Townsend Griffiss
| Townsend E. Griffiss | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 4, 1900 Buffalo, New York |
| Died |
February 15, 1942 (aged 41) Bay of Biscay |
| Buried | Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch | Army Air Force |
| Years of service | 1925–1942 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Awards | France's Legion d'Honneur (1938) Distinguished Service Medal (1942) |
Lt. Colonel Townsend E. Griffiss (April 4, 1900 - February 15, 1942) was a United States Army aviator, the first American airman killed in Europe, following the United States's entry into World War II.
He was born in Buffalo, New York to polo player Ellicott Evans and Katherine Hamlin, both from wealthy New York families. His mother later married San Diego banker Wilmot Griffiss and Townsend took his surname. Known to his family as "Tim", he was raised in the affluent coastal suburb of Coronado, California.
Townsend Griffiss graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1922, and joined the United States Army Air Corps.
He trained as a fighter pilot, and between 1925 and 1928 served in Hawaii. His family's wealth allowed him to rent a house on Waikiki Beach, and there he wrote a guidebook When you go to Hawaii you will need this guide to the Islands, which was published in 1930. He shared his birth-father's passion for polo, and joined the military team based in Hawaii, led by Major George S. Patton.
After operational postings in California and Texas, Griffiss was assigned to Bolling Field in Washington DC in 1933. This helped him gain connections to allow him to be posted to Europe in 1935 as an air attache, working in Paris and then Berlin. He was then assigned to Spain during the Spanish Civil War, as an observer. Returning to Paris, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.
Returning to the United States in 1938, he became a student at the Air Corps Tactical School. In 1939 he worked for the Assistant Secretary of War, and then for the War Department Chief of Staff, where in 1940 he was appointed Major.
...
Wikipedia