| Sources |
- [S106] Newspaper - Wisconsin - Manitowoc Herald Times - Newspaper Archives, Jindra; obituary; 27 July 1962; viewed online.
- [S21] Newspaper - Wisconsin - Manitowoc Herald News - Newspaperarchive, Local Boy Aviator meets death; news; 18 October 1924; page 2; viewed onine; Unknown.
Lester Jindra
Local Boy Aviator Meets Death
Lester Jindra, 21, This City, Meets Death at Columbus, O. Sunday
Back Broken as Youth Is Struck by Propeller of Plane on Aviation Field In That City
Lester Jindra, 21, Manitowoc boy attached to the U.S. Regular. Army aviation corps and stationed at Columbus, Ohio, died at a hospital in that city Sunday from injuries he sustained late Saturday night when he was struck by the propellor of a plane of' which he was pilot. Jindra's back was broken and his face and body terribly cut by the blades of the propellor and he survived his injuries but a few hours.
The body will be shipped to this city some time the present week and the burial will take place at Mishicot where the Jindra family formerly resided.
Mother Near Death from Shock
Messages telling of the accident and later death of the young aviator were received by the parents of Jindra, Mr. and Mrs. John Jindra, 836 North Sixth street, Sunday morning and evening and the shock of the tragedy has caused Mrs. Jindra; mother of the boy to completely collapse and grave apprehension is today felt ever her condition. Mrs. Jindra is under constant care of a physician.and it was said that she is seriously ill.
First news of the tragedy came in a telephone message from Green Bay at 5:30 Sunday morning, relaying a message received over the Postal Telegraph company lines at Green Bay for Mr. Jindra, the company having no office here. The message told of the injury of the boy aviator and said that he had beenremoved to a hospital. Mr. Jindra immediately got into communication with Columbus to learn details of tho accident and was advised that his son had suffered a fracture of the back, and was badly cut by the propellor and that no hope was entertained that he could survive. Later in the day Mr. Jindra again telephoned to be told that his son had passed away at 1:30 and three hours later an official dispatch was received conveying the same information. The accident happened at midnight Saturday night.
Had Promising Career
Sunday's tragedy at Columbus brought to a close a career as an aviator that promised much for the Manitowoc boy. But twenty-one years of age, he had made rapid advancement since entering the service and within the year would have completed his work and have become a recognized pilot of the air service of the array. He was an enthusiastic student and in love with his work and had a vast fund of experience in his training. On occasion of a visit here, in January Jindra exhibited a display of photographs at the library which he had taken in his work as an attache of the photo department in the service.
Twice during his training at the aviation field at Dayton and Columbus the Manitowoc boy had narrowly escaped death, a few months ago having been in a plane, with a companion when the machine in descending narrowly escaped a head on collision with a clump of trees which, had it occurred, would have meant instant death to the crew. A week ago Jindra was one of the detail which picked up the body of Capt. Dick Skeel, killed when his plane fell at the Dayton field during the air maneuvers and races. Two weeks previously Jindra wrote his parents that he had assisted in digging Lieut Peirson, of the aviation corp, from the wreck of his plane after an accident in which Pierson was instantly killed. Jindra had commented upon these incidents as part of life on the aviation field and entertained no fear that he might fall victim to some such tragedy.
Was born Here
Lester Jindra was born in this city April 5, 1903 and spent much of his life in this city. He attended the local schools but later entered the Mishicot high school from which he graduated. He continued his studies at the county normal and graduated with honors.. He enlisted with the local militia company but resigned in order to enter the regular army service and study aviation and for a time stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois, and later transferred to Dayton and Columbus. It is presumed that the plane had made the trip from Dayton to Columbus and that it was while making ready to return that the accident which cost the life of Jindra occurred.
Mr. Jindra, a year ago, was detailed with another flier to make a transcontinental flight but was recalled before the trip was started. However, Jindra was a member of a party which made a flight to Texas.
Was Ending Training.
Within six months Jindra would have ended his training and received his official appointment. He had planned to come here early in the spring for a two months visit when his furlough leave was effective. Besides his parents the unfortunate youth is survived by two brothers, Arnold Jindra, residing on So. Sixteenth street, this city, and a younger brother John at home. No information as to shipment of the body had been received late today.
Manitowoc Herald News | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | Monday, October 13, 1924 | Page 1
PLANE DROPS BLOSSOMS ON FLIERS GRAVE
Official Tribute Is Paid to Jindra by Army Aviator
Flying here in the plane in which Lester Jindra did most of his aerial work, Sergt. Peter Biesiot and Mechanician Peter Hutchinson, buddies of the local boy, paid the last tribute an aviator can pay a friend, dropped flowers on the grave from the air at Mishicot this morning. The plane was decorated with black streamers and the aviators dropped two wreaths and a bouquet of roses from the air from the machine in which Jindra had time after time
been a passenger in his official capacity as a mechanician.
Sergt. Biesiot was pilot of the plane in which Jindra met his death and said that the accident was due to a failure to give the propellor a wide enough berth in passing around it. The heavy propellor caught Jindra under the chin, according to Biesiot, and split both the lower and upper jaw and also broke the skull at the temple. He says that Jindra's back was uninjured.
The men left the local field, south of the city, at 11:35.this morning and at 11:47 were back here on their way to Chicago where they will stop before going back to Wilbur Wright field at Columbus.
Burial at Mishicot
The funeral was held this morning, the cortege leaving the home at 9 o'clock with services at the Holy Cross Catholic church at Mishicot at .10 o'clock. Co. E furnished a firing squad and the pallbearers. Mrs, Jindra, who was seriously ill as result of the shock of the news of her son's death, was able to attend the funeral but her condition is still a matter of concern.
Manitowoc Herald News | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | Thursday, October 16, 1924 | Page 2
Vandals Rob Jindra Grave of Flowers
Unknown persons in comparison to whom the pole cat may be considered a gentleman, robbed the grave of Lester Jindra, Manitowoc aviator buried at Mishicot Thursday it has been learned and local authorities have started an investigation with a view to prosecution to the limit of the law, the vandals responsible tor the reprehensible act. Sixteen bouquets of flowers which had been placed on the mound when the grave was covered, were taken.
The theft was discovered by John Jindra, father of the dead boy when he visited the grave later in the day following the burial services. A clew to identity of the vandal has been secured and is being Investigated.
Manitowoc Herald News | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | Saturday, October 18, 1924 | Page 2
- [S21] Newspaper - Wisconsin - Manitowoc Herald News - Newspaperarchive, Lester J. Jindra; News article; 31 March 1924; page 1; viewed online; unknown.
Manitowoc Boy Near Death as Plane Crashes Into Clump of Trees in Making Landing
Lester Jindra Tells of Thrilling Trip in Photo
Plane with Death on Trail
Racing against time through a fog bank that forced the plane to a low level just skirting the tops of trees, Lester Jindra, Manitowoc, boy attached to the seventh photo sectlon airplane service at the Wilbur Wright field at Fairfield, Ohio, a companion Lieut. O'Neil, pilot of the plane, escaped death by the narrowest of margins when they were forced to make a landing at Eaton on a trip from Chanute field in Illinois to Fairfield, the big plane striking a tree an narrowly missing a complete destruction by head-on impact with a clump of maple trees where the machine landed while going at a speed of sixty-fieve miles. Both Jindra and O'Neil were badly shaken up but escaped serious injury and death which would have been their portion had the plane struck the tree squarely so that the heavy motor would have been forced back to crush the two occupants of the plane.
More to article in paper
Manitowoc Herald News | Manitowoc, Wisconsin | Monday, March 31, 1924 | Page 1
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Jindra and Chaloupka Families
1903 - 1924 (21 years)
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