French ace Rene Fonck records six aerial victories in one day. During the first mission, Capitaine Fonck, flying a SPAD XIII, shoots down a German reconnaissance aircraft and its two fighter escorts in three minutes. An hour and a half later, Capitaine Fonck dispatches a German two-seat observation aircraft and is then attacked by nine other enemy aircraft. He gets behind them and shoots down the trail aircraft. As the remaining aircraft try to force him to fly over German lines, he shoots down another aircraft and returns to base. He goes on to be the leading Allied ace of World War I and the leading French ace of all time with 75 confirmed victories.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…