“Yet sought they neither recompense nor praise, Nor to be mentioned in another breath Than their blue-coated comrades, whose great days It was their pride to share—aye, share even to the death! Nay, rather, France, to you they rendered thanks (Seeing that they came for honor, not for gain), Who opening to them your glorious ranks Gave them that grand occasion to excel— That chance to live the life most free from stain And that rare privilege of dying well.” II HIS OWN STORY Some of Norman’s experiences in the French aviation service were of an exceptionally thrilling character, showing the peculiar perils of aerial warfare. At the time of his last home visit on a short furlough, he was invited to relate some of these at the Tavern Club in Boston. His story, as modestly and frankly told by him on that occasion, is best given in his own words: “I sailed for Europe in the latter part of the year 1914 in order to do what I could to help the cause which I believed, and still believe, to be that of my own country, as well as that of the Allied Nations. “Reaching France I offered my services to that Government as an aviator. They were promptly accepted and I contracted an engagement to serve France until she had achieved victory. Seven other Americans enlisted with me at the same time as aviators, and we proceeded from our dépôt, where we were clothed, to the flying school at Pau in the south of France in the Pyrenees, where conditions for flying are exceptionally good, there being hardly any wind in that region. The school at Pau at the time was the largest flying school in the world. While we were there about three hundred young men were in training, and at last accounts, there were over five hundred pupils practicing in aviation, using at least two hundred modern machines. We remained there a month. As a rule it takes about forty-eight days to turn out a military aviator, qualified and fitted to obtain the civil and military licenses required. In order to obtain the latter it is necessary to make a successful flight of about four hundred miles across country. I had already acquired a fair knowledge of the science of aviation at home and had made numerous flights in different machines, so that the training at Pau came comparatively easy to me, but it was necessary for me to become thoroughly acquainted with all the rules governing the French military aviation service, as well as to make myself familiar with the French machines in order to meet the full requirements of the training. When we were through this school we received our _brevets militaires_ and we had ridden every kind of air craft used in the French Army.