Lafayette Escadrille
Knights of the Air 11/06/2022
As an Army Aviator, our first stop on our walk through history was special to me. I am proud to have served my country as an Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. As an American combat pilot, I was excited about starting my WWI tour at the birthplace of American combat aviation. I felt a connection with our visit to the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial today.
The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery commemorates the birthplace of American combat aviation and serves as a symbol of the Franco-American comradeship during World War I. This site honors the American volunteer pilots who flew with French squadrons during the Great War. When the war erupted in Europe in 1914, the United States was neutral and did not enter the war for another 3 years. This did not keep a large number of Americans from volunteering their service to France. More than 200 Americans flew with the French squadrons during the war. In 1916 the French government created a squadron composed of American pilots. On April 20, 1916 the first unit constituting American flyers was placed on front-line duty. These aviators fought in the Battle of Verdun and the Somme Offensive, establishing a reputation for daring maneuvers and highly effective skills during these epic conflicts. Many of these pilots transferred to the U.S. Army air service after the U.S. entered the war. As a combat pilot, I feel our lineage can be traced back to the American pilots that flew for France in World War I. Over 200 American pilots flew for the French, not all were in the Lafayette Escadrille. We should remember and honor them, not only for what they did for France, but also what they did for the United States.
This tour will take us to several World War One battlefields and cemeteries. We won’t be able to cover them all. Due to the enormity of the area the conflict covers, visiting all the sites is impossible. You should have a better understanding of the enormous cost in lives and property that resulted from this war.
Next on our schedule today was the Suresnes American Cemetery. Originally a World War I cemetery, the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial just outside Paris now shelters the remains of U.S. dead of both wars. The 7.5-acre cemetery contains the remains of 1,559 Americans who died in World War I and 23 unknown dead of World War II. Suresnes Cemetery also serves as the final resting place for a number of U.S. civilians that passed while serving the American Expeditionary Force in Europe. Many of their deaths was due to the Spanish Flu pandemic that swept Europe in 1918 to 1919…another tragic event in a tragic war.
We left Paris and travelled to a a small village from the Middle Ages by the name of Pierrefonds for lunch. The village also has a castle from the middle ages that was constructed in the 12th century. The name of the castle is Chateau de Pierrefonds. Napoleon I bought the castle in 1810 for under 3,000 Francs. In 1850, Napoleon III of France ordered the castle be restored. This work began in 1857 and I think it continues today. There was scaffolding around one side of the castle.
Our last stop today was the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. This cemetery contains the graves of 6,012 American soldiers who died while fighting in this vicinity during World War I, 597 of which were not identified, as well as a monument for 241 Americans who were MIA during battles in the same area and whose remains were never recovered. Included among the soldiers here who lost their lives is poet Joyce Kilmer. The 167th Alabama Regiment fought a major battle near here, The Battle of the Croix Rouge Farm. Nimrod Frazer, from Montgomery, wrote a book about this battle, “Send the Alabamians”. His father fought in this battle…a great book. One last thing about this cemetery, I think most people my age remember Pvt. Eddie Slovik. Did you ever wonder what happened to him after his execution?
A graveyard for former soldiers that were dishonorably discharged and executed for crimes committed during World War II, referred to as Plot E, is nearby. Private Eddie Slovik (1920–1945) the only American soldier executed for desertion during World War II is there.
End of a long day. Headed for Reims….
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