Paul Frank Baer (January 29, 1894 – December 9, 1930) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

fighter pilot A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and ...

for the

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was credited with nine confirmed victories and seven unconfirmed victory claims, making him the first

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

in American military aviation history.

Early life and characteristics

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.(''Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette'', Sunday 23 November 1919) http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/31661-lieutenant-paul-baer-will-help-poland-win-liberty.html Retrieved on 29 June 2010.

World War I service

Baer joined the

Lafayette Flying Corps The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name given to the American volunteer pilots who flew in the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. Numbers The ...

in 1917, being posted to Escadrille N.80 from August 1917 to January 1918. He transferred to the

Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...

in January 1918 to transition into the 103rd Aero Squadron of the

. He scored his first aerial victory for the 103rd, on 11 March 1918; it was the first triumph by a pilot of an Air Service unit. Baer scored his fifth victory on 23 April 1918, making him the first Air Service ace. However, Baer was not the first American ace; that honor went to

Frederick Libby Captain Frederick Libby (15 July 1891 – 9 January 1970) became the first American flying ace, while serving as an observer in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Libby transferred to the United States Army Air Service on 15 September 1 ...

, who flew as an observer/gunner with the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

.Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920, pp. 239—240. 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 A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

until after the armistice. If his seven unconfirmed wins had been verified, he would have been one of the leading American aces.American Aces of World War I, p. 81

Postwar

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 Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; – 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist and composer who became a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the new nation's Prime Minister and foreign minister during which he signed the Treaty of Versail ...

's support for his efforts. (The Polish Air Force did have the

Polish 7th Air Escadrille Polish 7th Air Escadrille ( pl, 7. Eskadra Lotnicza), better known as the Kościuszko Squadron, was one of the units of the Polish Air Force during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. Formed in late 1918, it was re-formed in late 1919 from US ...

aka "Kościuszko Squadron" of US volunteers.) Baer went on to forge a career in civil aviation. By 1927, he was a

Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for bu ...

aeronautics inspector Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical So ...

in San Antonio, Texas. He then spent about a year flying as a commercial pilot in South America.(''San Antonio Express'', 10 December 1930) http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/35926-local-aviator-dies-china.html Retrieved on 29 June 2010. Baer died in an aircraft accident in Shanghai on 9 December 1930. He was taking off in a floatplane with a Russian woman as his passenger. Baer's plane struck the mast of a junk on the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

and crashed. He was believed to have about 3,500 flight hours experience when he died. He is buried in

Lindenwood Cemetery Lindenwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery operated by Dignity Memorial in Fort Wayne, Indiana, established in 1859. With over 74,000 graves and covering , it is one of the largest cemeteries in Indiana. Famous interments include some of the most im ...

at Fort Wayne. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs

Honors and awards

* Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Action Date: March 11, 1918 : The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Paul Frank Baer, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism on March 11, 1918. First Lieutenant Baer attacked, alone, a group of seven enemy pursuit machines, destroying one, which fell near the French lines northeast of Reims, France. On March 16, 1918, he attacked two enemy two-seaters, one of which fell in flames in approximately the same region.(General Orders No. 128, W.D., 1919) http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/baer.php Retrieved on 29 June 2010. * Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster Action Dates: April 5, 12, & 23, and May 8 & 21, 1918 : The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Paul Frank Baer, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action. First Lieutenant Baer brought down enemy planes on April 5, 12, and 23, 1918, and on May 8, 1918. First Lieutenant Baer destroyed two German machines, and on May 21, 1918, he destroyed his eighth enemy plane. *

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(France) Paul Frank Baer @ theaerodrome.com
/ref> *

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

(France) *

Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Fort Wayne International Airport, Indiana. It is located south-southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Initially established in 1941 as a training airfield for the Army ...

and

Fort Wayne International Airport Fort Wayne International Airport is eight miles southwest of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 ...

were originally named Baer Field

References

Bibliography

* * ''American Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , .

External links

* * First World War websit
Biography at firstworldwar.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baer, Paul Frank 1894 births 1930 deaths American World War I flying aces Aviators from Indiana People from Fort Wayne, Indiana United States Army officers Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Legion of Honour Commercial aviators