Allegiance United States Rank Lieutenant | Name Hilbert Bair Other work World War II | |
 | ||
Buried at Section CT2-D, Row 400, Site 423, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii Battles/wars World War I
World War II Awards American Distinguished Service Cross, British Distinguished Flying Cross Died November 24, 1985, Hawaii, United States Place of burial National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Service/branch Royal Air Force, United States Army Air Service Unit Royal Air Force, No. 24 Squadron RAF, United States Army Air Service, 25th Aero Squadron Similar People Francis B Wai, Barney F Hajiro, Stanley Armour Dunham, Joseph Sarnoski, Madelyn Dunham | ||
Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Hilbert Leigh Bair began his service career as a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
Bair joined the U.S. Army Air Service on 18 July 1917. He was forwarded to the Royal Air Force for seasoning, and was assigned to 24 Squadron on 5 July 1918. On 22 August, he shared his first win with fellow ace William Lambert and a couple of other pilots, driving a Fokker D.VII down out of control. Bair also shared one of his two 29 August victories with another pilot. The next day, Bair and Horace Barton cooperated in the destruction of an Albatros reconnaissance plane. Bair singlehandedly destroyed a Fokker D.VII on 8 September. A week later, for his last triumph, he again teamed with Barton in the destruction of a Hannover recon plane. In October, Bair transferred back to an American unit, the 25th Aero Squadron.
In World War II, Hilbert Bair returned to service in the U.S. Army Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.