Arthur Bluethenthal
| Arthur "Bluey" Bluethenthal | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 1, 1891 Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Died | June 5, 1918 (aged 26) near Maignelay, France |
| Cause of death | aerial combat with four German planes |
| Resting place | Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, NC |
| Citizenship | U.S. |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Occupation | bomber pilot |
| Employer | France |
| Known for | All-American center for Princeton football team; highly decorated fighting for France in World War I |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 186 lb (84 kg) |
| Awards |
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Arthur Bluethenthal, nicknamed "Bluey" (November 1, 1891 in Wilmington, North Carolina – June 5, 1918), was an All-American football player for Princeton University, who died in combat fighting for France in World War I.
The son of Leopold and Johanna Bluethenthal, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy prior to attending Princeton University, from which he graduated in 1913.
At Princeton University the 5' 9", 186-pound Bluethenthal played center from 1910–12. In 1911, he was named first team All-America by a number of newspapers, Walter Camp second team All-America, and first team All-East in a consensus of 28 newspapers. That year, the Tigers were 8–0–2, and yielded only 15 points the entire year. In 1912, Walter Camp selected him as third team All-America. Bluethenthal is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
After he graduated in 1912, Bluethenthal became the line coach for the Princeton Tigers, and then for the University of North Carolina.
In 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I, he joined the French Foreign Legion and served at the Battle of Verdun with the French 129th Infantry Division. France awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Star for conspicuous bravery.
On June 1, 1917, he joined the French flying corps, flying a single engine Breguet bomber in the Escadrille Breguet 227 of the Lafayette Flying Corps, as the only American in the squadron. He was killed in battle in aerial combat with four German planes while directing artillery fire on June 5, 1918, near Maignelay, France, 50 miles north of Paris. He was the first North Carolinian killed in World War I.
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