Over a year before the United States entered World War II, American volunteers began flying with three “Eagle” squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Over the nearly two years of the Eagle Squadrons’ existence, 245 American pilots were assigned to one of these RAF units and nearly half were killed or taken prisoner.
In 1989 at the urging of The Friends’ president, Brig. Gen. Phil Caine, USAF (Ret.), the Eagle Squadron Association designated the McDermott Library as its official record depository.
