Monument Details

ISOB Coolidge (Former ISOB Site and Crash Site Location)

Details:

On the north side of the river.

Isolated Burial
This was the location where Captain Coolidge crashed in WW1 and was the site of his Isolated burial until recently. The ISOB was moved next to the town of Chevieres Cemetery due to flooding on the stream next to this site.

The isolated burial site of Captain Hamilton Coolidge, enclosed by granite posts. A grey granite monument, 2 meters high, stands at the head of the grave, two large cyprus trees surround the monument. Maintained by the mayor of Chevieres after rehabilitation of the site and monument by Captain Coolidge's brother in August 1984. The engine of his Spad is still visible in the ground to the left of the grave.

About Coolidge:A graduate of Groton (class of 1915) and Harvard University (class of 1919) and the son of Professor J. Randall Coolidge of Boston, Massachusetts, Hamilton Coolidge was one of ten Harvard undergraduates accepted from a field of forty applicants for training at the Curtiss Flying School at Buffalo, New York in July 1916. A private with the United States Signal Corps, Aviation Section, stationed in Miami, Florida when the United States entered the war, Coolidge was sent the School of Military Aeronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 5 June 1917. He embarked for France on 23 July 1917 and was commissioned 1st Lieutenant on 29 September 1917. After additional instruction at Issoudun he was assigned to the 94th Aero Squadron on 16 June 1918. He was promoted to Captain on 3 October 1918. On 27 October 1918 he was killed in action, his SPAD XIII taking a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell near Chevieres.

Monument Text:

Inscription in French and English on the headstone:

Hamilton Coolidge, Flight leader in the

94th Aero Squadron 1st Pursuit Group.

On this spot he fell, October 21st, 1918.

He died for humanity.

Inscription in French on a bronze plaque on the fence:

This sanctuary was established by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Randolph Coolidge of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It was here on teh 26th of October 1918 that their son, Hamilton Coolidge, died for liberty. The citizens of Cheivres join the Coolidge family to preserve this site and maintain for all time the spirit of liberty and friendship.

Commemorates:

People:

Hamilton Hill 'Ham' Coolidge

Units:

94th Aero Squadron 1st Pursuit Group

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

United States Air Force

US Army Air Service

Wars:

WWI

Battles:

Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Other images :

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