Captain Oren John Rose, usually referred to as O. J. Rose (23 March 1892 – 21 June 1971) was a World War I
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 ...
credited with 16 aerial victories.
World War I
Rose joined the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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in 1917. He went to France, and was assigned to 92 Squadron.
[ Flying one of four different ]RAF SE.5a
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...
s, he tallied up his victories between 30 July and 4 November 1918, becoming the top scoring ace of No. 92 Squadron RAF.
He tallied 14 enemy airplanes destroyed, including one shared with James Victor Gascoyne, and two "driven down out of control".[
]
After World War I
In 1919, Rose fought in the Russian Civil War
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He returned to the US and went into business, becoming a car dealer in Marysville, Ohio.
During World War II, Rose joined the U.S. Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
as an operations and training officer in Kentucky.[ He moved on to a squadron command in Louisiana during 1943 and 1944. By the time he was discharged in 1946, Rose had become commander of the Aircraft Assignment Base at ]Wright Field
Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. Lo ...
.
He returned to his auto business, from which he retired in the 1960s.[
]
Honors and awards
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Lieut. Oren John Rose. (FRANCE)
A very gallant officer who has accounted for nine enemy aeroplanes. On 29 September he observed an enemy scout attacking some of our machines; engaging it, he drove it down from 15,000 feet to 6,000 feet, when it fell in flames. On his return journey he attacked and destroyed an enemy two-seater.
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Bar
Lt (A./Capt.) Oren John Rose, D.F.C. (FRANCE)
A brilliant and fearless leader who, since 9 October, has destroyed seven enemy aeroplanes. His personal example of skill and determination in aerial combats and in attacking troops and transport on the ground is of the greatest value in maintaining the high standard of efficiency in his squadron.
See also
* List of World War I flying aces from the United States
The following is a list of flying aces from the United States of America who served in World War I
Overview
Even before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, many Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Great B ...
References
Bibliography
* ''SE 5/5a Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2007. , 9781846031809.
* ''American Aces of World War 1'' Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , .
1892 births
1971 deaths
American World War I flying aces
Aviators from Missouri
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