The US built no planes in World War 1. American pilots flew French planes; Nieuports and Spads.
Not counting helicoper pilots and aircrewmen; over 6,000 Fixed-wing/propeller/jet US pilots and aircrewmen were killed or missing during the Vietnam War.
First of all there was no branch called the Air Force during World War 2 in any of the Allied Forces. They were either Army Air Force, Marine Air Force and Navy Air Forces and the Brits added the word Royal to their forces. If you added up all the "air forces" of Russia, The US, The UK and other nations you would have a total that could surpass several hundred thousand. The Germans and Italians had aviators too. If you add them then you definitely surpass many hundreds of thousand of pilots flying during World War 2.
The war began for the Americans when Japanese pilots dropped bombs on the US Naval fleet and the airfields at Pearl Harbor and other island locations.
That might be difficult to prove, since RAF pilots wore the same leather helmets when flying all of their aircraft...Hurricanes, Lancasters, Mosquitos, as well as US supplied Wildcats, Hellcats, etc. And, you probably wrote "World War 1" by mistake, since your question actually refers to WWII.
us in ww2
The US built no planes in World War 1. American pilots flew French planes; Nieuports and Spads.
Army and Navy. The Marines were a smaller unit then and a part of the Navy. The Coast Guard was part of the Treasury Department in peace, and part of the Navy in war. The US Army had military pilots, but no equivalent to an air force until after World War 1. [In 1917-18 US pilots flew for the French.]
Approximately 600 US POW's were released in 1973; of which most of whom were Airmen (pilots and aircrewmen).
45,000
There are quit a few pilots in the US Army, of course most of which are helicopter pilots, if I had to put a number on it I would say approximately 10,000
Not counting helicoper pilots and aircrewmen; over 6,000 Fixed-wing/propeller/jet US pilots and aircrewmen were killed or missing during the Vietnam War.
First of all there was no branch called the Air Force during World War 2 in any of the Allied Forces. They were either Army Air Force, Marine Air Force and Navy Air Forces and the Brits added the word Royal to their forces. If you added up all the "air forces" of Russia, The US, The UK and other nations you would have a total that could surpass several hundred thousand. The Germans and Italians had aviators too. If you add them then you definitely surpass many hundreds of thousand of pilots flying during World War 2.
The war began for the Americans when Japanese pilots dropped bombs on the US Naval fleet and the airfields at Pearl Harbor and other island locations.
Racism played a huge role as the Tuskegee Airmen were America's first fighter pilots and Officers. Many in the US Army were very opposed to this.
405,400 US casualties are recorded for World War 2
That might be difficult to prove, since RAF pilots wore the same leather helmets when flying all of their aircraft...Hurricanes, Lancasters, Mosquitos, as well as US supplied Wildcats, Hellcats, etc. And, you probably wrote "World War 1" by mistake, since your question actually refers to WWII.