Harvard hero honored
France fetes pilot 100 years later
One hundred years ago, the war to end all wars came to a close in Europe. Local descendants of one of the heroes of The Great War, who held ties to Harvard athletics, are traveling to France this week to take part in anniversary festivities.
Wellesley resident Walter Greeley, his wife, Ali, and daughter, Robin, will be attending a celebration to honor his uncle, Robert Hewins Stiles of Fitchburg, a renowned fighter pilot during World War 1. Stiles was shot down at age 23 in 1918 and his plane crashed in the tiny French village of PournoyLa-Chetive. The villagers hid his body so the German soldiers would not desecrate it. To this day, the villagers consider Stiles a hero and are honoring the American’s memory in a twoday event today and tomorrow. Coincidentally, the wing commander of Stiles’ fighter squadron was Hobey Baker of Princeton hockey fame. Baker was also shot down in the final days of the war and college hockey annually presents its best player with an award in his name.
“My brother, Dick, wrote a book: ‘Hobey Baker and Robert Stiles: Tempt Fate,’ which tells the story. They both died in the latter stages of the war. Hobey Baker used to return punts for Princeton. Of course, he was a fabulous hockey player. That’s why they have the award,” Greeley said.
Historical records indicate Stiles, who was born on Nov. 15, 1894, in Fitchburg, graduated Harvard in 1916. While there, Stiles was editor of the Harvard Crimson daily student newspaper. He also played on the freshman baseball team and later served as manager of the 1916 Harvard varsity squad, which defeated the Boston Red Sox, 1-0, in a preseason game. The photo of the 1916 Harvard team, including Stiles, will be part of the official celebration program for the festivities taking place in Pournoy-La-Chetive.
“After the Red Sox won the 1916 world championship, Harvard used to say that they were the real world champions,” Greeley said with a laugh.
According to available data, Stiles later enlisted as a PFC Aviation Section with the Signals Corps in June 1917. He was assigned to the School of Military Aeronautics, MIT, on Aug. 20 of that year. He sailed to France on Oct. 26, and was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center. He later participated in the Saint-Mihiel offensive and was officially credited with the destruction of three enemy planes. Stiles was cited by General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing “for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services with the 13th Aero Squadron.”
Greeley, the MVP of the first Beanpot in 1952, said his uncle was always revered by those who knew him.
“My mother didn’t talk about it. They had a memorial service in Fitchburg in 1919 or 1920. But every time after that, if she heard ‘Taps,’ she would dissolve into tears,” said Walter Greeley. “Everyone liked him. Ed Mahan, the great halfback from Natick, who played on that Harvard baseball team that beat the Boston Red Sox that year, later wrote a letter to my mother that said, ‘Everyone liked Red,’ which was my uncle’s nickname.
“We’re all excited. Robert Stiles Greeley, who is the grandson of Robert Hewins Stiles, is going over. He is 18 and attends UNH. He’s going to read some excerpts about his great-uncle,” Greeley continued. “This is all a little peek at how appreciative the French people are over America helping them out in World War I and World War II. They have tremendous respect for what we did for them.”