Lafayette Escadrille Pin. This Lafayette Escadrille pin belonged to Charles Heave "Carl" Dolan Jr., who in 1915 was the 31st volunteer of the Lafayette Escadrille (Escadrille N. 124), which was a group of 38 Americans who volunteered to join the French Flying Corps before the United States entered World War I. Dolan, along with the majority of the Lafayette Escadrille members, transferred into the United States Air Service as the 103rd Aero Squadron on Feb. 18, 1918. (U.S. Air Force photo). Note: It was a common practice among early aviators in the beginning of the 20th century to use swastika as a symbol of good luck and auspiciousness reflecting its usage in a larger society at the time. After the Nazis, swastika acquired its contemporary negative connotation.
U.S. Air Force photo
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