The American soldiers arrived in 1917 with the official entry of the USA in the WW1 were not nevertheless the first American to be taken part in this conflict
Dice 1914 an small group of young and courageous American (whose majority lived in France) enthusiast of adventure but especially of idealism and love whith France, were committed in the French Army becoming Pilots in the "French AirForce".
They were the first American of all the History to help and to fight for the country which had helped their country to become independent during the American independence war
The French Army formed them and gathered them in an "American" squadron belonging to the French Army
They were equipped with the famous French aircrafts of the WW1, Nieuport between 1915 and 1916 and the most powerful SPAD (one of best and perhaps even the best aircraft of the WW1) in 1916
This Squadron was baptized "Escradrille Lafayette" in honor of this famous French, the French Army and France who fought beside the American colonists in the American independence war vs UK