| Summary: | During World War I Stout was a pilot, eventually serving as a lieutenant in the 27th Aero Squadron, First Pursuit Group. In this letter he discusses being assigned to ferrying flights and close calls on the flights transporting goods. He dramatically describes his own crash into a training camp building and recounts a story shared by pilot Jerry Stivers, who got lost during a storm and accidentally flew into the line of fire while traveling to England: Stivers landed behind French lines and crawled into the trenches; his plan was "shelled to bits" about 20 minutes after the landing. In addition, Stout provides a notable description of the Fourth of July parade held in Paris to honor American troops. He also gives his mother an update on Jack Hoover, who had been moved to the front and participated in several aerial dogfights. In closing Stout mentions Tom McClure, captain of Auburn's 1917 football team, who had recently been wounded on the front.
|
|---|
