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Acknowledgments
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xv Acknowledgments To edit someone’s private diary and correspondence is, in a way, to become part of that person’s life, family, and social circle and share his or her time and place, no matter how far removed.Working with David Ingalls ’s papers was just such an experience.During many months poring over his writings, deciphering his tight penmanship, “meeting” his friends and acquaintances,and listening in on his thoughts,I came to know the teenage man-boy who became naval aviation’s first ace.Visiting several of the places where he trained and served,literally following in his footsteps,provided additional insight. It has been a fascinating and rewarding journey. My greatest thanks go to members of the extended Ingalls family for making David Ingalls’s papers available to me and supporting this project right from the beginning. They opened both their homes and their archives . Especially helpful have been Jane Ingalls Davison, David Ingalls’s daughter; Dr. Bobbie Brown, his granddaughter; and Polly Hitchcock, his great-granddaughter. I would also like to thank the staff at the Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, particularly Jay Remec.All were enthusiastic about the project from start to finish. A great variety of individuals, organizations, and repositories made completion of this work possible. The National Archives in Washington remains the central repository for documents relating to early things naval. The large and varied resources of the Naval History and Heritage Command located at theWashington NavyYard proved very helpful, as did the staff in the library,the Photo Section,and especially the naval aviation unit of the archives, particularly Joe Gordon and LauraWaayers.The Naval Institute library in Annapolis provided access to many scarce books and publications , as did the Emil Buehler Library at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Jack Fine at the Buehler Library greatly assisted in the search for photographs.Archivist David Levesque at St. Paul’s School xvi Acknowledgments helped identify many of David Ingalls’s school friends and associates, and Roger Sheely generously provided access to his own father’s World War I papers and photograph albums, which contained much material relating to Ingalls’s involvement with the Northern Bombing Group program. Peter Mersky also permitted reproduction of several photographs from his collection. I have also enjoyed working with Darroch Greer and Ron King,producers of the outstanding documentary film The Millionaire’s Unit: America’s Pioneer Pilots of the Great War. They provided several leads and insights into the world of the FirstYale Unit. Finally, my hearty thanks go to the editors and professionals at Ohio University Press who made the task of completing this project a pleasure rather than a burden.These include series editors Ingo Trauschweizer and David Ulbrich and Editorial Director Gillian Berchowitz. Geoffrey L. Rossano ...