This Date in History: March 18

 

Captain Thomas French, Company M, 7th Cavalry Regiment, after serving in an unspecified temporary duty at Fort Abercrombie, Dakota Territory until March 18, 1874, returned to Fort Rice.  (Custer’s Best: The Story of Company M, 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn)

On March 18, 1876 Sergeant Patrick Carey was supervising the Company M stable guard, and Private John Whisten decided he would drink during his guard and became drunk.  The problem escalated into a large brawl.  (Custer’s Best: The Story of Company M, 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn)

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Werner Mölders, Luftwaffe fighter ace, born March 18, 1913 in Gelsenkirchen, commander of Jagdgeschwader 53 and 51, winner of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, credited with 115 air victories, killed in a plane accident at Breslau on November 21, 1941 while returning from the front for the funeral of Ernst Udet, on fighter pilots:

“The most important thing for a fighter pilot is to get his first victory without too much trauma.”  (2,000 Quotes From Hitler’s 1,000-Year Reich)