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THE FIRST AERO SQUADRON [[1]]

The 1st Aero Squadron was organized on July 1, 1915, from the personnel of the Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego, Calif., Captain Benjamin D. Foulois being in command. The Squadron moved to fort Sill, Oklahoma, on July 26th, 1915, and remained there until November 13, 1915. On August 12th Captain Knox and Lt. Sutton fell from a height of 1,000 feet, and Captain Knox was killed. This was the first casualty in the Squadron. On November 19, 1915, the Squadron moved to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, remaining there until March 13, 1916. 

On March 13, 1916, the Squadron was ordered to report to General Pershing at Casas Grandes, Mexico, for immediate service. The Squadron was used during the Mexican campaign for reconnoitering purposes to carry dispatches and mail and to keep up communication with the advance troops. The personnel consisted of Captains B. D. Foulois, T. F. Dodd, Lieuts. C. G. Chapman, J. E. Carberry, H. A. Dargue, T. S. Bowen, R. H. Willis, W. F. Kilner, E. S. Gorrell, A . R. Christie, Ira A. Rader, 82 enlisted men, 1 civilian mechanician and two Hospital Corps men, attached. The equipment consisted of 8 airplanes, 10 trucks and one automobile. 

Upon arrival in El Paso on March 14th, 1st Lieut. S. S. Warren, Medical Reserve Corps, and one Hospital Corps enlisted man joined the Squadron. Two additional trucks were also recieved from the Depot Quartermaster at El Paso, giving the Squadron about 50% of its necessary motor transportation. 

The Squadron arrived at Columbus, N. M. March 15, 1916, and started immediately to assemble the airplane equipment. On the following day Captain Dodd, pilot, and Captain Foulois, Observer, made the first reconnaissance flight into Mexico. 

All of the eight airplanes started at 5:10 p.m. March 19th for Casa Grandes. One pilot was compelled to return to Columbus on account of motor trouble, four landed at Las Ascension, Mexico, on account of darkness, while the other three, who became seperated from the Squadron in the darkness, landed at different places, one at Ojo Caliente, one at Janos and the third, who crashed in landing, near Pearson, Mexico. On the following day, the four pilots who had landed at Las Ascencion reached Casas Grandes and reported for duty. The pilot who returned to Columbus and the one who landed at Janos arrived at the same hour on March 20th. The pilot who landed at Ojo Caliente reached casas Grandes several days later, due to his plane being damaged and having to undergo repairs. The plane which landed near Pearson was so badly damaged that the pilot abandoned it, and proceeded to Casas Grandes on foot. 

Numerous reconnaissance flights were made by pilots of the Squadron between March 20th and April 20th, on which latter date orders were received for the Squadron to return to Columbus, New Mexico. Of the eight airplanes taken into Mexico, only two were in commission, and these were unsafe for further field service. Upon arriving at Columbus, New Mexico, the Squadron was busily engaged in assembling and flight-testing new airplanes shipped to this organization. The 1st Squadron remained at Columbus, New Mexico, until the latter part of May, 1917. On the 20th of that month, orders were received to prepare for immediate foreign service. 

Transcription Notes:
[[1]] Title is centered on the page.