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Frank H. Burnside, Lieut. Anthony Sunderland, National Guard Student, James D. Hill, Instructor, Corp. Chas. Robbins, Ark. National Guard Student At the Thomas School of Flying. from AERIAL AGE WEEKLY, July 24, 1916 p. 560 |
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This page from Aerial Age Weekly, July 3, 1916, offers the following article. I have excerpted these relevant portions from the whole story. Aero Club Invites American Airmen in France to Return
An invitation to the daring Franco-American Flying Corps to come back to fly for the
United States in Mexico has been sent by the Aero Club of America. The cable, which aslo stated that the Club
will pay the transportation for six members of the Franco-American Corps to the United States, is as follows:for Mexican Service "Lieutenant William Thaw, "Flying Corps, Paris. "Mexican trouble finds United States Army with bers Franco-American Coprs can come to serve in Mexican campaign if needed. Aero Club of America will pay transportation of six aviators. "Aero Club of America." The Franco-American Corps is composed of Americans including the following: Lieutenant William Thaw, Sergeant Elliot Cowdin, Norman Prince, Bert Hall, Sergeant Kiffin Rockwell, Corporal J. M. McConnell and M. Balsley. An offer to train three aviators free of charge has been received by the Aero Club of America from the Thomas Brothers Aeroplane Company. As the Aero Club has been flooded with applications from the National Guard of practically every one of the forty-eight States, and from civilians who are anxious to take a course in aviation , this offer of the Thomas Company was very welcome. Following the policy of giving preference to those who asked first, the Executive Committee of the Aero Club selected three officers whose applications were received several months ago. Lieutenant Snthony Sunderland, First Lieutenant Connecticut Coast Artillery Corps, and Mayor of Danbury, Conn. was the first to take advantage of the Thomas Company's offer, and is now training at the Thomas School at Ithaca. Lieutenant H. F. Wakefield, of the Vermont National Guard, and Lieutanant Keeling R. Pulliam, of the Kentucky National Guard have been offered the two remaining Thomas Scholarships. In the event of the Mexican situation preventing any of these officers from taking the course, the scholarships will be granted to Corporal Charles T. Robins, of the Arkansas National Guard, and Lieutenant W. E. Lewis, of the Illinois National Guard. |
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| I have no information regarding the dates of his birth or his death. |
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If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper Back 
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