A parade of jets and vintage aircraft roared across the sky outside Paris on Wednesday, honoring the American fighter pilots who flew for France during World War I.
The commemoration marked the centenary of the formation of the Lafayette Escadrille on April 20, 1916, by a group of American airmen who — almost a full year before the U.S. entered the war — decided to join the fight against the Germans.
“We are gathered here today to remind ourselves that, 100 years ago, France and the United States stood together against the enemies of the free world,” French lawmaker Jean-Marc Todeschini told a crowd of airmen and dignitaries gathered at Marnes-la-Coquette , where the group was first formed.
“A century later, the conflicts have changed, and our enemies have a new face, but we still defend the same values — that of justice and democracy,” he said.
The Lafayette Escadrille, also known as the Lafayette Flying Corps, was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who arrived in the newly declared United States in 1777 and became a key ally of Gen. George Washington.
Of the nearly 180 pilots who served for France, 68 were killed before the end of the war. Their names are recorded on an arch at Marnes-la-Coquette flanked by French and American flags.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
This is a wonderful memorial to our American WWII veterans. We are losing a huge part of our history with the passing of each of these men & women. I honor their memories and am so very thankful for the freedom they won for Europe and America. I pray for our nation and believe in my heart we are still the greatest. Would we have a generation of people willing to do this again in this age of terror?
To the people of France, from an American member if the Greatest Generation: “You are Welcome”. We were and are glad to help.
My dad served in WW1 & was stationed in France & I have his discharge paper 11-30-1918 show he received the Victory Metal, not sure what that was. He never really wanted to talk about it.
My Grandfather was a WW1 vet. Those soldiers and the WW2 vets fought for a real/righteous cause. Most wars since have been pure political BS. I know that the individual soldier/Marine in each fight must believe they’re fighting for some honorable cause. But with the death of each WW2 vet we’re losing the last of our soldiers who fought for such a cause.