RALEIGH – When the crowd gathers on Monday, May 25, to dedicate the latest N. C. Highway Historical Maker, it will be in tribute to James McConnell, an American flyer who died in service to France during World War I. The 2 p.m. ceremony will be held on McReynolds Street in Carthage, across from the Carthage Community House. It is a unique Memorial Day event.
James McConnell was a free spirit given to wearing kilts and playing the bagpipe to entertain his friends. He enlisted in the French military service in October 1915, and in January 1916 became a charter member of the Lafayette Escadrille, an elite squadron of 38 American pilots. The group was responsible for shooting down 56 German airplanes in its 20 month existence. McConnell participated in one “kill” with a member of his squadron, but later injured his back in a crash landing and was out of action for six months. He had been flying again for nine days, against his doctor’s orders, when he was killed in aerial combat against two German airplanes over the Somme on March 19, 1917. The United States entered the war on April 6, 1917.
While recuperating from his first crash, McConnell wrote “Flying for France,” an account of his experiences. The book helped to popularize the war in the U.S. McConnell was twice awarded the French Croix de Guerre, once posthumously. A statue of McConnell was erected on the campus of the University of Virginia, which he attended. The French presented the town of Carthage a plaque which is displayed on the grounds of the Carthage Community Building. An obelisk dedicated to McConnell stands at the Moore County Courthouse.
For information on the dedication, call Charles Prevost at (910) 947-3792. For additional information on the N.C. Highway Historical Marker program, call Mike Hill at (919) 807-7290. The Highway Marker program, within the Office of Archives and History, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.