Jerry Vasconcells

Jerry Cox Vasconcells
Captain Jerry Cox Vasconcells, 27th Aero Squadron, Commander, 185th Aero Squadron
Born	3 December 1892 Lyons, Kansas, United States
Died	17 April 1950 Denver, Colorado, USA
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Air Service, United States Army
Rank	Captain
Unit	27th Aero Squadron
Commands held	185th Aero Squadron
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	French Croix de Guerre

Captain Jerry Cox Vasconcells was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Vasconcells was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame in its first ceremony of 1969.

Jerry Vasconcells was born in Lyons, Kansas on December 3, 1892. He attended East High School, in Denver, Colorado, attended Dartmouth College, and then graduated from the University of Denver Law School.

Vasconcells joined the U.S. Army Air Corps at the onset of World War I, and was sent to France in 1917 to fly combat. While flying the SPAD biplane in combat, he was shot down, but with skilled flying he landed in "no man's land" and was rescued by Allied soldiers. He became an "ace" with a score of six airplanes and two balloons. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and other honors from both the French and American governments. Vasconcells was a flight commander for the 27th Aero Squadron of the 1st Pursuit Group, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in 1918, and by war's end he was in command of the 185th Aero Squadron, the first night pursuit squadron of the AEF. Jerry Vasconcells was Colorado's only ace of the war.

Vasconcells' military career included associations with other renown aviators, including Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, Gen. Billy Mitchell and Frank Luke. In 1919, he acquired a Military Aviator flight rating and was promoted to major. Upon returning to the United States, he had numerous health issues relating to his military flying.