Franklin and Marshall College - Oriflamme Yearbook (Lancaster, PA)

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CORPORAL JACOB Q. TRUXAL, JR

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ORIFLAMME 17 LIEU'1'li1NAN'l' 11190116141 lll+iltlll'ilt'l' Zl'1IiliEltS, A. A. S. First Lieutenant George II. Zellers of the American Aero Service was brought to a hero's grave on June 30, 1918, while engaging in a. battle in midair. He was temporarily flying with the Twentieth Squadron of the Royal Aerial Forces of the British Army at the time of his death. Lt. Zellers was the most popular man in his flying squadron and all the members felt his loss keenly. Lieut. Zellers was a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College of the class of 1915 and received his Master's Depgree in 1916. Ile was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and the Cloethean Literary Society. I-le was on the stan' of the College Student and participated in the Inter-Society Debate and the Goethean Anniversary. 1le enlisted in June, 1917, and was sent to Columbus, Ohio, to the aerial school. From there he was sent to Mineola, .l,. 1., aerial field, but his training as a. flyer was received in England, at Oxford University. On completing his training, he ferried planes between l4hn,rland and France, and was then detailed for observation work. Ile finally became a fipqlitinp: pilot with the famous Twentieth Squadron of the British aerial service. A letter from Capt. lloover will best describe the conditions under which the lieutenant met his death. 'l'he letter reads As to the manner of his death I can only say that he died as a very gallant oflicer, and a. gentleman. 'l'he formation of Bristol figlitiiig machines which had already had a slight engagement with several of the enemy, had been reduced to six, when it was attacked by a formation of about thirty Fokker biplanes, Germany's best and most up-to-date fighting machines. 'l'he llristols gave battle, but being greatly outnumbered and handicapped hy a strong western wind, which was blowing them still further over the German side of the lines, were forced to retire. One Bristol and one Fokker had been brought down, when a Fokker which had been engaged in combat with Lieutenant Zellers' machine was seen to lmrst into Haines. Simultaneously Lieutenant Zellers' machine was seen to catch fire and to fall from the formation. Lieutenant Zellers climbed out on to one wing' of his machine and was controlling' it from there, while his observer crawled forward on to the engine Cowling. The English infantry, who saw the battle from below, stated that Lieutenant Zellers brought his machine to within 200 feet of the ground when it collapsed. Both pilot and observer were killed by the fall into No Man's Land. Both bodies wc1'e recovered und buried a little south of Ypres. Lieutenant Zellers was most popular in the squadron and all the members feel his loss most keenly.

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ORIFLAMME 19 CORPORAL JACOB Q. TRUXAL, Jr. Corporal Jacob Q. Truxal, Jr., was born in Greensburg, Pa., April lvl-, 1896. He was educated in the public schools of that place and was graduated from Greensburg High School in 19141. In the fall of that year he entered Franklin and Marshall Col- lege where he spent three years until the call came to the service. While in college he was an active member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, President of the Diagno- thian Literary Society, President of the Student Senate, Assistant Track Manager and an Editor on the 1918 01111-'mmisli-: Staff. ln June, 1917, Corporal 'l'ruxal enrolled under the provisions of the Selective Service Act and while not chosen to enter the service innnediately, he was given the opportunity to leave with the first contingent of thirteen men from Greensburg. This he did and on Sept. 6, 1917, he entrained for Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va. When he arrived in camp, no companies had as yet been formed, but when this was accom- plished, he was assigned to Company l, 8rd Battalion, 320th Infantry, as Acting Mess Sergeant. Following the winter in Camp Lee, he embarked in May, 1918, for service over- seas. After moving about from place to place his division was placed on the Arras sector in what was then a relatively quiet front. Prior to his death, he had been in the front line trenches once. On August 12 he was ordered up again. On August 13th the Germans sent over a heavy barrage in the van of a raiding party, and Truxal, who prior to embarkation had received his rating as corporal, made an attempt to station his squad in a position of safety. In this execution of his duty he was killed instantly by a German shell. In all of his military life Jacob Trnxal had a keen sense of the seriousness of the work he had undertaken. Not being adapted by nature to the life, and loathing its burdens, he understood the sacrifice involved and made a firm resolve that if he must die, it would be that others might live. Singular as it may seem, he had a. premoni- tion before leaving this country that he was to die, saying in one instance that he did not expect to return. At another time he said.that he would not be a moral coward, that if he came back, he would be a hero, otherwise he would die. Ile died but he also died a hero. In all his life Truxal was a noble Christian, a loyal friend and a devoted comrade. His memory will linger long in the hearts of those who knew him.