Members of the Delco WW1 Centennial Committee met at the Embassy of Italy in Washington D.C. to begin planning a Centennial Commeration, here in the United States and Italy, of the joint air operations in Italy by both of our countries aviation sections. American and Italian aviators flew joint strategic bombing missions on the Italian front of the "White War" during WW1.
The gentleman in the center of the group is Edward Lewis, his father was one of the aviators who learned to fly strategic bombers in Italy, and was one of the American group who flew with their Italian counterparts, side by side on strategic bombing missions in Italy. His father began his Army service at Chandler Field, built on the campus of the 1799 Lazaretto, in Essington, Delaware County. Col. Robert Glendenning, who created Chandler Field for the Army, became the overall U.S. Army Aviation commander in Italy in 1918.