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there he was promoted to Captain on March 25th, 1918 and departed for overseas on July 6th. While in Mt. Clemens Rodger was married. In France he was given advance training on combat planes and on September 4th, 1918 he crashed and burned to death near Champenoise Indre, France. He was survived by his wife who gave birth to his son on Christmas Day, 1918. The son is now a physician. Ironically, Tony Jannus had also lost his life in a flying accident in Europe in October, 1916.Thus ended the aviation careers of two very fine young men whose noteworthy early flying accomplishments were legend. 

Flying pioneer Rodger W. Jannus richly deserves great credit for the major part he played in the history of early American aviation development. It is to be seriously regreted that the Jannus Brothers died at the very time in their careers when many great things undoubtedly lay ahead for them and it is difficult to comprehend where they might well have progressed had they lived. Both gave their lives for their country and the new science of aviation. Their names will ever remain high on the list of those who helped carve out the aviation industry of today.