George Augustus Vaughn , Jr . George Augustus Vaughn , Jr . ( May 20 , 1897 – July 31 , 1989 ) was an American fighter ace in World War I and Distinguished Service Cross , Britain ' s Distinguished Flying Cross , and Silver Star recipient . Vaughn was America ' s second - ranking Air Service ace to survive the war . Early life . Vaughn was born in Brooklyn and attended Adelphi Academy . Upon graduating in 1915 he entered Princeton University . While at Princeton Vaughn learned how to fly Curtiss Jenny biplanes . World War I . After some training with the RAF , and an interim post ferrying aircraft to France , Vaughn was posted in May 1918 to No . 84 Squadron RAF , based in Bertangles and commanded by Sholto Douglas . He was attached to " B " flight , led by Hugh " Dingbat " Saunders , flying the Royal Aircraft Factory S . E . 5 . Vaughn claimed seven air victories in his time with 84 Squadron . In August 1918 , Vaughn was transferred to the 17th Aero Squadron , United States Air Service , where he flew the Sopwith Camel , claiming another six victories . Vaughn was America ' s second - ranking Air Service ace to survive the war . He is credited with downing four German planes destroyed , seven shared destroyed , one kite balloon destroyed and one aircraft " out of control " . One of the German pilots he shot down was Friedrich T . Noltenius , a 21 - victory ace . 22 September 1918 . In November 1919 , Vaughn was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross by the Prince of Wales aboard H . M . S . " Renown " , anchored in New York harbor . Vaughn ' s memoirs were published in a book called : " War Flying in France " , edited and annotated by Marvin L . Skelton ( ISBN 9780891260820 ) . New York Air National Guard . Franklin Roosevelt , then Governor of New York , asked him in the early 1920s to help organize the New York Air National Guard , the 102nd Observation Squadron . He commanded that unit as a major for nine years . In 1933 , he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to the 27th Division Staff as Air Officer until he retired in 1939 . As an honor in a special program in 1986 , then New York Governor Mario Cuomo promoted him to brigadier general in the New York Air National Guard . Vaughn College . Vaughn and Lee D . Warrender joined with Casey Jones in founding the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics , the predecessor of the Academy of Aeronautics , and as of September 1986 , the College of Aeronautics . In September 2004 , the name was changed to the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology . Death and legacy . Vaughn died of a brain tumor while on Staten Island , on 31 July 1989 . He is buried in Rye , New York . Vaughn ' s military records , award certificate of military honors and uniform are now in the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs , N . Y . See also . List of World War I flying aces Citations . Distinguished Service Cross . " " The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to George Augustus Vaughn , First Lieutenant ( Air Service ) , U . S . Army , for extraordinary heroism in action near Cambrai , France , September 22 , 1918 . Lieutenant Vaughn while leading an offensive flight patrol sighted 18 enemy Fokkers about to attack a group of five allied planes flying at a low level . Although outnumbered nearly 5 to 1 , he attacked the enemy group , personally shot down two enemy planes , the remaining three planes of his group shooting down two more . His courage and daring enabled the group of allied planes to escape . Again on September 28 , 1918 , he alone attacked an enemy advance plane which was supported by seven Fokkers and shot the advance plane down in flames . " " Distinguished Flying Cross . " " For conspicuous bravery in attacking enemy aircraft . On 23 August 1918 , while on offensive patrol , he attacked an enemy kite balloon near Ham . Closing to almost point blank range , he fired upon it so that it burst into flames and was destroyed . Shortly afterwards , he observed an enemy two - seater near Maricourt . He attacked it , shooting it down from a height of 500 feet so that it was completely crashed . On 22 August , he drove to its destruction , an enemy two - seater near Villers Carbonnel . In all , he has accounted for six enemy aircraft , five machines destroyed and one driven down completely out of control , and one kite balloon . " "