Show R Regarding i Marine Corps A Aviation lotion now considered co such uc a vital weapon In our present day system of off r f national al defense was looked upon ns as a fad by military authorities not so many to be of years ago a o and was not believed any special value as a 1 war machine It t was nearly a a. decade after tho the first successful ful experiments made by the Wright Brothers Droth rs at Kitty Hawk North Carolina In 1903 that American fighting units took any definite steps to Include airmen and airships among their armed forces During the period following the outbreak of at hostilities in Europe in 1914 demonstrated their airplanes promptly worth In warfare Tho The first U U. S S. S Marine to become In Interested In- In Interested Interested In aviation was Vins an nn minded air lieutenant named Alfred A A. Cunningham Cun Cun- Cunningham Cunningham young had who brought a plane he Yard rented Into the Philadelphia Navy told by In 1911 according to the story Captain Con D. D Shard U. U S. S M. M C. C C. C Om- Om In Charge Chargo of the tho Marino 1 Corps Re Re- office at at the Federal Building Salt Lake City Utah Undiscouraged by many ma y early setbacks Lieutenant Cunningham persisted until he eventually was assigned to duty at atthe atthe the tho U U. S S. S Naval Aviation Camp at nt An An- Annapolis Annapolis Maryland thereby becoming the pioneer flyer of the Marino Corps which organization today Is one of ot the most efficient and the most colorful of our air corps oT otoo oJo I |