Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-02-07
AMERICAN FLYERS
Some Interesting Information Re-
garding American Airmen In Ser
vice Over the Lines--History Of
One American Hundred--German
Propaganda

1t j. Darby Kenyon has spoken
to pubic gatrer ngs three times slnce
his return to his home town last week
wednesday to Losure Post G.. A. R
lass 5aGeraay Afternoon, at the Con-
grt gational church Sunday afternoon
gational church Sunday afternoon
and at the Court House Monday eve
ming where the program included a
fine concert of vocal music by High
School chorus under the direction of
Miss Florence Bennett and a numb, r
Of cornet duets played as only the
Yeager Brothers OF the band of the
U. s. s. VonSteuben can play. The
Court House meeting was made sill
more interesting by the presence of
a number of the returned mel n
uniform.
Darby Kenyon has not been train
cd as a public speaker and has had
very little experience along this line;
he was pursuing a course in architec-
ture m the University of Michigan
when called into the service IN April
1917. He does not enjoy either the
public speaking or the lime light"
but has responded to the requests to
talk, realiz ng that the home folks
are anxious to hear of the experienc-
es through which he has passed in
France and Germany and also gain
some information regard ng this
newest mode Of warfare in the air.
According to 1t. Kenyon's know
ledge not more than six to seven hun
dred American Military Aviators
actually got into service on or over
the battle lines Of Europe. This Of
course does not include those Ameri-
cans who were members of the air
forces Of other ntaions. 1t is there
fore some distinction for Fulton
County to have had one Of its citi-
zens in the actual air warfare in
Europe. Another bit of information
brought back by Darby is that there
is only one Wauseon in the world
30 far as the Gale or telegraph peo-
pie know. and so it won't be necess-
AIRY for our citizens when travelling
in foreign lands to say that they
come from Toledo, Oh o-just say
Wauseon. there are several Toledos
The particular organization ir
which 1t. Kenyon saw active service
over the battle fields of France was
the 148th. American Squadron anc
this with the 18th, Squadron were
the only American Squadrons that
were attached to the Royal All
Force of the British Expeditionary
Force in France. Both of these
adrons have splend d service re
cords and worked entirely on thu
English sector in the Nortr o.
France.
LII Kenyon was one Of 100 young
men chosen from practically all th'
Universities Of the, United States
who passed the careful tests tha
were given and were modified a
Fort Wood, New York and were
known as the Toronto Detail. Thel
were sent in body to The Roya
Flying Corps ground school at Ions
Branch, Ontario and later to tn
University Of Toronto, were undel
the English system throughout thef
training VIII ch was continued on tn
lving fields near Fort Worth, Texa
and completed in England. Tn
men who were trained with the de
tail were for the most part eithe
members Of the two American SQUAD
rons that were attached to the Roya
Air Force or we're attached as n
dividual flying officers to some o
the English flying units.
OF the original one hundred, 5
never got INTO action at the front
nine Of these, including Peyton {
March son of the General Marc
chief of staff at Washington. wer
k lied in training, four were injure,
four found unfit SIX discharged
twelve were placed as instructor
and in other lines Of duty aside fror
flying, six were ready for the from
but not called November 11th, an
the balance divided among sundr
reasons WHY they could not carry o
in Aerial NJ litary activities, includ
ing eight who when attempting t
Nv lost their nerve and so becam
useless, for this particular service.
Of the 43 who actually got on tn
front and participated in the activ
ties there, were wounded, wer
killed, 8 were taken prisoners an
only 20 were known to be living an
in good physical condition on Noven
Der 11th.
An interesting souvenir Of Gel
man prison camps which Darb
brought back is a paper btaring tt
caption america in Europe" pr'nte
in English at Frankfurt Main an
used by the Germans for the purpos
of disseminating Their propagand
among American prisoners.
The first page contains a cartoo
of Lloyd George with soliloquy
which that statesman is congratl
lating himself that the Yankees al
in the war and that they will
Englands dirty work" that the
can only get as far as the Hinder
burg line any way but tnat it w
serve to weaken both the Germs
and the American forces which
the end desired by the English. II
whole paper Is such an obvious ma
of Misrepresentation and subversi'
of facts that it became joke amor
the American officers imprisoned
Germany and fooled none of thel