Phelps Collins in front of Spad XII at Beauzée-sur-Aire before leaving the French Escadrille 103 on 7 January 1918. Collins enlisted in the French Service Aéronautique in May 1917 and transferred to the U.S. Air Army Service in January 1918. He was assigned to the American 103rd Aero Squadron with a rank of captain. On 12 March 1918, Collins and four other American pilots were attempting to intercept enemy airplanes in the area of Paris when, for an unknown reason, Collins' aircraft spun and dived into the ground. Captain Phelps Collins of Alpena, Mich., became the first member of the U.S. Air Service to die on a combat mission. (U.S. Air Force photo)