Kiffin Yates Rockwell (1892-1916)
 |
| Kiffin Rockwell in French Uniform, September 1915 |
Early Life:
Kiffin Rockwell was born in Newport, Tennessee in 1892. However, between
his South Carolinian mother and Rockwell’s North Carolinian father, Rockwell
has been dubbed an honorary indigene of the Carolinas and is often referred to
as such. Due to the death of Rockwell’s father and wanting a better life for
her children, Mrs. Rockwell moved her family back to her home town in Marion
County, South Carolina before settling in Ashville in 1906 in hopes of providing
a decent education for her children.
Military Years:
In 1908, Rockwell attended the Virginia
Military Institute. Being that military blood already ran in the family – Rockwell’s
maternal grandfather from South Carolina was an officer in the Confederate Army,
and his paternal grandfather from North Carolina was a captain serving in the
same Army – it was no surprise that when World War I broke out in Europe in
1914, Rockwell and his brother Paul were among the first three Americans to
volunteer their services to the French Army.
While serving in Europe, Rockwell fought with Battalion C of the Second
Marching Regiment of the Second Foreign Battalion, which lasted until 1915 when
he fell victim to a (second) very serious leg injury. Despite his wounds, he
was then prompted to take on aviation as an alternative to stay in the military.
As a result of such, Rockwell became one of the founding members of the
Escadrille Americaine, which later became known as the Escadrille LaFayette.
 |
| Kiffin Beside His Aircraft, Nieuport 17 |
Many refer to Rockwell as a particularly diligent and unwavering airman.
Rockwell holds the title for the first American to take down a German plane
during WWI, despite his lack of any piloting skills prior to joining the French
in aviation (which he had done just 28 days before). Rockwell continued to
fight in 142 other aerial battles. Among the awards Rockwell received while
enlisted include the Médaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre.
 |
| A Modern Replica Of The Nieuport 17 |
Death:
After
being shot down by a German plane, Rockwell fell to his death in Verdun, France
in September of 1916 after an exploding bullet hit him in the chest. He was the
second American in WWI to be killed in flight. Rockwell is currently buried in
the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette, France.
 |
| Kiffin's Grave Alongside Fellow Flyers |
Article: Raven Joyner
Principal Research Assistant
'Over There' Doughboys in The Great War
Resoures
"Kiffin
Rockwell: The Carolinas' First Lost Hero in WWI." Kiffin Rockwell:
The Carolinas' First Lost Hero in WWI. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
"Kiffin
Yates Rockwell (1892 - 1916) - Find A Grave Memorial." Kiffin
Yates Rockwell (1892 - 1916) - Find A Grave Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 28
Jan. 2014.
"North
Carolina Centennial of Flight." North Carolina Centennial of
Flight. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
"Rockwell,
Kiffin Yates." NCpedia Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan.
2014.
"Welcome
to the Smith McDowel House Museum in Asheville, NC." Welcome to
the Smith McDowel House Museum in Asheville, NC. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan.
2014.
"Kiffin
Y. Rockwell, World War I AviatorLafayette EscadrilleBiography &
Photographs."Kiffin Y. Rockwell, World War I Aviator. Lafayette
Escadrille. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
