Donald Hudson (aviator)
Donald Hudson | |
|---|---|
Air Service, United States Army | |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | 27th Aero Squadron |
| Battles/wars |  World War I |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
| Other work | Record setting aviation pioneer in South America |
Lieutenant Donald Hudson (21 December 1895 – 11 June 1967) was an American
Early life
Donald Hudson was born on 21 December 1895 in
World War I service
Hudson served with the
South American aviation pioneer
Postwar, Hudson became an instructor with the
The President of Bolivia,
Hudson began a series of record-setting flights; for instance, his use of the Wasp made him the only triplane pilot in South American history. On 17 April 1920, he took off from El Alto near La Paz and flew across the Andes for the mountain chain's first aerial crossing. Another flight took him to Lake Titicaca and set a South American altitude record of 8,294 meters (27, 211 feet) above sea level. Another high level flight like that, on 19 May, resulted in Hudson landing the Wasp with a mechanic passenger rendered unconscious by cold and the altitude.[6]
On a flight between
Later life
On 11 June 1967, at Fort Meade, Maryland, Donald Hudson succumbed to the aftereffects of a stroke.[4] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.[1]
Legacy
A monument to Hudson's pioneering flight across the Andes was erected in La Paz, Bolivia.[4]
Military honors and awards
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Donald Hudson, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Fere-en-Tardenois, France, August 1, 1918. A protection patrol of which Lieutenant Hudson was a member was attacked by a large formation of enemy planes. First Lieutenant Hudson was separated from the formation and forced to a low altitude by four enemy planes (Fokker type). He shot down one, drove off the other three, and started to our lines with a damaged machine, but was attacked by two planes. He shot down both of these planes and, by great perseverance and determination, succeeded in reaching our lines.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b The Aerodrome website [1] Retrieved on 24 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d American Aces of World War I. p. 70–71.
- ^ Conquistadors of the Sky: A History of Aviation in Latin America. p. 139–140; 156–157.
- ^ a b c d Over The Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918, p. 45.
- ^ Conquistadors of the Sky: A History of Aviation in Latin America. p. 139–140; 156.
- ^ a b Conquistadors of the Sky: A History of Aviation in Latin America. p. 156–157.
- ^ "General Orders No. 46, W.D., 1919". theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
Bibliography
- American Aces of World War I. ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0.
- Conquistadors of the Sky: A History of Aviation in Latin America. Dan Hagedorn. University Press of Florida, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8130-3249-8.
- Over The Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918 . Norman Franks, Frank Bailey. Grub Street Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-0948817540