Arthur Easterbrook
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Arthur Edmund Easterbrook started his career as a World War I flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with five aerial victories. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he held several important positions in the U. S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...

.

Early life

Easterbrook came from a military family; his father was Major E. P. Easterbrook, of Fort Flagler, Washington.

World War I

Easterbrook enlisted on 17 August 1917. He served originally in 9 Squadron RAF as an observer in Royal Aircraft Factory FE.8s. He was reassigned to the American 1st Observation Squadron on 20 August 1918. Teamed with pilot William Portwood Ervin in a Salmson 2
Salmson 2
|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...

A2, Easterbrook scored his first aerial victory on 6 October 1918, a double victory on 8 October, and his fourth on 22 October 1918. On 4 November 1918, he became one of the war's last aces.

World War II

During World War II, Easterbrook served on the staff of General H. H. Arnold. Easterbrook later commanded the Air Force's Western Training Command, as well as Santa Ana Air Base in California. On 21 August 1946, he retired as a Brigadier General.

On 21 January 1950, he sustained serious injuries in a fall from an avocado tree. He was using a wheelchair and living in a Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...

facility until his death by heart failure on 24 July 1952.

Honors and awards citations

Distinguished Service Cross

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Arthur Edmund Easterbrook, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near St. Mihiel, France, September 12, 1918. Because of intense aerial activity on the opening day of the St. Mihiel offensive, Lieutenant Easterbrook, observer, and Second Lieutenant Ralph E. De Castro, pilot, volunteered to fly over the enemy's lines on a photographic mission without the usual protection of accompanying planes. Notwithstanding the low-hanging clouds, which necessitated operation at an altitude of only 400 meters, they penetrated 4 kilometers beyond the German lines. Attacked by four enemy machines, they fought off their foes, completed their photographic mission, and returned safely.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Arthur Edmund Easterbrook, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Exermont and Varennes, France, October 8, 1918. Lieutenant Easterbrook, with Lieutenant Erwin, pilot, successfully carried out a mission of locating our Infantry, despite five encounters with enemy planes. During these encounters he broke up a formation of three planes, sending one down out of control; killed or wounded an observer in an encounter with another formation; and sent a biplane crashing to the ground, besides driving away a formation of two planes and several single machines.
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