The marker is to the right of the monument for the dead, against a small grassy rise.
Marker
A mossy boulder with a weathered plaque attached to it.
The plaque remembers an American Volunteer who served with the Lafayette Escadrille.
Dudley Gilman Tucker was born on April 7, 1887 in New York. He was the son of Gilman Henry Tucker and Caroline Low (Kimball) Tucker. He graduated from Harvard University in 1907. Ten years later on May 9, 1917, Dudley enlisted in France's Service Aeronautique. He underwent aviation, aerobatic, and gunnery training at Avord, Pau, and the G.D.E. earning his brevet on the Caudron on September 30, 1917 and graduating from the training pipeline on January 26, 1918. He was first assigned to Escadrille SPA 74, and shortly thereafter he was transferred to SPA 15. He participated in many patrol sorties from Rheims to Montdidier.
On July 8, 1918, Sergent Tucker and four of his pilot peers were patrolling the Marne salient when they engaged in the defense of two French reconnaissance aircraft being attacked by a dozen German Fokkers. Tucker was considered missing when he failed to return to his aerodrome following this combat. After the war, German records helped to learn of his demise and to locate his remains buried in a churchyard in Checrise. He was moved to the U.S. Military Cemetery at Seringes-et-Nesle. Later, he was moved to the Lafayette Memorial just West of Paris. In 1922, he was posthumously awarded France's Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre.
Source of information: "The Lafayette Flying Corps: The American Volunteers in the French Air Service in World War One," by Dennis Gordon. Schiffer Military History, Atglen, PA: 2000
DUDLEY
GILMAN TUCKER
VOLONTAIRE
AMÉRICAIN
A
L'ESCADRILLE SPAD 15 GROUPE 13
TOMBÉ
GLORIEUSEMENT DANS CE VOISINAGE
EN
COMBATTANT CONTRE SIX AVIONS ENNEMIS
LE 8 JUILLET
1918
IL A DONNÉ
SA VIE POUR LA LIBERTÉ
CETTE
TABLETTE A ÉTÉ PLACÉE
PAR SA MÈRE,
QUI EST FIERE DE LUI
English translation:
In memory of
Sergeant Dudley Gilman Tucker, american volunteer of spad squadron 15 group 13,
who fell gloriously to his death in this area while fighting six enemy fighters
on the 8th of July 1918. He gave his life for freedom. This plaque was put here
by his mom, who is very proud of him.
