In addition to the book by Marc Wortman, there is a 2014 documentary by the same name, now available on Amazon (free for Prime members). It's about the First Yale Unit: volunteers from Yale University who were among the first American pilots to fight in WWI, and who were instrumental in the formation and development of U.S Naval Aviation from then through the next 50 years. The previous sentence is totally inadequate, considering their character, achievements, and influence. We all know of the Lafayette Escadrille, but the First Yale Unit was, historically, of greater importance. If you forgive the odd, often hammy narration of weird old Bruce Dern*, you will enjoy this documentary.

 

* I was so curious about how Dern got the privilege of narrating, I searched for a connection, assuming he was just a WWI aviation buff. Wikipedia made it easy: his name is given as "Bruce MacLeish Dern." Kenneth MacLeish was an important founding member of the unit.

 

S!

 

Wilhelm

Cool!  I'll check this out!