Ralph Talbot Ralph Talbot ( January 6 , 1897 – October 25 , 1918 ) was the first United States Marine Corps aviator to receive the Medal of Honor — for " exceptionally meritorious service and extraordinary heroism " while attached to Squadron C , U . S . 1st Marine Aviation Force | 1st Marine Aviation Force , in France during World War I . Background . Talbot was born January 6 , 1897 at South Weymouth , Massachusetts and attended Weymouth High School . He was gifted both athletically and academically and entered Mercersburg Academy , Pennsylvania in the autumn of 1915 . A year later he entered Yale University . Whilst serving in the college ' s Artillery Training Corps , Talbot became interested in aviation and enrolled at the Dupont Flying School in Wilmington , Delaware . Early Military Service . Talbot enlisted in the United States Navy in October 1917 with the rank of Seaman 2nd Class . After ground training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and flying tuition in Florida , he became Naval Aviator No . 456 . At the time , the Marine Corps were having problems recruiting aviators . Along with a number of other navy pilots , Talbot therefore realised that he was more likely to achieve his ambition of being posted overseas if he joined the Marines . Having resigned from the navy , he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve on May 18 , 1918 . He arrived in Miami a week later to join the First Marine Aviation Force with Squadron C . On July 18 , 1918 , Talbot was part of the initial party which sailed from New York for active service as part of the US ' s involvement in World War I . Involvement in World War 1 . A participant in numerous raids into enemy territory , Second Lieutenant Talbot was attacked by nine " Luftstreitkräfte " enemy scouts while on such a raid over Belgium , October 8 , 1918 , and in the ensuing fight shot down one of his attackers . Six days later , while on a strike against an enemy ammunition depot at Pittem , he and another plane became detached from the formation due to motor trouble and were attacked by 12 enemy scouts . In the fight which followed , his plane shot down one of the enemy scouts before his observer , Gunnery Sergeant Robert G . Robinson , was shot and the gun jammed . Talbot maneuvered the DeHavilland to gain time while Robinson cleared the gun , then rejoined the battle . Robinson kept on firing until he collapsed from two more wounds . Talbot continued alone , shot down another enemy plane , then dived to escape the remaining Fokker D . VII fighters . Crossing the German trenches at 50 feet , he kept his ship with its failing motor in the air until he reached the nearest hospital where he landed , delivered Robinson to medical personnel and returned to his aerodrome . Second Lieutenant Talbot died on October 25 , 1918 , when his DH - 4 crashed on takeoff , during an engine test flight , at La Fresne aerodrome . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Second Lieutenant , U . S . Marine Corps . Born : January 6 , 1897 , South Weymouth , Mass . Appointed from : Connecticut . Citation : For exceptionally meritorious service and extraordinary heroism while attached to Squadron C , 1st Marine Aviation Force , in France . 2d Lt . Talbot participated in numerous air raids into enemy territory . On 8 October 1918 , while on such a raid , he was attacked by 9 enemy scouts , and in the fight that followed shot down an enemy plane . Also , on 14 October 1918 , while on a raid over Pittham , Belgium , 2d Lt . Talbot and another plane became detached from the formation on account of motor trouble and were attacked by 12 enemy scouts . During the severe fight that followed , his plane shot down 1 of the enemy scouts . His observer was shot through the elbow and his gun jammed . 2d Lt . Talbot maneuvered to gain time for his observer to clear the jam with one hand , and then returned to the fight . The observer fought until shot twice , once in the stomach and once in the hip and then collapsed , 2d Lt . Talbot attacked the nearest enemy scout with his front guns and shot him down . With his observer unconscious and his motor failing , he dived to escape the balance of the enemy and crossed the German trenches at an altitude of 50 feet , landing at the nearest hospital to leave his observer , and then returning to his aerodrome .