Background
He was born in July 1887 in Macon, Georgia to Jessie M. (1865-?) and Leighton Wilson Hazelhurst, Senior (1862-?). His father worked for the railroad.
He was born in July 1887 in Macon, Georgia to Jessie M. (1865-?) and Leighton Wilson Hazelhurst, Senior (1862-?). His father worked for the railroad.
He graduated and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 17th Infantry in 1908.
Hazelhurst was the third United States Army officer to die in an aviation accident. The two to die before him were Thomas Etholen Selfridge and George Edward Maurice Kelly. Leighton, Junior. was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New New York
He was an appointee from Mississippi.
He was detailed as a student aviator to the Aeronautical Division, United States. Signal Corps on March 1, 1912, and reported to the Aviation School in its temporary winter quarters at Augusta, Georgia, where he began instruction with Lieutenant Thomas DeWitt Milling.
The school returned to its previous field at College Park, Maryland on April 1, 1912. On June 11, 1912, Hazelhurst was a passenger accompanying First Rate (at Lloyd's) Welsh of the Wright Flying School as an official observer during an acceptance trial for the Army"s first Wright Model C airplane.
The plane crashed and both men were killed.
Although protocol for funerals for officers of his rank called only for the participation of a platoon of infantry, the entire garrison at Fort Myer including all the Army"s aviators turned out for the ceremony, while a squadron of the 15th Cavalry and battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery provided the honor escort. Hazelhurst Field, New York, a major flying training center during World War I, was named for him. The two United States Army aviators to die before him were Thomas Etholen Selfridge and George Edward Maurice Kelly.