Beirne Lay, Jr.

Beirne Lay, Jr.
Beirne Lay, Jr. during USAAC flight training
Born	(1909-09-01)1 September 1909 Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, US
Died	May 26, 1982(1982-05-26) (aged 72) Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Author

Beirne Lay, Jr., (September 1, 1909 - May 26, 1982) was an American author, aviation writer, Hollywood screenwriter, and combat veteran of World War II with the U.S. Army Air Forces. He is best known for his collaboration with Sy Bartlett in authoring the novel Twelve O'Clock High and adapting it into a major film.

Born September 1, 1909, in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, Lay attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and Yale University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1931. As an undergraduate he boxed and rowed.

Lay enlisted in the United States Army in July 1932 and began pilot training at Randolph Field, Texas. In June 1933 he earned his pilot's wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve at Kelly Field, Texas. He was assigned to the 20th Bombardment Squadron at Langley Field, Virginia, flying the Keystone B-6 and Curtiss B-2 Condor bombers. In February and March 1934, he was part of the Army Air Corps unit delivering U.S. mail during the Air Mail scandal, flying the Chicago-to-Nashville route. The operation was unsuccessful, marred by several fatal accidents in which the Air Corps took the brunt of public blame. Upset by what he viewed as the injustice of the criticism, Lay began his writing career while still on active duty by submitting rebuttal articles and pieces on aviation in general, published in The Sportsman Pilot, Esquire, The Saturday Evening Post, Today, and Harper's. In November 1935 he left active duty but remained a Reserve officer, promoted to 1st lieutenant on August 16, 1936.