Erwin R. Bleckley

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Erwin R. BLeckley
??- October 6, 1918
Place of birth	??Kansas
Place of death	KIA near Binarville, France
Allegiance	U.S. Army Air Corps
Years of service	1917-1918
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Unit	130th Field Artillery, 50th Aero Squadron, Air Service
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Medal of Honor

Erwin R. Bleckley was an U.S. Army Air Corps aviator killed in action on October 6, 1918. As the result of his heroic flight, he received post-humously the Medal of Honor. His citation reads as follows:

[edit] Citation to accompany the Award of the Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 130th Field Artillery, observer 50th Aero Squadron, Air Service. Place and date. Near Binarville, France, 6 October 1918. Entered service at: Wichita, Kans. Birth: Wichita, Kans. G.O. No.: 56, W.D., 1922. Citation: 2d Lt. Bleckley, with his pilot, 1st Lt. Harold E. Goettler, Air Service, left the airdrome late in the afternoon on their second trip to drop supplies to a battalion of the 77th Division, which had been cut off by the enemy in the Argonne Forest. Having been subjected on the first trip to violent fire from the enemy, they attempted on the second trip to come still lower in order to get the packages even more precisely on the designated spot. In the course of his mission the plane was brought down by enemy rifle and machinegun fire from the ground, resulting in fatal wounds to 2d Lt. Bleckley, who died before he could be taken to a hospital. In attempting and performing this mission 2d Lt. Bleckley showed the highest possible contempt of personal danger, devotion to duty, courage, and valor.