Allegiance United States Unit 147th Aero Squadron Books A Dream of Eagles | Battles and wars World War I Rank Lieutenant | |
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Nickname(s) Rodolfo O'Neill, while in Mexico. Born December 7, 1896
Durango, Durango, Mexico ( 1896-12-07 ) Service/branch Air Service, United States Army Battles/wars World War I
Adolfo de la Huerta's rebellion (Mexico). Awards Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and French Croix de Guerre. Died 23 October 1980, Redwood City, California, United States Other name Rodolfo O'Neill, while in Mexico. | ||
Ralph Ambrose O'Neill (December 7, 1896 - October 23, 1980) was a flying ace from World War I credited with five aerial victories.
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Biography
O'Neill was born in Durango, Durango, Mexico on 17 December 1896 to an American father and a Mexican mother. He was raised in the United States and entered the United States Air Service in August 1917. In March 1918, he was assigned to the 147th Aero Squadron, flying the Nieuport 28 and the SPAD S.XIII. From 2 July to 31 October 1918, teaming with such squadron mates as Kenneth Porter, James Meissner, Francis Simonds, and James Healy, he shot down five German airplanes. He won a Distinguished Service Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Croix de Guerre with palm in the process.
After the war, he returned to the United States and left the U.S. Air Service on February 19, 1919.
In August 1920, he signed a five-year contract to set up a functional Mexican Air Force and train Mexican pilots, as Mexico was undergoing numerous rebellions and coups. In 1923, he flew several combat missions against Adolfo de la Huerta's rebellion. He left Mexico in December 1925 with the rank of general, and began a career in civil aviation. He founded the New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line, flying the first airmail from Argentina to Miami in a Sikorsky S-38.