Between 1914 and 1945, American volunteers enlisted in foreign militaries across land, sea and air; this fully illustrated study describes their service.US volunteers served in a variety of foreign military organizations, from World War I’s Western Front to the skies of China in World War II. In this book, Bret Werner explores these volunteers’ stories including high-profile examples such as the Lafayette Escadrille in World War I and the Flying Tigers in World War II, with his account featuring rare archive photographs and full-color artwork.During World War I, American volunteers joined a range of foreign services, from the French Air Force and Foreign Legion to the American Ambulance Field Service and the Canadian Expeditionary Force. After 1918, their involvement continued in conflicts such as the Polish–Soviet War and the Spanish Civil War. The outbreak of World War II prompted Americans to enlist abroad again, joining the “Eagle Squadrons” of Britain’s Royal Air Force as well as serving in the Royal Navy, British Army, and Home Guard, while members of the American Field Service served in France in 1940. A year later the American Volunteer Group, aka the “Flying Tigers,” took to the skies over war-torn China, striving to defeat the Japanese invaders.All of these volunteers are examined and depicted in this lively account of American men and women serving in voluntary military roles across the globe.
