Evening star., 1928-02-14
ACES TPl By JOHN KNOX
The Fact Story of American Aviators in the World War
Part 4-The Air Force of the A. E. F.

my machine to investigate the cause OF
my trouble.
Imagine my surprise when dis
covered that one blade of my propeller
had been shot in two by my late ad-
versary! He had evidently put several
holes through it when he made his
head-on attack-and utterly uncon-
scious OF the damage had received.
had reversed my direction and shot him
down before the weakened blade gave
way! The heavy jolting of the engine
was now clear to me-only half of the
propeller caught the air."
Rickenbacker was greeted by the
news that the groups early morning
expedition had shot down 10 German
balloons; his Fokker made the total for
the day IL victories before the sun
was up.
could write on forever. telling once
more the stories heard first in dimly
lighted hangers where voices must be
pitched high to be heard above the in
SiStent voice of the busy guns to the
north, but space and time forbid the
full recital of the story of America 5
war in the air. 1t is hard to write a
story like this. The writer must pick
out but few stories among the hum
dredS that he knows, and no matter
which he picks he feels with disquieting
certainty that he is leaving too many
Untold. l sine rely hope that the men
whose stories are not retOld In these
columns will understand.
This story has been written for a
purpose. have grown weary of those
Americans. unworthy of their citizen
ship. who have raised their voices In
the sheltered safety of our secure coun-
try to disparage the men who fought
and died that security might continue
to be ours. This is propaganda-yes.
asks you to believe in yourselves. your
friends. your brothers, your sons and
your country.
America hates war. Maybe that IS
the reason we fight so hard when war
comes on us. The lessons Of each war
must be the inspiration of the next
and while we hope that war will never
come again, we cannot control the am
bitions of alien people which may force
war upon us.
The superb story of the 1st Pursuit
G )up rolled on. Rickenbacker shot
down total Of 26 German aircraft be-
all the Air Service by :. wide margin.
Yard by yard Pershing's doughboys
slugged their way through the Argonne
until that day when a tattered platoon
crossed the vital railway station at
Sedan and closed the neck of the bag
which trapped the mighty German
army, leaving it no choice but surren-
| der.
Ever in front and over their heads
the Air Service marked the way with
the flaming wrecks Of Fokkers and bal
| looms. mingled with good share Of the
| wrecked planes of their own men
Working for the common cause the IN
| fantry men. oldest type Of the worlds
| fighting men. and the aviator. the new
est, proved each to the other his worthi-
ness to be called comrade.
There were score of stories OF un.
matched heroism above those dark and
| forbidding trees. just as there were
thousands on the torn ground below
Some of these tales We will try TO tell
| Leaving the Argonne for the moment
We will ask you to fly with us in fancy
to the somber fields of Flanders. whose
noisome muck was thick with the half
buried bodies of the million and more
men who had died there since the first
German wave came down out Of Bel.
gium just as the leaves turned red ir
the Fall Of 1914 We will tell you, ir
his own words. the story Of grim
stubborn fighter OF the air. of whom
this country should know more than il
! does.
fronyright 1928