The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. – Psalm 34:10
On this day in 1918, Stephen W. Thompson became the first member of the U.S. Air Forces to secure an aerial victory. Thompson was assigned to the U.S. 1st Aero Squadron in 1917. The Squadron, stationed in France during the First World War, had not yet begun official combat operations when Thompson was invited to fly as gunner-bombardier with French airforces on a bombing raid. After dropping their bombs over Saarbrücken, the squadron was attacked by German biplanes. Thompson managed to shoot one down, then another, and then was shot down himself, crash landing back in France. While waiting for aid, Thompson dug a bullet from the fight out of his leg with a pocket knife. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm for his success, and the bullet he dug out of his leg is on display to this day at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to seek the Lord’s guidance as he oversees his military branch.
- For U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown as he oversees the equipping and training of active-duty, Guard, and Reserve forces.
