The Davenport Public Library presents “The Lafayette Escadrille" -- August 19.

Thursday, August 19, 6 p.m.

Presented by the Davenport Public Library

Delivered as part of the Davenport Public Library's virtual 3rd Thursday at Hoover's Presidential Library & Museum programming, the August 19 Zoom webinar The Lafayette Escadrille will tell the heroic tale of how 38 Americans volunteered to fly, and pay the ultimate price, in the First World War – fighting in the skies to aid France long before our country officially entered the war.

The first major action seen by the squadron was on May 13, 1916, at the Battle of Verdun, and five days later, aviator Kiffin Rockwell recorded the unit's first aerial victory. On June 23, the Escadrille suffered its first fatality when Victor Chapman was shot down over Douaumont, and the unit was posted to the front until that September, when the unit was moved back to Luxeuil-les-Bains in 7 Army area. On 23 September, Rockwell himself was killed when his Nieuport was downed by the gunner in a German Albatross observation plane, and the following month, Norman Prince was fatally injured after crashing on final approach to his airfield. The Lafayette Escadrille suffered heavy losses, but also received replacements until a total of 38 American pilots eventually served with the squadron. So many Americans volunteered to fly for France that they were eventually farmed out to other French squadrons. As a group, the Americans who flew in the war for France's air service, the Aéronautique militaire, are collectively known as the Lafayette Flying Corps, through which 265 American volunteers eventually served.

On February 8, 1918, the squadron was disbanded, and 12 of its American members were inducted into the U.S. Air Service as members of the 103rd Aero Squadron. For a brief period, it retained its French aircraft and mechanics, although most of its veteran members were set to work training newly arrived American pilots. The 103rd was credited with a further 45 kills before the Armistice went into effect on November 11, and the French Escadrille SPA.124, also known as the Jeanne d'Arc Escadrille, continued the Lafayette Escadrille's traditions in the Service Aéronautique. The unit was ultimately credited with inspiring the United States to join the Allies and enter the fight, and after the Great War, membership in the Escadrille Lafayette was claimed by over 4,000 people.

The Lafayette Escadrille will be presented live via Zoom webinar by director Darroch Greer, a documentary filmmaker and historical researcher who has written and produced documentaries on the Civil War, Native America, and popular culture for the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, PBS, and VH-1. The program begins at 6 p.m. on August 19, registration is available through the Davenport Public Library Web site, and more information on the virtual event and the monthly 3rd Thursday at Hoover's series is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.com.

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