The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-12-10


whisky and SODA" the two lion
cubs which are mascots Of the Lafay-
ette escadrille, probably saved the lives
Of some Of the volunteer American avi-
alors flying with the French army. for
Il was because "Whisky" and Soda
were fighting furiousy in a wood near
the airdrome Of the Lafayette esca-
arille on the Meuse river near Verdun
taat an of the pilots their mechani.
clans and even their cook rushed from
scamp and so escaped the bombs and
aerial torpedoes dropped q few seconds
later by a squadron Of German bonn
harding machines which flew overhead
Flag First Time Under Fire.
incidentally, this marked also the
first time that the United States flag
has been directly under fire 0n tho
western front, as the Stars and Stripes
we're floating from the aaepole at the
edge Of the aviation field when the Ger.
nan raiders appeared The fagpole
was struck by a sheil fragment. and,
although 1t swayed nd toppled per.
iIously, 1t did not fan and "Old Glory
waved trlumphantly throughout the
bombardment. II was the presence of
the American flag that denoted to the
Germans that that particular airdrome
was the home Of the Lafayette esca.
drille
More than a score Of airplanes-
s. r. A. DIS Of the latest type-were
destroyed by the great high-exploslye
bombs which the German Gothas
sprinkled over the camp. The canton
ments In which the pilots were housed
were blown to pieces and the cook,
house and mess tent were also hit. The
American avlators were lodged with a
French escadrille stationed nearby.
II was late IA the evening-after din
ner-when the aviators heard the
snarllng and roaring Of the lions. The
noise proceeded from a patch Of wood
close by the aviation field The avia.
tors ran to the scene immediately
fearing that their mascots were chew.
Ing up some dogs -mascots, perhaps
Of other units.
Instead they found "Whisky" and
''Soda" locked in their first real battle
since they have been ATTACHED" to the
Lafayette escadrille. Soon the whole
.escadrllle was gathered around the two
biting, snarling, splitting lion cubs, and
then there was the sound Of a swish
and boom, and the first German
bomb exploded.
The pilots looked up and deserted
half a dozen great Gothas circling over.
head at an altitude Of nearly 10000
feet They were raining down bombs,
and the huge projectiles were detonat.
ing all over the camp. The first bomb
dropped struck a hangar and made
matchwood and scrap iron out of halt
a dozen Of the fighting single-seater
airplanes it housed The next bomb
struck the barracks where the avia-
tors slept. The frail, temporary build
ing collapsed like a house of cards. The
next bomb hurled a splinter into the
iiagpole and set 1t swaylng like a reed /
Two more bombs then struck other /
hangers, demolishing more airplanes
There was not single casualty /
however owing to the fact that every.
body had left the camp and had rushed
to the wood to watch the lions fight.
But nearly every airplane was a total
wreck.
The next day, however, the escadrille
shifted its position to another sector
Of the front, near Soissons. The unit
was inactive for more than week
through lack Of machines.