Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff 
FORUM CHAPLAIN
Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,075 
Location:
Joined: July 2007
Retired: USAF
NBA: Spurs
NFL: Niners
MLB: Giants
NHL: Penguins
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Mar 20, 2010 6:43:04 GMT 9
:salute :us_flag
On 19 March 1916, the First Aero Squadron took off from Columbus, New Mexico, to pursue the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa.
Villa, with his followers, had crossed the border invaded Columbus, killing seven or eight U.S. Army troops and ten civilians, on 9 March 1916.
President Wilson ordered 10,000 U.S. Army troops to New Mexico and the First Aero Squadron was sent there to observe and to pursue Villa, if possible.
The First was flying Curtis JN-3 :="Jenny" airplanes. The only weapons the pilots had were their side arms, mostly Colt 1911 .45 cal. pistols.
They didn't catch Villa, and in many ways the areal action was a comedy of errors.
However, it is officially listed as the first time military airplanes were used in a combat situation.
We have come a long way in the ninety-five years since Capt. Benjamin Foulois and his squadron began flight operations as a combat unit.
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
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