officers' Reserve Corps and a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). Quentin, just out of the rigors of Groton and Harvard, did not really enjoy the training, but stuck it out anyway. Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a physician who served as the US Army Chief of Staff and Governor General of the Philippines. ... Roosevelt and the Rough Riders atop San Juan Heights, 1898 The Rough Riders was the name bestowed by the American press on the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiment during the Spanish-American War. ...

After the declaration of War, when the American Expeditionary Force was organizing, the Roosevelt boys' father, Theodore, wired Major General "Black Jack" Pershing asking if his sons could accompany him to Europe as privates. Pershing accepted, but, based on their training at Plattsburg, Archie was offered a commission with rank of second lieutenant, while Ted, Jr. was offered a commission as a rank of major. John Joseph Black Jack Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army. ...

With American entry into World War I, Quentin thought his mechanical skills would be useful to the Army. Just engaged to Flora, he dropped out of college to join a newly formed army aviation unit in the fledging Army Air Service. With his poor (Roosevelt) vision, he was forced to memorize the eye chart so that he could pass the physical exam. He trained on Long Island at an airfield later renamed Roosevelt Field in his honor. Today, a shopping mall sits on the site that is also named Roosevelt Field. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Map showing Long Island; to the north is Connecticut and to the west are New York City and New Jersey. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... Roosevelt Airfield was an airfield in Garden City, Nassau County, New York. ... Roosevelt Airfield was an airfield in Garden City, Nassau County, New York. ...

Quentin as an American Pilot in France

Quentin Roosevelt in his Nieuport 28 Fighter Plane in France

Finally sent to France, Lt. Roosevelt was a pilot in the 95th Aero Squadron, part of the 1st Pursuit Group. Though reportedly possessing poor distance vision, Roosevelt nevertheless claimed a German fighter shot down out of control on July 10, 1918. Just four days later, he was himself shot down behind German lines. Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_In_His_Plane. ... Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_In_His_Plane. ... The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron (95 RS) is a United States Air Force reconnaissance unit based at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, Nebraska. ...

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Commander of the 94th Aero Squadron (also known as the "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron), in his memoirs described Roosevelt's character as soldier and pilot in the following words: Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 27, 1973) was best known as a World War I fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient. ... The 94th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 1st Operations Group of the 1st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. ...

"As President Roosevelt's son he had rather a difficult task to fit himself in with the democratic style of living which is necessary in the intimate life of an aviation camp. Every one who met him for the first time expected him to have the airs and superciliousness of a spoiled boy. This notion was quickly lost after the first glimpse one had of Quentin. Gay, hearty and absolutely square in everything he said or did, Quentin Roosevelt was one of the most popular fellows in the group. We loved him purely for his own natural self.

"He was reckless to such a degree that his commanding officers had to caution him repeatedly about the senselessness of his lack of caution. His bravery was so notorious that we all knew he would either achieve some great spectacular success or be killed in the attempt. Even the pilots in his own flight would beg him to conserve himself and wait for a fair opportunity for a victory. But Quentin would merely laugh away all serious advice." [1]

Quentin's plane (a Nieuport 28), was shot down at Chamery, near Coulonges-en-Tardenois. He was felled by two machine gun bullets which struck him in the head. The German military buried Quentin with full battlefield honors. Since the plane had crashed so near the front lines, the Germans had to use two pieces of basswood saplings, bound together with wire from the Nieuport, to fashion a cross for his grave. For propaganda purposes, the Germans made a postcard of the dead pilot and plane.[2] According to his service record at the New York State Archives, the site was at Marne Grave # 1 Isolated Commune #102 Coulongue Aisne and he was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm. The Nieuport 28 (N.28C-1) was a French biplane fighter aircraft flown during World War I, built by Nieuport and designed by Gustave Delage. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... Look up Palm in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

After his grave came under Allied control, thousands of American soldiers visited it to pay their respects. Quentin's resting place became a shrine and an inspiration to his comrades in arms. Even though he was the son of a president, he had died nobly as a soldier in the service of his country.[3]

Allies visiting Quentin Roosevelt's Grave in France during WWI

Quentin's death was a great personal loss to his father Theodore, who understood quite well that he had encouraged his son's entry into the War. Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_Grave_France. ... Image File history File links Quentin_Roosevelt_Grave_France. ...

When the World War II American Cemetery was established in France at Colleville-sur-Mer, Quentin's body was exhumed and moved there. He is buried next to his brother Brigadier General "Ted" Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who had died of a heart attack in France shortly after leading his troops in landings on Utah Beach on D-Day as Assistant 4th Infantry Division Commander. Quentin's original gravestone is now currently on display at Sagamore Hill. The German-made bassword cross that marked Quentin's original gravesite is on display at the United States Air Force Museum, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton Ohio. A young quentin Roosevelt and his father president Theodore Roosevelt are mentioned in the children's story book "Brighty of the Grand canyon" on the ocasion of Quentin's first mountain Lion hunt. Quentin Roosevelt II (1919-1948), the fourth son of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was named after Quentin, and also died in a plane crash. Normandy American Memorial The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial honors American soldiers who died during operations in Europe during World War II. // History The cemetery is located on the site of the temporary American St. ... Colleville-sur-Mer is a commune of the Calvados département, in the Basse_Normandie région, in France. ... Theodore Roosevelt. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... It has been suggested that U.S. 1st Brigade 4th Infantry Division be merged into this article or section. ... Sagamore Hill was the home of President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. ... The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official national museum of the United States Air Force and is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, east of Dayton, Ohio. ... Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties, adjacent to Fairborn and Dayton, Ohio. ... Nickname: Motto: Birthplace of Aviation Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Montgomery Founded April 1, 1796 Incorporated 1805 Government  - Mayor Rhine L. McLin Area  - City  56. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... Quentin Roosevelt II (November 4, 1919-December 21, 1948) was the fourth child of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Theodore Roosevelt. ...

External links

• Short Documentary Clip on Quentin's Death in WWI
• Quentin and his brother Archie and their father Theodore Roosevelt on film during World War I
• USAF Museum
• Photos of the First Pursuit Group
• Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's Account of Quentin's Death during World War I
• http://www.corpusetampois.com/che-20-19170919etatsuniens.html Nine American Squadrons, Online French & English Account of US Army Air Corps Ops in France. German propaganda photo of Quetin's Body beside his crashed airplane]
• Photographic Almanac of Quentin Roosevelt