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Seven years in the making and filmed on three continents, The Millionaires’ Unit documentary tells the dramatic story of a group of Yale students who were the first to fly for America in WW1, some of them making the ultimate sacrifice.
Just released on Video On Demand February 15th, “The Millionaires’ Unit,” a film by Darroch Greer and Ron King, tells the story of a group of Yale Colege students who learned to fly on their own initiative in preparation for World War I. The group’s founder, Trubee Davison, believed that the government was insufficiently prepared for the eventuality of entry U.S. into war after a disappointing meeting with the Secretary of Navy. However later, as a result of Davison’s foresight, the First Yale Unit became the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve. Clearly on the leading edge of technology, the Yale Unit was formed a mere thirteen years after the Wright Brothers took their first flight at Kitty Hawk, South Carolina in 1903.
Narrated by Bruce Dern, now 81 years old, “The Millionaires’ Unit” is inspired by Marc Wortman’s book originally published in 2006 with the subtitle, ‘The Aristocratic Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented American Air Power.’ Dern is a grandnephew of one of the aviators, and the film’s developers are all descendants of the First Yale Unit, either grandnephews or grandsons. Filmed on three continents, the documentary required seven years of development and production.
It’s worthwhile to note that World War I was the beginning of a new era of warfare. Key military technological advances included the machine gun, the tank and, of course, the airplane. Known as The Great War, World War I marked the beginning of the use of industrialization to support wartime activities.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ran on the platform, “He Kept Us Out Of War.” Although sincere, it was a promise he would not be able to keep. In 1917, after two and a half years of trying to maintain American neutrality, the United States declared war on Germany.
The filmmakers draw on rare archival footage and recreate dogfighting sequences with replica World War I places. Letters sent to friends and fiancés during the war furnish source material as well. In an interesting nod to the way times have changed, the aviators in the correspondence frequently refer to their European foe as “The Hun.”
A key development in the air war was the introduction of the British Sopwith Camel to the U.S. naval aviators in 1918, approximately two years after its first flight in late 1916. The plane boasted many improvements over the heavy, underpowered aircraft previously flown by U.S. pilots. The Camel was a single seat fighter, lighter and more maneuverable than earlier planes with a more powerful engine. The British plane had the ability to turn inside all other opposing planes, which helped the craft win dogfights. While difficult for some to handle, experienced flyers found the plane a vast improvement over older designs.
At a runtime of 120 minutes, the documentary gets off to somewhat of a slow start. However, the narrative picks up by the second half of the film as many characters come into clearer focus, buffeted by a growing sense of the comradery among the men. Indeed, the ties that bound the Yale men extended long after their college days.
The Yale Unit amassed a brilliant record in its service to the U.S. wartime effort. The highly decorated members spent 19 months in Europe and flew 22,000 sorties. Individuals from the group received two Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, and eleven Navy Crosses. Alumni went on to serve key appointments in the War Department, Navy Department and the Department of Defense into the Cold War era.
In 1966, fifty years after the formation of the First Yale Unit, Trubee Davison finally received his Navy Wings, the formal insignia for U.S. naval aviators. Actual footage of the ceremony and interviews with surviving members is a moving testament to the enduring legacy of the ensemble. As the film notes more than once, “To whom much is given, much is expected in return.” “The Millionaires’ Unit” provides insightful detail about the exploits of an extraordinary group of young men who demonstrated a profound obligation to duty, honor, and country.
Now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Video On Demand
