Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-24

brother. Norman, but was shortly sent
TO Pau to serve as an instructor In
flying.
Willis B. Haviland of st. Paul. Mimi,
had finished his training in October and
was detailed for duty with the Esca-
drille. He served with distinction
throughout the war in the Escadrille
and in another French squadron, in
the Royal Naval Air Service. in the
United States Naval Air Service and
ended the war as commanding officer
Of the United States naval air station
at Porto Corsini Italy. More will BE-
heard from Porto Corsini before this
story closes. That little forgotten sta
ton on the coast OF the Adriatic was
the scene OF one OF the most deathless
incidents Of personal heroiSm in the
entire war.
The Birth Of New Name.
One November day Capt. Thenault
received a message from the minister
of war which read: For diplomatic
reasons. Escadrille l24 will henceforth
be called the Volunteer Escadr!lle.' It
Is expedient to abandon the title Amer
lean Escadrille.'
Bernstorff. the German Ambassador
| In Washington. had made a protest
dSA44Issb Lie Use Vi LlIE ILdIIiC AIIiEIiGA
| for a unit Of the French Army. Since
We we're still neutral. Washington passed
the protest along 10 Paris and the above
order was the result.
DR. Edmund eros. the faithful friend
OF the Escadrille. again opened bat
| tie of Paris. He denounced the new
name as colorless and without mean
| ing and suggested the name which was
| finally adopted and which became one
OF the most famous designations In the
| history of warfare-the Lafayette Esca-
drille. A formal order establishing this
new name was issued on December 6.
| 1916, and from that time on the Latay-
cite Escadrille continued TO write a
page OF increasing briliiance in French
! history.
After a succession Of dreary days, the
sun came out clear and bright on the
morning Of December 81. Every one
| in the Escadrille was out at dawn and
! the Germans were out 10 meet them
! This is good place 10 clear up some
/ misunderstanding about German air
| men born In the bitterness OF the war
! period. They we're good-and the men
J who shot them down had 10 be- better
| than good. The Germans were well
| equipped and most Of them had real
| skill and unlimited nerve. Shooting
F! IL out" with one Of them was no Sum-
nler days picnic~~the writer can testify
u that That American flyers as a
| whole shot down more Germans than
they lost 10 the enemys skill Is q trib-
ute 10 our fighters.
Guynemer Saves Lufbery.
Lnfbery promptly mixed" with a
| German plane. but his gun TANNED and
the enemy's gunner put several bullets
into "Luf's" plane before the latter
could twist out VI danger. Another
German picked Lufbery for likely dish
of cold meat" but the Incompatible
Guynemer flashed out Of the eye Of the
sun and Hen. the attacker 10 his death.
'I-uf" landed and got busy with his
Jam hammer ~ such purpose that he
! Hab in the air again shortly with his
gun In working order Al last he
sighted All AYiatik. which he "herdcd"
over THE French lines ~ that he might
receive credit tor the victory he was
sure he was about " Wln Early IN
hoveMDer pc had shot down Two Der
mans - FAR behind their lines that no
French observer could confirm the Vie
tories. Lufbery sought yfriflcati9iis for
the sake of the EacadriIle'k record. not
because u any desire u ADD 10 his per
honal reputation.
The German pilot handled his Avn =.
htik with SURPRISING skill and Iufbery
had Ills hands fun, tour bullets pass =
nag through his GDckplt within inches
IT his body. several tiinea each fighter
seemed ~ have The battle Won. biI
u wbs the German whose plane went
spinning down ia the END he crashed
Inside the French lines ana Lutbery had
| his Ytfliication
! Ronald H0skief ~ South Oranpe
n j mad joined up early IN December
bcgiphing the bright career which IL
one III The outstanding stories II lie
lafayette EscadTliie ThaW returned
from his Visit home and tie EseadrilIe
had tnil muster roll, which spent
most ~ its Time cufsiHg the weather
JanuaIy "a 1917 wbs another III
the rare clear days aud Liiibery .rlr-
bfatfd The oFcasion by sh1OtInR DIV u
, anal her FDkEnT with his CUSTOMARY
sriIi Cn Tie 18Th ns had been award
~ another palm tDf Ills GroiA d.
GusTfe Ia recognition Ut hls Decemle.
~ Ylcb3Ty. IN january 10 EdmGn
Charles Genet IL Dasiuing N Y. cam
bp ifou tbs a,i8ipln seHpGi ana report
ed fm dUy lie Nes the greet great
grandson vi CitlAea GtAe.. cent II