Edmond Genet

Edmond Genet from Ossining, New York, was the first American flier to die in the First World War after the United States declared war against Germany, shot down by anti-aircraft artillery on April 17th, 1917. Genet was the great great grandson of Edmond-Charles Genêt, also known as Citizen Genêt, the French Ambassador to the United States during the French Revolution.

Edmond Genet sailed for France at the end of January, 1915 to join the French Foreign Legion. He had already been in the service of the United States Navy. He joined the Lafayette Escadrille on January 22d 1917. He was 20 years old at the time of his death.

External links

* [http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/geneted.html Americans in the French Foreign Legion entry]

References

*J. C. Grey. [http://books.google.com/books?id=F2oSAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA663&dq=%22Edmond+Genet%22&ei=rPOmSMSfKpD0jgHx87D7BA "War books of the month."] The Bookman: A Review of Books and Life, volume XLVII. Dodd, Mead and Co., New York. 1918; p. 663.; [http://books.google.com/books?id=F2oSAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA663&dq=%22Edmond+Genet%22&ei=rPOmSMSfKpD0jgHx87D7BA#PPA663,M1 full view available] at GoogleBooks.