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BONA

FIDE

HERO

By JOSEPH G. ROSA
Photos Courtesy Author

Author's Note: Most legendary heroes
of the Old West were part fact, part
fiction, and the movie cowboys were
rarely as authentic as their Old West
counterparts. But as I was to learn
when I started digging into the legend
of Buck Jones, his publicity was based
on fact. I was able to confirm important
details with his wife, Odille, who still
resides in Hollywood, and the National
Archives in Washington contributed in-
formation on his army career.
"KingING OF THE COWBOYS"-about
a dozen Western movie stars have
borne that .title since 1903. but, in my
opinion, only three really stand out-
William S. Hart, Tom Mix and Buck
Jones.
Of this trio only Buck Jones was an Buck Jones with his ornately engraved Colt Peacemaker. En-
authentic cowboy. Hart was a Broadway largement of the gun (inset) is through courtesy Guns & Am-
actor of some considerable fame before mo Magazine, October, 1959, Peterson Publishing Company.
he entered motion pictures in 1914, but
he had never been a real cowboy. Tom
Mix, on the other hand, had had some
rodeo experience and knew something of toddling toward the nearest corral where After his initial recruit training,
the business, but he was _ not as authentic friendly cowboys encouraged him to sit Trooper Gebhard saw some service along
as his later press publicity made out. a pony. It was not long before he was the Mexican border. On one patrol he
Buck Jones, however, had been a cowboy able to ride, and cowhands began refer- narrowly missed death in a thunderstorm
ahd a cavalryman when the Old West ring to him as a real "buckaroo" which when lightning struck a steel bridge he
was still alive. name was soon shortened to "Buck." It was crossing. Several troopers riding
Perhaps his name may not mean much was a name he was proud to claim for ahead of him were killed. Later Troop
to this generation, yet there was a time the remainder of his life. G was ordered to the Philippines, setting
when practically every boy in the United- By his fifteenth birthday wanderlust sail on September 7, 1907 and arriving
States would rather have been Buck had seized the boy and he decided to see on October 9. For the next two years
Jones than President. His action-packed, more of the great Western country be- they fought Moro bandits, and in a
full-of-excitement Westerns appealed to fore it became fenced in. At that time the jungle battle toward the end of 1909
youngsters and adults alike. Even cow- best way to do it was to join the Army. Buck was badly wounded in the right
boys liked his pictures and a Buck Jones "But he was too young and could only leg just above the knee. He was threat-
feature was sure to draw many off the join with his mother's permission," Mrs. ened with the loss of his leg, but recov-
range on a Saturday night. To millions Jones told me. "Together they went and ered to carry a 6½-inch scar for the re-
of fans he was the most beloved of the lied about his age so he could join." mainder of his life.
heroes of gunsmoke and gallop. Buck's mother realized that to refuse According to army records, Buck left
Born Charles Frederick Gebhard permission would only delay the event, the Philippines on November 15, 1909
(sometimes spelled Gebhart) on Decem- so she agreed to the deception. At Colum- and arrived back in the United States on
ber 12, 1891, at Vincennes, Indiana, he bus Barracks, Ohio, on January 8, 1907, December 14 where he was honorably
was only a few months old when his Buck enlisted in Troop G, Sixth U. S. discharged at the Recruit Depot, Fort
father purchased a 3,000-acre ranch at Cavalry, and gave his date of birth as McDowell, California, on December 20
Red Rock, Oklahoma. Young Charlie December 12, 1888. This date and that of "by reason of short remaining term, for
Gebhard learned fast. As soon as he was December 4, 1889 appear in most refer- the convenience of the government."
able to walk unaided he was to be found ence books. His leg was still troubling him and he

20 True West