Samuel Kaye Jr. (8 November 1895 – 12 March 1939) was an officer in 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 ...

during the

Great War 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 scored four victories and three probables while flying with the

94th Aero Squadron The 94th Aero Squadron was the United States Army Air Service designation for the current 94th Fighter Squadron that fought on the Western Front during World War I.. The squadron was assigned as a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron as part of th ...

Service

Kaye enlisted in the

at the start of the Great War. He was sent to the Aviation Field School at

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, Texas, and then to flight training at

Chanute Field Chanute may refer to: *Chanute, Kansas, United States **Chanute High School *Octave Chanute (1832–1910), American civil engineer and aviation pioneer *Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, United States *Octave Chanute Award, awarded by the Western S ...

in Illinois. He was ordered to Europe and arrived in England in November 1917. Kaye's first assignment was as a ferry pilot flying between

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Then, on 9 July 1918, he was assigned to the 94th Aero Squadron,

1st Pursuit Group First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

, at

Saints Aerodrome Saints Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located North of Saints, in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Overview The airfield was one of the many built to cope with the German offensive toward ...

Saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

, France. The 94th was known as the "Hat in the Ring" Squadron and was under the command of Captain

Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. Kaye was awarded his first

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

for action over the region of Epinonville, France, on Sept. 29, 1918. Lieutenants Kaye and

Reed Chambers Reed McKinley Chambers was a pioneer in the American Aviation industry, as a flying ace in World War I, as founder of an early airline, and as founder and chairman of America's first aviation insurance company. Early life and military service Majo ...

attacked a formation of 6 German planes shooting down one and forcing the others to retire back to German lines. The citation for Kaye's second Distinguish Service Cross reads: :”The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Service) Samuel Kaye, Jr., United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., over the region of Montfaucon and

Bantheville Bantheville () is a commune in the Meuse department in the Grand Est region in northeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Meuse department The following is a list of the 499 communes of the Meuse department of France. The co ...

, France, 5 October 1918. Lieutenant Kaye encountered a formation of seven enemy machines (Fokker type). Regardless of their numerical superiority, he immediately attacked and by skillful maneuvering succeeded in separating one enemy plane from its formation and after a short combat shot it down in flames.” Kaye was credited with four confirmed German Fokkers shot down and three probables. He was promoted to captain and served as the commander of the 94th Squadron's 1st Flight. Kaye’s four credited victories came on 29 September 1918, 5 October 1918, 18 October 1918, and 29 October 1918. He held the rank of 1st Lieutenant during each of these. In the action of 5 October, Kaye and fellow squadron mate 1st Lt. John N. Jeffers each downed a

Fokker D-VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...

, which was witnessed from the ground by C.O. Rickenbacker and Chambers, who were returning to Rembercourt after retrieving a German Hanover that had been downed intact at Montfaucon on 3 October. Kaye flew

SPAD S.XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...

, serial S15130. The Armistice went into effect on 11 November 1918. Kaye was promoted to Captain by 18 November 1918. On 23 December 1918, Kaye was awarded Distinguished Service Cross 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster for action at Epinonville on 29 September and Montfaucon on 5 October.

Post-War

Kaye returned to Columbus, Mississippi, on 15 June 1919. ''Aerial Age Weekly'' reported on 12 April 1920 that Kaye had been awarded the Croix de Guerre with Bronze Star. Sam Kaye continued to live in Columbus after his return from France and operated The Columbus Auto Co. which was the local Ford dealership.

Death

Kaye died 12 March 1939 after an extended illness. Unable to attend the funeral because of a business commitment, Eddie Rickenbacker sent a huge floral arrangement forming the insignia of the Hat in the Ring Squadron.

Commemoration

On 6 August 1941, a newly established

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

training base, established at Columbus, Mississippi, was designated an Air Corps Advanced Flying School. On 15 September 1941, it became known as Columbus Airfield. On 24 February 1942, the War Department announced the installation would be named Kaye Field in honor of Capt. Samuel Kaye Jr., "a World War I flying ace." The name did not last long, however. On 27 March 1942, the War Department announced that the base name had been changed from Kaye Field to Columbus Army Flying School to avoid confusion with nearby

Key Field Meridian Regional Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airpo ...

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

, Mississippi. After several more name changes, the installation became

Columbus Air Force Base Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Columbus, Mississippi. The host unit at Columbus AFB is the 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW), which is a part of Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The residenti ...

on 24 June 1948. In 2007 the Auditorium at Columbus Air Force Base was named in Kaye’s honor and his uniform is displayed there.

Family

Kaye’s son, John M. (Jack) Kaye, was an Army Air Force fighter pilot in the Pacific during World War II.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaye, Samuel Kaye Kaye Kaye Kaye