James McConnell, Aviator
Carthage, Moore County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
James McConnell 1887 1917. World War I soldier; aviator. Flew for France in Lafayette Escadrille. Killed in action, March 19, 1917. Lived 1 mi. W.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
James McConnell left North Carolina to join the Lafayette Escadrille, the squadron of American volunteers who flew for France before the United States entered World War I. A pioneering combat aviator, he was killed in action on March 19, 1917 — among the last of the Escadrille's Americans to die before his own country joined the war weeks later.
Why it matters
His death embodies the idealism of Americans who volunteered to fly and fight for the Allies, helping to found the tradition of U.S. military aviation in the Great War.
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Related people
- · James McConnell
Related events
- · World War I
- · Lafayette Escadrille
Themes & tags
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