Life — May 8, 1919 — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“LIFE: LIFE Up in the Air a ay been put te Army in Europe an illustrious use | Lieutenant Guilbert’s excellent letter tells the story admirably. The obligation to which the IFE’S editorial devil and pursuing knight, as shown in the attached design, have the Ninety-first Aero Squadron of our Third Lieutenant refers is on Lire and not on the Squadron. To have participated, even in a figurative way, in the creditable record of the Ninety- Squadron is regarded by Lire as an honor, and it extends its acknowledgments to the Ninety-first Squadron for the tinction, Nixety-rixst Ako Souapkos, Tuixo Army, Am. E. F., Fort Alexander, Coblenz, February 24, 1919. Acknowled, Lire—Dear Sirs f the of Lire as an insignia for the planes of this re Epitors oF ment ld have been made long ago of the device from orial 7 ron. It should not be too late, ndebtedness to you, and, with the expression of it, to however, for us to express you a brief account of the work the squadron accom od. many ways its record has been uny al, and it is one of h we are all—I think justly—proud. Under the command stenant-Colonel, John W first American army observ jor, now Li Reynolds, it was adron to begin work he lines, operating over the Toul sector under the Eighth neh Arm: First American Army from the middle of June until the formation of When that was organized, shortly re the St. Mihiel driv ame part of the Army Observation Gro olds took and, Captain Everett R. Cook, one of the original pilots and of the Ninety-first the squadron be of which Major R squadron, succeeding to the con dron. he squadron did effective work in the St. M twas in the attack on the Argonne-Meuse front that it put to the test. 1 operations, The Germans massed their air-service s in an effort to nullify the work of ours, and hardly a ion was performed without at least one combat, two or © of our planes sometimes fighting off fourteen or more AEROPLANE OF NINETY-FIRST SQUADRON, BROUGHT DOWN, It also thanks Lieutenant Guilhert for permitting us to present the illust ted record to Lire’s readers of the enemy Though only an observation squadron, and in no sense an attacking or pursuit squadron, the Ninety-first is credited officially with the destruction of twenty-two enemy planes, in over a hundred and forty combats. In its work over Argonne the Toul sector the squadron lost five planes. on the Meuse front, four, with the loss of eleven pilots and observers killed in action, twelve wounded and nine made Nineteen of the ed the D ¢ with a palm, and five have been promoted to the formerly in, the Ninety-first have rece hed Service Cross, five the Croix de Gu command of squadrons As an interesting pro work, let the importance of the squadron's e add but one re statement to the above—that up to the time of the armistice over one hundred and forty thousand prints had been made from plates exposed over the lines by the squadron—surely a contribution of real value We are now, as you sce, a part of the Army of Occupation nal sque ake up the Third an honor, we are given to understand, as rons in each line of work were chosen to 1 Army. I realize that this acknowledgment is late, but perhaps less has been lost than has been gained. It now permitted to xive you a comprehensive account of the squadron's work, which would have been impossible before the armistice, and only this week has the last uncertainty concerning missing men been cleared up. I am sending you a photograph showing you the insignia EACH BLACK CROSS ON THE SHIFLD MEANS A BOCHE THE OTHER CROSSES AKE MITS BY BOCHE BULLETS comicbooks.com