1891-1919 |
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Courtesy of Eloy Martín |
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via email from Eloy Martín, Matienzo was born in the province of Tucumán the 9 of April of 1891. He entered the Military School of the Nation the 9 of March of 1909 withdrawing with the Second lieutenant degree of the communication troop the 31 of December of 1910. His promotion of debit was Nº 35, between his comrades there was an important amount of civilian and military aviators: Manuel Felix Origone (first victim of the military aviation), Luis Cenobio Candelaria (first in crossing the mountain range in it airplane), Oscar Lozano, Antonio Parodi, Vicente Andrada and Julio Garci'a Fernandez, Gregorio Jesus Rafael Terneyro Bravo and Jose William Rosasco. In 1916 he entered the Military aviation school of Aviation. The 24 of March of 1917 obtained the title of Flying Pilot Nº 111, the 12 of September obtained the title of Superior Military pilot and the 24 of June of 1918 the title of Military pilot (Military Bulletin Nº 5058) like part of 4º Course of Aviators of the Military aviation school. The 23 of May, on board of the biplane Voisin 5 THE ONE of the Military aviation school, successful made with Engineer Edmundo Lucius a raid between the localities of the Palomar and San Miguel de Tucumán with scales in Rosary, Rafaela, the Real Band, Sayana and Santiago of the Matting. Next to the military rated officers Zanni and Parodi it conformed the original nucleus of the fighter aircraft of the Argentine Army and projected the crossing of The $andes by Mendoza to Santiago of Chile. For it three biplanes conformed an integrated squadron: 5 Ansaldo SVA Nº 1 Sartorelli, 10 Ansaldo SVA Nº 1 Giovanardi and the Nieuport 28C1 N6338, whose crossing was predicted for day 28 of May of 1919. That Matienzo day decided to be first in making specific the attempt of crossing and took off of the aerodrome of the Tamarinds passing away when falling with its airplane between 28 and 29 of May of 1919 when trying the crossing in flight of The $andes from Mendoza after hurrying in the mountain range with the Nieuport 28C1; its corpse was found the 18 of November in front of the House of the Mines, distant to 20 km of the place of the Cuevas. The 29 of November of 1922, during a stage of the Raid the Northwest made by the Army, the Squadron of Observation to control of the CAP Av Thousands Oscar Lozano when arriving at Tucumán went directly to the local cemetery and carried out I fly over in company of the provincial Governor to pay tribute to its memory. |
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Courtesy of Eloy Martín |
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The 28 of May of 1927 the monument erected in his was inaugurated in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán memoria. The 14 of June of 1923, the definitive nonsuit in summary 394/919 was arranged, instructed in the occasion of its death (Military Bulletin Nº 6491, 1ª Part). The 28 of May of 1927 the erected monument was inaugurated in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán in his memoria. The 3 of February of 1950 one patrols, that left from Uspallata the 21 of January integrated by the Subof Ay Enrique Svars, the Sarg Ay of Army Victor Manuel Bringa, the Cbo My de Aeronáutica Oscar Enrique Funes, the Cbo of Army Rómulo Moreno and the soldiers Angel Lopez, Juan Calderón, Ceferino Biglia, Epifanio Jofre, Dionisio Carballo, Urquiza Pillar and Benito Tardivio found in a gorge the rest of the Nieuport 28C1 used the 28 of May of 1919 by Matienzo. The biplane was found to 4500 ms of altitude and 150 ms of the border line to the north of the Opening of the Contrabandistas. The 21 of January of 1970, was declared by Precursory and Meritorious Law of the Argentina Aeronautics (Public Aeronautical Bulletin Nº 2100). The 29 of May of 1989, in the occasion of 70º anniversary of its disappearance the National Company Post office and Telegraphs, Encotel emits an allusive postmark in the postal office of Field of Mayo. |
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Courtesy of Eloy Martín |
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Within a few days will mark 90 years of an event that shook our country and Mendoza. This is the Benjamín Matienzo death of an airman who, along with his companions, undertook the daring voyage crossing the Andes. To read the full story, click the title. |
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If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper |
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