The Aviation Magazine Volume 7 issue 4 #43 June Special Edition | Page 14
Marnes‐la‐Couquette, 20 minutes west of Paris, just north of Versailles, France, is the
location of Mémorial Escadrille La Fayette. In 1928, veteran aviators of the First World
War gathered to dedicate a monument to the American volunteers who came to the aid
of France between 1914 and 1918. The impressive monument is composed of a central
Arch of Triumph, one‐half the size of the Arch of Triumph in Paris. Upon the stone are
inscribed the names of the dead American pilots of the Escadrille La Fayette and the La‐
fayette Flying Corps during the first World War. The names of the French towns and
provinces are also inscribed where these pilots fought the Germans. The inscriptions are
in French on one side and in English on the other side of the monument.
The monument also serves as the final resting place for the veteran American flyers.
Members of the original Lafayette Escadrille and those of the Lafayette Corps lie in re‐
pose beneath the soaring marble arch in a dedicated crypt that has 68 sarcophagi, sur‐
rounded by stained glass windows depicting the aerial campaigns in which they proudly
served.
The Memorial may be reached from Paris by train from the Gare St.Lazare (train station
St.Lazare) to the station of Garches ‐ Marnes‐la‐Coquette A walk of 500 yards brings the
visitor to the entrance of the Parc de Villeneuve‐l'Etang, just beyond the Institut Pasteur.
By automobile, the route lies across the Seine, by the St‐Cloud bridge and then direct to
Garches and the Memorial. The Park is open every day, morning and afternoon.
For 2016, the ceremony was special. Three French Air Force (FAF) planes Mirage 2000Ns
one with the special livery, one FAF Rafale along with four USAF F‐22s, flew past in for‐
mation, as well as a B‐52 Stratofortress bomber and Stearman PT‐17 biplane performed
flyovers commemorating the 100th anniversary of the La Fayette Escadrille’s formation.
U.S. Air Force Photo