b'Samuel continued from page 19his American birth. He was the first civilian - and the first American to ever be buried in a British Military Cemetery by order of the King.And from his friend, King George V who as the Prince of Wales would occasionally visit Cody for a chat and to observe the aviation pioneer in flight came the following tribute, "I have received, with profound regret the news of the death of Mr. Cody. I saw him on several occasions at Aldershot and always appreciated his dogged determination and dauntless courage" (Jenkins, p. xiii).Cody was a household name in Britain for many, many years following his untimely death, not so much in an America which he had abandoned as well as his American wife. Now he is practically a non-person, a historical figure of so little value except in the minds of British aviation enthusiasts and extreme Old West trivia nuts. As I wrote this story I often wondered why the "other" Cody is so little known, and barely registers a small footnote in our history books. But I think I know why now.In today\'s world Cody would be considered morally flawed and extremely self-centered. This writer originally found the character of Samuel F. Cody, formerly Franklin Cowdery fascinating, despite the not-so-little and not-so-white lies he conjured up to mask his true origins and his real life. The half-truths and downright lies would turn away many, as would his choices to sign up with opportunistic Wild West productions run by shady characters instead of signing with legitimate ones produced by more honorable men such as Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, or the Miller 101 Ranch Wild West shows. This writer also was appalled by his apparent treatment of his first wife, Maud Lee, as a non-person but I also remembered that I didn\'t walk in his Cowboy boots - the gravity of Maud Lee\'s descent into madness and drug addiction could have easily caused even the strongest of men to back away and choose the easy, though not morally right, way out.In accepting falsehoods, whether he was called a "son" or "cousin" of Buffalo Bill, or she, Maud Lee, calling herself Annie Oakley, both Franklin Cowdery and Maud Lee did not do themselves proud, but they so foolishly incurred the wrath of the two people they emulated who could have helped them so greatly. There too, was the possibility that Cody DID take care of the bills and treatments of Maud Lee during those first years of hospitalization. One has to wonder why Maud Lee\'s parents did not sue while Cody was still alive - and only chose to sue his estate after his death.It seemed to be more than a coincidence that at virtually the same time in May 1947 when a 75-year-old Maud Lee breathed her last that the staff at Madame Tussaud\'s Museum removed the statue of Sam Cody that had survived two World Wars, only to melt it down (Kuntz, p. 175).On the other hand, I found myself somewhat admiring Cody\'s true Americana - AND COWBOY WAYS of determination, of perseverance, of hanging in there when the going got rough, and boy did it ever for him. Still, whenever he was down, he would pick himself up until fate in the form of early aviation mishaps intervened - for good. He may have died a Brit but he was always an American - the good and the bad.In conclusion, this writer found himself gravitating between two different messages. The first, a moral one, from Kuntz:"Through the prism of reflection, we can picture the young Cowboy Sam Cody, exiting as a free man the Reading, Pennsylvania courthouse with a beaming Maud Lee by his side. A moment later we can envision the sad, lonely burial of an old madwoman and the melting effigy of a long-forgotten adventurer. Their ill-fated relationship, containing adventure and spectacle, perseverance and mishap, courage - and frailty - was the reality behind the show trappings of the Wild West. Their story contains romance, to be sure, but it is also a tragedy of lost potential" (Ibid).The second, an encapsulation of the triumph of the American spirit, from Flanagan:"Fifty thousand mourners turned out in England for the funeral of this misplaced Westerner, a Cowboy Icarus who hit the heights a long way from home" (Flanagan, p. 76).And this elegy pretty much sums it all up:CODYCrank of the crankiest, ridiculed, sneered at;Son of a boisterous, picturesque race.Butt for the ignorant, shoulder shrugged, jeered at;Flint-hard of purpose, smiling of face.Slogging along on the little-trod paths of life;Cowboy and trick-shot and airman in turn!Recklessly straining the quick-snapping lath of life,Eager its utmost resistance to learn.Honour him now, all ye dwarf\'s who belittle him!Now, \'tis writ large what in visions he read.Lay a white wreath where your ridicule riddled him,Honour him now, he\'s successful and - dead. J. Poulson Cody\'s remains were laid to rest at the military cemetery in Aldershot, in his adoptive country of Britain.20 October 2021'