Sidney D. Light's WWI Diary, Postcards & Letters, 329th Battery Book Accounts

Clinton Chilson:

Fighter pilot, Captain in Air Service

When America entered the war--because of patent right battles--it lagged behind the rest of the world in actual plane development. The U.S. had only two functional military planes and no American capable of designing modern aircraft. DeHaveland would begin building an American fighter, based on a European design, but only 200 would actually arrive in France before the end of the war. American pilots fought in European planes.

Clint would be trained at Michigan State University, where pilots gained preliminary flying skills using Jenny's. On arrival in France, pilots would undergo further training, to acclimate to European fighter planes and gain battle skills.

Clint Chilson and Charlotte Light knew each other from Detroit, through Charlotte arrived in France before Clint finished his training. They would marry after the war.