Hathaway, Edward Trafton

Born October 26, 1892, in Denison, Texas. Son of E. T. and Lilv Bacon Hathaway. Educated Denison and Oklahoma City schools, and New Mexico and Virginia Military Institutes. In business with Southwestern General Electric and Texas Companies, Houston, Texas. Joined American Field Service, March 12, 1917; attached Section Seventeen, to July 7, 1917, as Sous-Chef. Entered U. S. Aviation. Trained Tours. Breveted November 3, 1917. Commissioned First Lieutenant, December 3, 1917. Attached 90th Aero Squadron. Flight Commander. Killed in aeroplane accident, June 25, 1918. Buried at Base Hospital Number One, near Toul. Body transferred to American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle. Ultimately to be transferred to Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

The French came during the War to recognize, admire, and love as truly American that tall, broad-shouldered, smooth-chinned, slow of speech and quiet type of which Edward Trafton Hathaway was a perfect example.

His splendid build and the sturdiness of character that went with it served him well at New Mexico and Virginia Military Institutes, where he played football for three years. There he was "rated a good athlete and a good student." Colonel Wise, then Commandant of Cadets at the Virginia school, regarded him "as a most efficient soldier . . . . . of fine qualities and bearing."

In 1913 he entered the Southwestern General Electric and subsequently joined the Texas Company of Houston, which he left to go to France.

As Sous-Chef in the field near Verdun, "Hath" was cordially liked by the fellows in Section Seventeen, and was a chum rather than their officer. He perhaps failed to observe the necessary formalities which keep a leader a little apart from the recreations of his men and entered too readily into their fun, but in so doing he became more their intimate and sympathetic friend than he otherwise could have.

For a time he had trouble with his ears, and in July left the Section. After treatment in Paris, "Hath" entered aviation, writing home, "The work will be dangerous, but as far as that goes, all the branches are dangerous in this war and I am going to do my part . . . . . I am going to make you proud of me." Training at Tours he wrote, "I'd rather be a private in aviation and pilot a machine than a captain in infantry, but I'm going to get my 'wings' and a First Lieutenancy or know the reason why!" "Hath" secured his brevet from the French, November 3, 1917, and a month later his American "wings" and commission. Until May, 1918, he remained as instructor at Tours then went to the front with the 90th Aero Squadron, where he became a flight commander.

A comrade called him "above all, a man confident and enthusiastic over his work." His enthusiasm is reflected in his own words: "I am in the highest and best branch of the army. In fact, it is going to win the war," and again, "There are going to be 100,000 men slaughtered before Uncle Sam knows what has happened. Then we are going to settle down and conscientiously whip the Boche to a standstill."

In October he had written, "I like flying very much and am just lucky enough to come through the war all right. If I don't, you can have the satisfaction of knowing that your son was among the first to fight for you and America, and was not a slacker." His "luck" stood by him when his plane was destroyed in collision with another and neither pilot injured, also when his motor failed and he made a forced landing in a plowed field, unhurt. On June 25th, in the freshness of the summer morning, starting out on a mission over the lines, as "Hath" climbed, circling above the field, "in some inexplicable manner," as a brother aviator wrote, " the machine became uncontrollable and fell . . . . . Trafton died instantly without pain, and his observer within an hour."

And it may be that, at the last, his "luck " still held to bring that quick, heroic, painless end to the boy-man who had cried so bravely, "I am going to make you proud of me!

• Tribute from Memorial Volume of the American Field Service, 1921