David Putnam
| David Endicott Putnam | |
|---|---|
David Endicott Putnam, 1918
|
|
| Born |
December 10, 1898 Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts |
| Died | September 12, 1918 (aged 19) Limey-Remenauville, France |
| Buried | Mémorial de l'Escadrille La Fayette, Marnes-la-Coquette, France |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
Aéronautique Militaire (France) Air Service, United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917 - 1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit |
Aéronautique Militaire
|
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards |
 World War I, Distinguished Service Cross (posthumously), the Croix de Guerre, with palms and stars, the Médaille militaire, the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and the American Areo Club Medal. |
Aéronautique Militaire
Air Service, United States Army
David Endicott Putnam (December 10, 1898 – September 12, 1918) was an American flying ace of World War I. He was known as the “Ace of Aces,” for thirteen confirmed kills, and thirty cumulative unconfirmed. He was shot down by German ace Georg von Hantelmann.
A descendant of General Israel Putnam, he was born December 10, 1898 at Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts, the son of Frederick H. Putnam and Jenet Hallowell.
He attended Harvard University and was to graduate Harvard Class of 1920, but instead went overseas and joined the French Foreign Legion. He was posthumously awarded a War Degree (S.B.) by Harvard.
He joined the Lafayette Flying Corps of the French Air Service in 1917. In June of the following year, he joined the United States Air Service.
Putnam attended Camp Becket-in-the-Berkshires, as a camper from 1914–1916, and counselor in 1917 when he was a Harvard freshman. Swimming was one of his passions and he became captain of the Life Saving Crew and Assistant Swimming Instructor. He was also an exceptional tennis player. He was popular among campers and received the 1915 Honor Emblem and 1916 Honor Button, the camp’s highest award. He is described in the camp newspaper Seen and Heard as “Modest and unassuming, yet genial and a good mixer, of high moral standard; he was without question the most popular boy in the camp.” Becket director, Henry W. Gibson affirms that: “The sense of fair play, of consideration for the other fellow, of physical bravery, of moral courage—all of these qualities were given a chance to express themselves in his camp life.”
Henry Gibson recalled that Putnam approached him at his tent and said, "I am going across the seas to get in the big fight." He did indeed, by way of a cattle boat, and joined the French Foreign Legion on May 31, 1917. He was transferred to the air service and trained at Avord. Putnam was assigned to Escadrille SPA 94 on 12 December 1917, and was posted to SPA 156 on 7 February 1918. While with the latter unit, he shot down four planes before being transferred to SPA 38 on 1 June 1918, where he claimed two more planes shot down. He was discharged in June 1918.
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