The Early Years
The Squadron was originally activated as the 115th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas, on 20 August 1917. After completing its training the Squadron left Kelly Field on 26 October for overseas duty, sailing from New York aboard the SS Huron on 3 December and arriving at Le Havre France on 20 December 1917. By 27 December the unit had taken up station at the 2nd Aviation Instruction Center at Tours, France, where the Squadron remained until the end of the war.
At Tours, where the men worked on various construction projects, the Squadron was redesignated the 636th Aero Squadron (Service) on 1 February 1918. The assignments and conditions at Tours dealt a serious blow to the Squadron's morale. Many of the old members were transferred to other organizations. In their place the Squadron was assigned every cook on the field, every man doing KP, a number of men from the guardhouse and some men with bad records. Some of the "bad actors" were rehabilitated; others were sent to the prison camp at Guvres, France. On 24 March 1919 the Squadron sailed for home aboard the SS Manchuria and the Squadron was disbanded at Garden City, New York, on 8 April 1919.
The 115th Observation Squadron was authorized by the War Department on 1 December 1920 and allotted to the California National Guard. At that time the unit had no official connection to the old 115th Aero Squadron. Later, during the 1930's, the Army would begin a program of reconstituting World War I units and consolidating them with existing organizations "to perpetuate the history and traditions of units which had served as part of the American Expeditionary Forces." In accordance with this program, the 115th Aero Squadron would be reconstituted and consolidated with the 115th Observation Squadron on 16 October 1936.
Brig. General Richard E. Mittelstaedt, Adjutant General of the State of California during the early 192D's, was the officer largely responsible for the creation of California's first unit of the 40th Division Air Service. In April of 1924 he selected 1st Lieutenant Corless C. Moseley to organize and command the 115th Observation Squadron of the California National Guard. Lt. Moseley had served on the staff of Colonel William Mitchell in Washington D.C., and was currently the regular Army officer in charge of U.S. Air Service Reserves at Clover Field, Santa Monica, California. On 16 June 1924, the 115th Observation Squadron was extended Federal Recognition as part of the California National Guard and was temporarily based at Clover Field.
Among the "founding members" of the 115th were several notable personalities: Lt. Moseley, in addition to his experience on Mitchell's staff, had an extensive aviation background. He is believed to have scored one victory with the 27th Aero Squadron during World War I, and had won the first Pulitzer Trophy race on Thanksgiving Day in 1920. Captain Paul Baer had served in the La Fayette Escadrille before the U.S. entered World War I. He later transferred to the 103d Aero Squadron and became America's first fighter ace of the war. At war's end he had a total of nine victories. Captain John Jeffers had served with the 94th "Hat in the Ring" Squadron and also had nine victories. Captain Maurice Graham had been a pilot with the 50th Aero Squadron and had flown 22 combat sorties. Other combat veterans were Lieutenants William Laforce, Daniel Brill and C. M. Christian. Lee Ellmaker, one of the top aviation mechanics in the Los Angeles area, became the Squadron's engineering section chief.
Initially equipped with Curtiss JN4-D "Jennies", a number of De Havilland DH-4's were soon added to the Squadron's inventory. In September of 1924, BG Mittelstaedt visited Clover Field, this time for the purpose of promoting Corliss Moseley to the rank of major in the California National Guard.
Behind the scenes, the Los Angeles City Council had been working to secure more permanent quarters for the 115th Observation Squadron. In November and December of 1924 the Squadron moved to the Griffith Park Airfield, located at the northeast corner of the park (at the future location of the intersection of the I-5 and CA-134 freeways). While construction of the new facility was underway, the 115th continued to grow in personnel and equipment. Two hangars, previously located at March Field, California, were acquired and reassembled at the Griffith Park site.
During July of 1925, the 115th held its first two-week summer training encampment at the Griffith Park facility. By this time, Flight Surgeon Capt. Richard Bullis and pilots Capt. James Osgood and Lt. Fred W. Kelly had been added to the Squadron's roster. Two significant events were conducted during the encampment: the first, a simulated combat and mobility exercise, became known as the "battle of Lasky's ranch." During the exercise, nine aircraft were deployed to Big Bear Lake on an overnight bivouac operation. From Big Bear, the Squadron launched simulated attacks against a "hostile" force in the San Fernando Valley. In support of the deployment, seventy six enlisted men were transported to Big Bear in trucks and two buses borrowed from a Los Angeles truck dealer. This resourcefulness foreshadowed the "can do" attitude which would become a part of the 115th's legacy. The second event was a cross-country "sealed orders" contest designed to demonstrate that the airplane was as reliable as the train in maintaining route schedules ( a point much debated in the early twenties). Seven aircraft participated in the flights which involved stops at Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco. Six of the Jennies completed the trip on schedule
( one was forced to withdraw because of engine trouble). So close were the pilots to the times mapped out in advance that two pilots tied for first place, Lt. Christian and Lt. Graham. A surprise visitor to the Squadron during the encampment was Col. William Mitchell, who would become famous as a controversial proponent of airpower.
By December of 1926, the 115th Observation squadron was under the command of Capt. Osgood and the first issue of the Squadron newsletter, The Altimeter had been published. According to Capt. Osgood, the past two years had been "a trying period for all concerned." A lack of facilities and obsolete equipment had plagued the unit; and of the original personnel, both commissioned and enlisted, less than fifty percent remained. At the end of 1926 things were looking up. The first Douglas 0-2 would arrive by month's end and all of the old JN4's would be replaced by September of 1927.
On 20 November 1927 an attempted prison break occurred at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento. Two 115th aircraft, armed with machine guns, were dispatched to Sacramento to stand by in case they were needed. No prisoners escaped, however, and the planes returned to Griffith Park. One of the planes in the operation was flown by Lt. Earl Robinson, who had joined the Squadron in 1926. Lt. Robinson would later become a renowned motion picture stunt pilot and a founder of the Motion Picture Pilot's Association. It was around this time that the term "Hollywood Guard" began to be applied to the Squadron. Because of its location in the fast growing motion picture capital of America, a cooperative association developed between the industry and the 115th. Over the years, numerous motion pictures have been made with the assistance and occasional participation of Guard personnel. The first significant example of this cooperation was the film "Wings," winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929. The movie was partially filmed at Griffith Park Airfield and a number of Squadron pilots participated in aerial sequences.
Due to its proximity to the Hollywood and Los Angeles areas, Griffith Park Airfield quickly became a popular meeting place for the military and civilian flying fraternity. All sorts of planes and pilots would drop in, from San Diego based naval flight crews to army airmen from as far away as Washington, D.C.
Security was not stringent and activities were relaxed and informal while still maintainin the dignity befitting a military unit. It was no secret that National Guard airfields were considered the "country clubs" of the Air Corps, although weekend flying and training were conducted in a serious and proficient manner.
By 1928 the Squadron was flying an assortment of Douglas O-2-H's and Consolidated 0-17' s and in 1931 the Squadron began to be equipped with the Douglas 0-3 8, a two-place observation plane that was to become the workhorse of the unit throughout the thirties.
As an observation squadron, the 115th' s reconnaissance role as the "eyes" of the 40th Division was its primary one. Consequently, the Photo Section played a key part in the squadron's tactical operations. Many special photographic assi,gnments were _given to the unit, including one for the Federal government which saw the section photographing all Federal construction projects along the West Coast and several inland projects during the 1930's. Examples are the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges at San Francisco, Boulder (Hoover) Dam in Nevada, parts of the extensive trail system in California's High Sierra, and numerous National Park projects.
During winter months the unit photographed the mountain snow packs to help ascertain the availability of water durin_g the ensuin_g summer, and throughout the year the Squadron provided photographic coverage of disasters. There were also assignments of a technical nature, such as the missions to assist Dr. H. V. Neher ofthe California Institute of Technology in his studies of cosmic ray intensities at various altitude.
To accomplish the mission, the Photo Section was equipped with many types of cameras, but the mainstays for most of it's work were the huge 8" x 10" aerial camera and the versatile 4" x 5" Graphic camera. In the hands of experts, hundreds of museum quality photos were generated.
In the Spring of 1938, heavy rains led to the failure of the San Francisquito Dam which caused disastrous flooding downstream, taking hundreds of lives. The 115th assisted the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department with rescue and relief operations. The Squadron received a gracious letter of appreciation from Sheriff Eu_gene Biscailuz.
In October 1938 the first new North American O-47A arrived and the Squadron had its first all-metal aircraft. Specifically desi_gned for observation work, the 0-47 had a crew of three and a special lower compartment where sophisticated cameras could be installed.
During the late fall of 1939, the 115th and the City of Los Angeles had a dispute which resulted in a flying ban at Griffith Park. Details of the dispute have not been found in the archives as yet (2002), however, the ban was lifted in early December 1939 by a Park Commission ruling which allowed operations to continue.
At Tours, where the men worked on various construction projects, the Squadron was redesignated the 636th Aero Squadron (Service) on 1 February 1918. The assignments and conditions at Tours dealt a serious blow to the Squadron's morale. Many of the old members were transferred to other organizations. In their place the Squadron was assigned every cook on the field, every man doing KP, a number of men from the guardhouse and some men with bad records. Some of the "bad actors" were rehabilitated; others were sent to the prison camp at Guvres, France. On 24 March 1919 the Squadron sailed for home aboard the SS Manchuria and the Squadron was disbanded at Garden City, New York, on 8 April 1919.
The 115th Observation Squadron was authorized by the War Department on 1 December 1920 and allotted to the California National Guard. At that time the unit had no official connection to the old 115th Aero Squadron. Later, during the 1930's, the Army would begin a program of reconstituting World War I units and consolidating them with existing organizations "to perpetuate the history and traditions of units which had served as part of the American Expeditionary Forces." In accordance with this program, the 115th Aero Squadron would be reconstituted and consolidated with the 115th Observation Squadron on 16 October 1936.
Brig. General Richard E. Mittelstaedt, Adjutant General of the State of California during the early 192D's, was the officer largely responsible for the creation of California's first unit of the 40th Division Air Service. In April of 1924 he selected 1st Lieutenant Corless C. Moseley to organize and command the 115th Observation Squadron of the California National Guard. Lt. Moseley had served on the staff of Colonel William Mitchell in Washington D.C., and was currently the regular Army officer in charge of U.S. Air Service Reserves at Clover Field, Santa Monica, California. On 16 June 1924, the 115th Observation Squadron was extended Federal Recognition as part of the California National Guard and was temporarily based at Clover Field.
Among the "founding members" of the 115th were several notable personalities: Lt. Moseley, in addition to his experience on Mitchell's staff, had an extensive aviation background. He is believed to have scored one victory with the 27th Aero Squadron during World War I, and had won the first Pulitzer Trophy race on Thanksgiving Day in 1920. Captain Paul Baer had served in the La Fayette Escadrille before the U.S. entered World War I. He later transferred to the 103d Aero Squadron and became America's first fighter ace of the war. At war's end he had a total of nine victories. Captain John Jeffers had served with the 94th "Hat in the Ring" Squadron and also had nine victories. Captain Maurice Graham had been a pilot with the 50th Aero Squadron and had flown 22 combat sorties. Other combat veterans were Lieutenants William Laforce, Daniel Brill and C. M. Christian. Lee Ellmaker, one of the top aviation mechanics in the Los Angeles area, became the Squadron's engineering section chief.
Initially equipped with Curtiss JN4-D "Jennies", a number of De Havilland DH-4's were soon added to the Squadron's inventory. In September of 1924, BG Mittelstaedt visited Clover Field, this time for the purpose of promoting Corliss Moseley to the rank of major in the California National Guard.
Behind the scenes, the Los Angeles City Council had been working to secure more permanent quarters for the 115th Observation Squadron. In November and December of 1924 the Squadron moved to the Griffith Park Airfield, located at the northeast corner of the park (at the future location of the intersection of the I-5 and CA-134 freeways). While construction of the new facility was underway, the 115th continued to grow in personnel and equipment. Two hangars, previously located at March Field, California, were acquired and reassembled at the Griffith Park site.
During July of 1925, the 115th held its first two-week summer training encampment at the Griffith Park facility. By this time, Flight Surgeon Capt. Richard Bullis and pilots Capt. James Osgood and Lt. Fred W. Kelly had been added to the Squadron's roster. Two significant events were conducted during the encampment: the first, a simulated combat and mobility exercise, became known as the "battle of Lasky's ranch." During the exercise, nine aircraft were deployed to Big Bear Lake on an overnight bivouac operation. From Big Bear, the Squadron launched simulated attacks against a "hostile" force in the San Fernando Valley. In support of the deployment, seventy six enlisted men were transported to Big Bear in trucks and two buses borrowed from a Los Angeles truck dealer. This resourcefulness foreshadowed the "can do" attitude which would become a part of the 115th's legacy. The second event was a cross-country "sealed orders" contest designed to demonstrate that the airplane was as reliable as the train in maintaining route schedules ( a point much debated in the early twenties). Seven aircraft participated in the flights which involved stops at Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco. Six of the Jennies completed the trip on schedule
( one was forced to withdraw because of engine trouble). So close were the pilots to the times mapped out in advance that two pilots tied for first place, Lt. Christian and Lt. Graham. A surprise visitor to the Squadron during the encampment was Col. William Mitchell, who would become famous as a controversial proponent of airpower.
By December of 1926, the 115th Observation squadron was under the command of Capt. Osgood and the first issue of the Squadron newsletter, The Altimeter had been published. According to Capt. Osgood, the past two years had been "a trying period for all concerned." A lack of facilities and obsolete equipment had plagued the unit; and of the original personnel, both commissioned and enlisted, less than fifty percent remained. At the end of 1926 things were looking up. The first Douglas 0-2 would arrive by month's end and all of the old JN4's would be replaced by September of 1927.
On 20 November 1927 an attempted prison break occurred at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento. Two 115th aircraft, armed with machine guns, were dispatched to Sacramento to stand by in case they were needed. No prisoners escaped, however, and the planes returned to Griffith Park. One of the planes in the operation was flown by Lt. Earl Robinson, who had joined the Squadron in 1926. Lt. Robinson would later become a renowned motion picture stunt pilot and a founder of the Motion Picture Pilot's Association. It was around this time that the term "Hollywood Guard" began to be applied to the Squadron. Because of its location in the fast growing motion picture capital of America, a cooperative association developed between the industry and the 115th. Over the years, numerous motion pictures have been made with the assistance and occasional participation of Guard personnel. The first significant example of this cooperation was the film "Wings," winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929. The movie was partially filmed at Griffith Park Airfield and a number of Squadron pilots participated in aerial sequences.
Due to its proximity to the Hollywood and Los Angeles areas, Griffith Park Airfield quickly became a popular meeting place for the military and civilian flying fraternity. All sorts of planes and pilots would drop in, from San Diego based naval flight crews to army airmen from as far away as Washington, D.C.
Security was not stringent and activities were relaxed and informal while still maintainin the dignity befitting a military unit. It was no secret that National Guard airfields were considered the "country clubs" of the Air Corps, although weekend flying and training were conducted in a serious and proficient manner.
By 1928 the Squadron was flying an assortment of Douglas O-2-H's and Consolidated 0-17' s and in 1931 the Squadron began to be equipped with the Douglas 0-3 8, a two-place observation plane that was to become the workhorse of the unit throughout the thirties.
As an observation squadron, the 115th' s reconnaissance role as the "eyes" of the 40th Division was its primary one. Consequently, the Photo Section played a key part in the squadron's tactical operations. Many special photographic assi,gnments were _given to the unit, including one for the Federal government which saw the section photographing all Federal construction projects along the West Coast and several inland projects during the 1930's. Examples are the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges at San Francisco, Boulder (Hoover) Dam in Nevada, parts of the extensive trail system in California's High Sierra, and numerous National Park projects.
During winter months the unit photographed the mountain snow packs to help ascertain the availability of water durin_g the ensuin_g summer, and throughout the year the Squadron provided photographic coverage of disasters. There were also assignments of a technical nature, such as the missions to assist Dr. H. V. Neher ofthe California Institute of Technology in his studies of cosmic ray intensities at various altitude.
To accomplish the mission, the Photo Section was equipped with many types of cameras, but the mainstays for most of it's work were the huge 8" x 10" aerial camera and the versatile 4" x 5" Graphic camera. In the hands of experts, hundreds of museum quality photos were generated.
In the Spring of 1938, heavy rains led to the failure of the San Francisquito Dam which caused disastrous flooding downstream, taking hundreds of lives. The 115th assisted the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department with rescue and relief operations. The Squadron received a gracious letter of appreciation from Sheriff Eu_gene Biscailuz.
In October 1938 the first new North American O-47A arrived and the Squadron had its first all-metal aircraft. Specifically desi_gned for observation work, the 0-47 had a crew of three and a special lower compartment where sophisticated cameras could be installed.
During the late fall of 1939, the 115th and the City of Los Angeles had a dispute which resulted in a flying ban at Griffith Park. Details of the dispute have not been found in the archives as yet (2002), however, the ban was lifted in early December 1939 by a Park Commission ruling which allowed operations to continue.
