Letters to Shirley

Nowhere do we learn more about history - as it actually happened - than from letters. This newly discovered trove of letters home by Louisiana-born Paul Mimms Potts, Jr., in Europe during World War I, are naturally full of love and longing, the universal substance of soldiers' letters home. But additionally, this V.M.I-educated young aviator describes in detail his education and development as a flyer, creating a narrative which parallels the rapidly evolving aviation experiment by the U.S. Air Service. The "Foggiani," an elite band of American Expeditionary Force flyers in Italy, also included Fiorello La Guardia, then a U. S. Congressman. Some of their exploits and adventures, as well as near-misses, are revealed in these letters to Shirley which, although censored for critical war information, permit us a glimpse into the day-to-day reality of these plucky flyers. Discovered by Lt. Potts' daughter, Marion Potts Clayton, these letters had lain unread by anyone but his wife since the War. Encouraged by her husband, Howard, Mrs. Clayton has now made these letters available to everyone interested in the history of the aviation industry or the U.S. role in World War I.