Quentin Roosevelt: A Sketch With Letters

Quentin Roosevelt was the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and a brave fighter pilot who died in World War I. His life and legacy are commemorated in a book titled Quentin Roosevelt: A Sketch With Letters, edited by his brother Kermit Roosevelt and published in 1921.

The book is a collection of letters, diary entries, photographs and sketches that Quentin wrote or drew during his childhood, college years and military service. It reveals his personality, interests, humor and courage as he faced various challenges and adventures.

Quentin was born in 1897 and grew up in a family that valued education, exploration and public service. He attended Harvard University and joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He was fascinated by aviation and learned to fly at a civilian school. He volunteered for the American Ambulance Service in France before the United States entered the war.

In 1917, he transferred to the U.S. Army Air Service and became a member of the famous 95th Aero Squadron. He flew several combat missions over enemy lines and earned a reputation for being fearless and skillful. He also made friends with his fellow pilots and locals.

On July 14th, 1918, he was shot down by a German plane near Chamery. He was buried by the enemy with military honors near the village. His grave was later visited by his father, who wrote: “The people of that region seemed to have adopted him as their own particular hero.”

Quentin Roosevelt: A Sketch With Letters is more than just a biography of a young man who died too soon. It is also a tribute to his spirit, his love for his family and country, and his contribution to history. It is a rare glimpse into the personal side of one of America’s most famous families.

The book is available online at various sources. It is also part of some library collections. It is worth reading for anyone who wants to learn more about Quentin Roosevelt or World War I aviation.

From Page 190:

A Viking of the air was he
Who sailed his fragile plane
Through vast uncharted spaces blue,
As Norsemen sailed the main.
He met the foeman and he fought
Unflinching in the sky,
And died as his brave sire would wish
A soldier-son to die.

The Prussian airmen wrought his grave
And laid him down to rest,
His shroud the leather tunic wrapped
About his gallant breast.
The guns a thunderous requiem
All day above him sound,
America in spirit mourns
Beside his lonely mound.

When twilight over No Man’s Land
A veil of purple weaves,
An escadrille of stars appears
Above the hangar’s eaves
With one that speeds on wings of light
In ether fast and far;
The Allied aviators say
‘Tis Quentin Roosevelt’s star.

by Minna Irving

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