Richard Stockton Jannopoulo was born to John Constantine Jannopoulo (19/1/1869-14/5/1932) and Berenice Stockton (1872-1948), on October 22, 1896. His father, a Greek, potentially born in Smyrna or Greece (it is also mentioned that the Jannopoulo family was exiled from Russia) and emigrated to St. Louis, under unknown circumstances, was the manager and eventually owner of the Delmar Garden Amusement Park, Imperial Theater, and Suburban Gardens Amusement Park, with guidance, perhaps, from his influential relative, Demetrius Jannopoulo, the Greek Consul in St. Louis. As president of Delmar Garden, J.C. Jannopoulo initiated significant enhancements, acquiring 35 acres in 1909. Operating the park until its closure around 1919, he later filed a plan in 1920 for the subdivision, leading to the rapid development of Delmar Garden with over 85 buildings by 1924. His mother's heritage was also a great one. Her linage goes back to Sir John Stockton who was the Lord Mayor of London in 1740 and through him to Richard Stockton who was knighted on the field by King Edward IV in 1470 and was afterward elected to the high honor of Master of the Mercer’s Company, the oldest and most exclusive association of the kind in London. The American family branch settled in New Jersey and members of it were prominent in the history of the Revolution. But from her maternal side, two of her ancestors were colonial governors of Virginia. At the tender age of three, Richard Jannopoulo garnered public attention by clinching the title of the "Prettiest Boy Baby" at Saratoga in 1899, a notable feat during the family's summer vacation. Intriguingly, it was Richard's nurse, Aunt Nellie, who accompanied him to the competition, a departure from the conventional parental attendance. The event and its outcome remained a noteworthy feature in newspapers for an extended period. Between 1910 and 1912, the family temporarily relocated to Paris, providing Richard with an immersive experience that included the acquisition of French and potentially other foreign languages. The extent of his proficiency in Greek remains unknown. Regrettably, upon their return to the United States in 1912, the couple faced marital challenges, resulting in divorce, with Berenice assuming custody of their 16-year-old son. Given the noteworthy military lineage of both his great-grandfather, Admiral Richard Stockton, and his grandfather, Captain Edward Stockton, both graduates of the Annapolis Naval Academy, it was only natural for the young Richard to contemplate a career in the Navy. However, he joined  Culver Military Academy and upon graduation, he entered the second officers' training camp in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in August 1917. Commissioned as a First Lieutenant in November of the same year, he embarked on a unique journey. In December 1917, he was dispatched to England, where he spent three and a half months serving with the British Royal Flying Corps, acquiring his initial flying instructions. On July 1, 1918, 2nd Lt. Jannopoulo was attached to the third flight of the Ninety-first Aero Squadron (although other sources indicate his squadron entry on August 22, 1918).  

91st AERO SQUADRON

The 91st Aero Squadron, established as an aviation unit of the US Signal Corps on August 20, 1917, at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, underwent a notable journey during World War I. By the end of September, the squadron embarked on a transatlantic voyage from Long Island, N.Y., aboard RMS Adriatic, destined for Liverpool. From there, the squadron proceeded to Southampton, boarding HMS Huntshcraft to Le Havre. The ensuing months, starting from the end of February were characterized by relative inactivity, allowing members to hone their French language skills. On April 21, 1918, the squadron began receiving Salmson biplanes, marking a pivotal moment. The first flight over the frontline occurred on June 3, 1918, with baptism by fire on the 11th and 12th of the same month. Primarily tasked with reconnaissance, observation, and aerial photography, especially in the region between Sedan and Metz, the squadron operated under strict orders to ensure the safe return of intelligence and photographic evidence. The squadron undertook 2 to 3 missions daily, facing heightened risks. Unfortunately, during nearly every mission, encounters with the enemy were inevitable. The squadron’s last wartime casualty, recorded just a day before the armistice on November 11, 1918, was not the end of their challenges. The members faced losses due to the Spanish Flu during their stay in Europe. In total, the 91st Aero Squadron engaged in 139 combat encounters, undertaking 252 reconnaissance and 108 photographic missions. Their efforts yielded approximately 3700 successful photos, contributing significantly to the war effort. However, this achievement came at a dear cost, with 13 killed, 13 wounded, and 9 taken as prisoners. 2nd Lieutenant Jannopoulo's dedicated service continued until September 27, 1918, when he sustained injuries during a mission. Till that time he flew a total of 17 missions (20 according to himself), mostly reconnaissance, as well as some protection and photographic sorties. However, the most detailed account of his service as well as his claimed victory and final mission is documented in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, where the Greek American aviator gave an interview when he returned home from the front.

"Lieut. Richard Stockton Jannopoulo, attached to the Ninety-first Aero Squadron, who participated in 20 air battles with the Germans, before being himself wounded, arrived from New York yesterday morning, for a visit with his father, J.C. Jannopoulo, 5330 Enright Avenue, owner of Delmar Garden. Lieut. Jannopoulo still is in the air service, but expects his discharge as soon as his wound, received in an air battle in the St. Mihiel sector on Sept. 27, is healed. At present, he is on sick leave from a hospital in Cooperstown, N.Y. In relating his story to a post-Dispatch reporter yesterday, he told how, in trying to avoid the planes harassing him and his pilot, the latter dived at a steep angle and threw him out of the machine. He managed to grab the elevating lever and held on, lying on the fuselage of the plane for nearly two minutes before he could drop into the cockpit, where he was found, wounded, when the plane landed behind the American lines. In the night, Lieut. Jannopoulo was given official credit for downing one German plane. He brought still another to the ground in an earlier fight, but the rules, which required that a confirmation officer in the first-line trenches observe the fall of the enemy plane, prevented him from getting credit for it."