Paul Frank Baer
| Paul Frank Baer | |
|---|---|
Paul Frank Baer
|
|
| Born | 29 January 1894 Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA |
| Died | December 9, 1930 (aged 34) Shanghai, China |
| Buried | Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
Aéronautique Militaire (France) Air Service, United States Army |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Unit |
Aéronautique Militaire
|
| Battles/wars |
 World War I
|
| Awards | American Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster French Legion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre |
Aéronautique Militaire
Air Service, United States Army
First Lieutenant Paul Frank Baer was the first flying ace in the history of American military aviation, credited with nine confirmed and seven unconfirmed aerial victories in World War I. He also scored the first aerial victory ever for an American military unit.
Paul Frank Baer quit selling Cadillacs to join the military. He was described as short, sturdy, pink-cheeked, square-featured, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Baer joined the Lafayette Flying Corps in 1917, being posted to Escadrille N.80 from August 1917 to January 1918. He transferred to the Lafayette Escadrille in January 1918 to transition into the 103rd Aero Squadron of the United States Army Air Service. He scored his first aerial victory for the 103rd, on 11 March 1918; it was the first triumph of an Air Service unit. (Lt. Stephen W. Thompson of the 1st Aero Squadron shot down an Albatros on 5 February 1918 while flying as a gunner with a French unit. Baer is second on the official chronological list.) Baer scored his fifth kill on 23 April 1918, making him the first Air Service ace.
He continued to score; on 22 May, he brought down his ninth victim to lead all American pilots. However, he was shot down during this victory, and fell into German hands. He would remain a prisoner of war until after the armistice. If his seven unconfirmed wins had been verified, he would have been one of the leading American aces.
Baer continued to fly postwar. In late 1919, he became a member of the American Flying Club and tried to raise a squadron of fifteen American aviation combat veterans to form a "Pulaski Squadron" to support the Polish drive for independence. Baer foresaw his role as commanding the unit with the rank of major. He claimed to have Paderewski's support for his efforts. (The Polish Air Force did have the Polish 7th Air Escadrille aka "Kościuszko Squadron" of US volunteers.)
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Wikipedia