Elliott White Springs

(1896-1959)   From South Carolina, Springs was one of the Americans who trained and fought with the Royal Flying Corps, serving first in No. 85 Squadron before transferring to the U.S. Air Service and serving in the 148th Pursuit.  Finishing the war as America's fifth ranked ace, Springs returned home and embarked on a lucrative career as a writer, beginning with War Birds, considered a classic in the genre.   Later, after inheriting his father's textile industry, Springs Cotton Mills of North Carolina he would eventually become the wealthiest man in the state.