A brief history of the heroic unit of American pilots who flew for France before America joined World War One.

Founded by the director of the American Ambulance Field Service, Dr. Edmund Gros, and several of the voulunteer American ambulance drivers, the "Lafayette Escadrille" was a squadron of American pilots in the French Army who were fighting for the Allies before America entered the war. Some of the original pilots included Clyde Balsley, Willis Havilland, Thomas Hewitt, Henry Jones, Walter Lovell, James McConnell and Robert Rockwell.

"Beneath the canvas of a huge hangar, mechanics are at work on the motor of an airplane. Outside, on the borders of an aviation field, others loiter awaiting their aerial charges' return from the sky. Near the hangar stands a hut-shaped tent. In front of it several short-winged biplanes are lined up; inside it three or four young men are lolling in wicker chairs."

Sergeant James R. McConnell vividly describes the Luxeil base of the American unit of French Army aviators during World War I in his 1917 memoir, Flying For France. Captain Georges Thénault was the French Commanding Officer (CO) of the unit, who quickly trained these fearless fliers with Nieuport 17 C-1 bi-planes to battle the German air aces that were tormenting the French soldiers and citizenry on the ground. The pilots painted the head of a Native American Sioux Warrior on the noses of their planes, so the enemy would know that these were Americans. They even adopted a lion named "Whiskey" as their mascot and another cub named "Soda."

In late 1916, SPADs replaced the Nieuport airplanes and the Lafayette Escadrille began to make a reputation for themselves with several German kills. By January 1917, Raoul Lufbery had shot down seven German planes to become the leading American ace. Lufbery made sixteen kills before being shot down by the enemy.

Other members of the aerial unit included David Putnam, a descendant of American Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam, who had thirteen kills. Other notable members included Frank Baylies, who went from the Ambulance Service to earning twelve kills and Eugene Bullard, the first African-American pilot in World War I.

Of the original thirty-eight aviators in the Lafayette Escadrille:

• 28 had served in France in some capacity.

• Seven of the 28 had served in the French Air Service.

• 23 were from the Eastern states, nine were from New York and two from the West.

• Average age was 26 - ages ranged from 20 to 40 years.

• Eleven were sons of millionaires.

• Thirty held college degrees or had enrolled in a higher educational institution.

Harvard had nine alumni in the squadron.

• Nine had prewar flying experience.

A memorial honoring these valiant volunteers is located at Parc de Villeneuve-l'Etang, outside of Paris, France.

Sources

Lafayette Escadrille Exhibit. Windsor Locks, CT: New England Air Museum. 2007. http://www.neam.org/lafescweb/americansinfas.html

An Illustrated History of World War One. http://www.wwiaviation.com/aces/laffeyette.html

"McConnell Hoped To Serve America." The New York Times. March 20, 1917.