Genet, along with other members of the Escadrille, participated in social events hosted by many American supporters of the war who lived in France. He was particularly celebrated, since it was known that he was the descendant of Citizen Genet. As the prospect of American involvement in the war grew, he became increasingly worried and hopeful that his participation in the Escadrille would not be affected by the American entry into the war and sought the help of prominent Americans in France to help him resolve his status. Genet died shortly after the formal entry of the US into the war. Although other Americans had died as part of the Escadrille, he was the first one to do so after the US declaration, which made him the first official American casualty of the war, despite the fact that the US had not yet had time to organize or send any actual troops to Europe. President Woodrow Wilson sent a letter of condolences to Genet's mother, as did the French ambassador and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. The war department posthumously sent his family a letter stating that his service was to be considered in all respects honorable. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, wrote: Edmond Charles Clinton Genet may properly be considered as having honorably terminated an enlistment with an ally, since he died on the field of battle. I, myself, am honored in having the privilege of deciding that the record of Edmond Genet, ordinary seaman, United States Navy, shall be considered in every respect as an honorable one. Posthumous collection of letters In 1918, Genet's letters from France were collected in a book, edited by Grace Ellery Channing. War Letters of Edmond Genet: The First American Aviator Killed Flying the Stars and Stripes was published in June 1918. Author John Jay Chapman wrote the introduction. His son, Victor Chapman, served with Genet before his death in 1916. The letters were written between 1914 and April 1917 and his last letter was written the day before his death. Most of them were addressed to his mother, others were to his brothers or to his Legion friend David Wheeler. The last section of the book was a series of letters written after Genet's death, including several from his commanding officers that were addressed to his mother. A few letters of condolences such as the one from President