About the Film

The Lafayette Escadrille was an American volunteer fighter squadron flying for France before America joined World War One. It is an all-true, character driven story of a disparate group of idealistic young men risking their lives for the ideals of France and civilization.

Through archival footage and stunning photography of the places where the pilots trained, flew, fought and died, the documentary gives the viewer a thrilling and visceral experience of the early days of combat aviation.

Never-before-seen photographs, letters and memoirs tell the only American story that covers the entire scope of WWI along the Western Front, from fighting in the trenches and driving ambulances to flying single-seat fighters.

The sacrifices made by the men of the Lafayette Escadrille strengthened the historic bond between the sister republics of the United States and France as they laid the foundation of American combat aviation and the U.S. Air Force.