Lieutenant William Thomas Ponder was a World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 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 six aerial victories.

World War I

Ponder joined the French air service in the fall of 1917. He was originally assigned to Escadrille 67, then Escadrille 163. While with this unit, he used a Spad

Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés

SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...

 to down three German planes between 28 May and 11 August 1918; one of these victories was shared with Thomas Cassady

Thomas Cassady

Captain Thomas Gantz Cassady was a patriot who served his nation in two World Wars, and was successful in business during peacetime.-World War I:...

. Ponder then transferred to an American unit, the 103rd Aero Squadron, and scored three more times in the month of October; one of these was shared with Frank O'Driscoll Hunter.

Between the World Wars

Ponder got caught flying beer in from Mexico into Texas in May 1932, in violation of prohibition.

World War II and beyond

Ponder worked for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation in Fort Worth. He then founded the Ponder Aircraft Sales Company. He was on a sales trip for his company when he died of a heart attack in a hotel room in Amarillo on 27 February 1947.

Reference

American Aces of World War 1 Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, 9781841763750.
----

External links