"No one is exactly sure who were the first of Colonel Sweeny's recruits, but among the first both to go to Europe and become original members of the Eagles were Vernon Keough, Eugene Tobin, and Andy Mamedoff. Tobin and Mamedoff were both working in Southern California to support their love of flying. They were initially contacted by a Sweeny agent in March 1940 to fly for Finland. Intrigued by the idea, they quit their jobs, sold most of their belongings, and were ready to go when Finland surrendered. Sweeny came to the rescue by offering them the opportunity to fly for France. Each given a train ticket and five dollars, they were off to Montreal. They had been instructed to go to the Mount Royal Hotel, where they were to pick up additional money and further instructions. While waiting for the expected letters, the two men met four-foot ten-inch Vernon Keough, another flyer and professional parachutist who had decided to join the French. A friend, it seems, had borrowed his airplane, wrecked it, and left Keough bankrupt.
"The three were soon given tickets to Halifax, then dollars apiece, and instructions that sound as if they were lifted straight from a spy novel: 'You will take the night train to Halifax. Upon arrival, remain at the station after the other passengers have departed. Discuss flying in a loud voice, so our agent can identify you.' The agent appeared and led them through alleys and back streets to the top floor of a deserted building. There they were given pink identity cards and fifty dollars each, and were told to be at the ship the next morning to go to France. After a long voyage, the three arrived in Paris in the middle of May only to find that the hard-pressed French were not interested in training American pilots. Along with a number of other Americans Sweeny had recruited, they spent a month waiting for the call to fly, but to no avail. The French were more interested in fighting for their lives against the Germans than in training fledgling American volunteer pilots.
Finding themselves in danger of being captured by the Germans, the trio joined three Czech pilots in a scheme to steal an airplane and fly to England. Foiled in this attempt, during which the Czechs were mistaken for Germans and shot, the three became part of the mass of refugees streaming out of France. As luck would have it, they were able to find one of the last ships crossing to England, and they arrived in London about the same time France fell. Initially, their efforts to join the RAF also met little interest, but then the three were able to collar a member of Parliament. They told him their story and on 4 July 1940 passed their physicals and signed up as RAF flight officers ready for training. Coincidentally, they also met young Charles Sweeny the same day. Although the young pilots had been recruited by Colonel Sweeny, Charles apparently knew nothing of his uncle's efforts at that time. After dinner and an evening of conversation with Sweeny, the three went off to operational training units (OTUs).
"After completing a three-week OTU program, they were posted to existing fighter squadrons, in which they were among the seven Americans who saw action during the Battle of Britain. They would meet Sweeny again in September when Tobin, Keough, and Mamedoff became members of the first Eagle Squadron. In March 1941, the experiences of these three pilots were serialized in Liberty magazine. This series of articles certainly helped publicize the Eagles as well as create a rather false air of heroism about their exploits. All three were killed before the end of 1941."
