Captain Theodore Marburg Jr. (November 27, 1893 - February 24, 1922) was an American citizen who lost his U.S. citizenship when he became a member of the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

. An act of Congress restored his citizenship, and other Americans who volunteered with allied forces.

Biography

He was born on November 27, 1893 in France to

Theodore Marburg Theodore Marburg Sr. (July 10, 1862 – March 4, 1946) was an American jurist, diplomat and internationalist. Biography He was born on July 10, 1862 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the United States Minister to Belgium from 1912 to 1914. He was t ...

, the

United States Ambassador to Belgium In 1832, shortly after the creation of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States established diplomatic relations. Since that time, a long line of distinguished envoys have represented American interests in Belgium. These diplomats included men ...

from 1912 to 1914. He was educated at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. After graduation he joined the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

in England. While on a mission to photograph the German lines in 1915, his plane crashed and a strut pierced his left knee, requiring the leg to be amputated. In 1917 he served as a wing examining officer at Canadian headquarters in Canada, and then he returned to England and flew at Shoreham in the south of England before becoming an instructor at

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...

."Ted" Marburg Shoots Himself While in Mexico, The Baltiomore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) February 19, 1922, page 22, 15, accessed November 6, 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14929686/ and https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14929677/ In 1916 the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

refuse to issue him a passport since according to the department taking the oath of allegiance to the British breaks allegiance to the United States. This case, which was widely publicized, led to a bill, signed in October 1917 by President Wilson, that restored US citizenship to US citizens who enlisted in Canadian, British, and French services before the US declaration of war if they took an oath of allegiance at a US consulate. An important reason Marburg wished to return to the US was to secure an American made artificial leg, and when he returned to the US he was treated at the

Johns Hopkins Hospital The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...

. After the war, Marburg moved to the American Southwest where he purchased a cattle ranch, believing an outdoor life would be good for his health. He married Baroness Gesell de Vavario of Belgium in

Southampton, England Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Por ...

in April 1916. Unhappy with ranch life, she abandoned him and they divorced on August 15, 1921 in

Santa Cruz County, Arizona Santa Cruz is a County (United States), county in southern Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population is 47,669. The county seat is Nogales, Arizona, Nogales. The county was established in 1899. It b ...

. On January 3, 1922, he married Harriet de Forest Brown, the daughter of George Brown. After Marburg's death, Harriet would marry John Wentworth, son of

Moses J. Wentworth Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) was an American lawyer and politician from Chicago, who served as a member of the 29th, 30th, and 31st General Assemblies in the Illinois House of Representatives, from the 1st District. He was elected as a ...

. He shot himself in the head on February 17, 1922 in Mexico. The shot to the head did not kill him immediately, he was brought to a hospital but died on February 24, 1922. He was buried in

Druid Ridge Cemetery Druid Ridge Cemetery is located in Pikesville, Maryland, just outside the city of Baltimore. Among its monuments and graves are several noted sculptures by Hans Schuler and the final resting places of: *Felix Agnus, American Civil War general a ...

Pikesville, Maryland Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore. The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marburg, Theodore Jr. Suicides by firearm in Mexico Burials at Druid Ridge Cemetery 1893 births 1922 suicides Royal Flying Corps officers American military personnel of World War I British Army personnel of World War I 1922 deaths