Edmund Pike Graves Edmund Pike Graves ( March 13 , 1891 — November 22 , 1919 ) was an American aviator , United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer , the latter as a member of the Kościuszko Squadron . Early life . He was born in Newburyport , Massachusetts , United States , to Edmund Pike and Mary Warner ( Caldwell ) Graves . He graduated from Middlesex School in Concord , Massachusetts , Class of 1907 , and from Harvard University , Class of 1913 . Military career . World War I . On July 9 , 1917 he enlisted as a cadet in the Royal Flying Corps in Canada to avoid a delay in getting into a U . S . flying program . He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant , R . F . C . on October 29 , 1917 . Later he was assigned as an instructor in aerial gunnery at Camp Taliaferro , Hicks Field , Fort Worth , Texas . He was one of the first pilots to do elaborate stunts in a Curtiss . In early spring , 1918 , he was transferred to the Officers ' School of Special Flying at Armour Heights , North Toronto , where he was promoted to 1st lieutenant in May , 1918 . Poland . He was posted overseas and arrived in France on November 5 , 1918 . After being demobilized in July , 1919 , he volunteered for the Kościuszko Squadron for the new state of Poland and flew Albatross aircraft in patrols over the front in the Lwów area . He was considered an excellent pilot , but known for his risky flying . Merian C . Cooper , another American member of the Kosciuszko Squadron ( and later famous film director ) described him in his book as follows : . . . Lieutenant Graves took off into the sky . I remember it like it was yesterday . He accelerated the aircraft to an insane speed on the ground and then began to make a circle . Circling in this way he was making smaller and smaller circles until the lower wing of his plane was almost touching the ground . After finishing the circle he took off and made the most difficult and the best air show I have ever seen . Other members of the squadron pointed out his bravado and unnecessary risk associated with his airplane acrobatics , among them their commander , Cedric Fauntleroy . Merian Cooper himself wrote in his book , " He was undeniably the best pilot of us " . Death . On November 22 , 1919 , Lwów celebrated the first anniversary of its liberation from the Ukrainians . On this occasion , four pilots of the Kosciuszko Squadron participated in an air show . One of them was Edmund Graves . Unfortunately , while performing acrobatics over the city in an Albatros D . III ( OEF ) fighter , he had an accident : his aircraft lost its right wing during a double roll at . Merian Cooper described it as follows : Graves was circling over the city , showing off his aviatic art , but was circling too low . Being over Potocki Palace , at an altitude of two hundred feet , he performed so called “ doube barrel ” . This is one of the most difficult maneuvers acrobatic pilots do . Aircraft was too weak for such performances ; right wing of the airplane broke up and fell to the ground . Graves never lost his presence of mind in danger . In the blink of an eye he could still grab a parachute and jump out of the falling machine . However , he was too low - the parachute failed to open and unfortunate Graves fell on his head and was killed instantly . The funeral of Lieutenant Edmund Graves was held on November 24 , 1919 , with high honors by the Polish government . The funeral procession was attended by thousands of people . He is buried in Lwów in the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów ( a part of Lyczakowski Cemetery ) .