Mexico Desert US Army Aero Squadron Troops Biplanes 1916 Real Photo Postcard

The postcard captures a scene from the U.S. Punitive Expedition into Mexico (1916-1917), commanded by General John J. Pershing to apprehend Pancho Villa. This campaign represented the first operational deployment of U.S. military aviation, featuring the 1st Aero Squadron flying Curtiss JN-3 Jennies. These early biplanes encountered substantial difficulties, including frequent mechanical breakdowns, the challenges of high-altitude flight, and the harsh, unforgiving Mexican terrain, which often grounded the aircraft or rendered them unsuitable for their intended reconnaissance missions.