Charles Gossage Grey Captain Charles Gossage Grey was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories . He remained in France after World War I . During World War II , he joined the Office of Strategic Services and served with the French Resistance . He continued in U . S . civil service until his retirement in 1961 . Early Life pre World War I . Charles Gossage Grey was born in Chicago , Illinois , on 20 June 1894 , the son of Charles Scott , and later adopted by his step father Walter C . Grey . He attended Columbia University , and subsequently was a journalist in Chicago with the Chicago Evening Post . World War I . In February 1917 he volunteered his services with the American Ambulance Field Services in France . and in June of that year enlisted into the French Foreign Legion obtaining his military flying license on September 29 , 1917 . He was then assigned to the Escadrille Spad 93 Lafayette Flying Corps as seargent where he remained until March 1918 . Promoted lieutenant , he was then commissioned into U . S . service and assigned to the 213th Pursuit Squadron on 1 August 1918 as Flight Commander of its third flight . Between 2 September and 3 November 1918 , he used his Spad XIII to score five aerial victories , becoming the squadron ' s only ace and winning the Distinguished Service Cross . He was promoted to captain on 6 November 1918 . Post World War I . Charles Grey remained in France after World War I , involved mostly in private business and banking . In 1935 he married Cornelia O ' Connor Wallace , born herself in Paris , France , the daughter of James Charles O ' Connor of Dallas , Texas , and Ivor Tate O ' Connor of Houston , Texas . Charles and Cornelia had two sons , James , born in 1936 , and Michael , in 1939 . World War II . At the outset of World War II , the Grey family remained in Paris . Charles and Cornelia with their long allegiance to France were extremely disappointed with the isolationist stance of the United States in the face of the Nazi invasion of Europe . Both immediately volunteered their services , Cornelia as a military ambulance driver on the battlefield in north eastern France during the German invasion of 1940 for which she was awarded the " Croix de Guerre " medal . She served in the " IPSA " corps and later recounted her war experiences in her diary " Farewell Beloved France " ( unpublished ) . Charles volunteered his service to MI - 6 , the British Secret Intelligence Service , under the code name of " L ' ange Bleu " , and was known as " The First Volunteer " . Activities included organizing the evacuation of SIS station in Paris , and it ' s commander " Biffy Dunderdale " and Sir Peter Smithers June 14 – 23 , 1940 , via Bordeaux . After the armistice , in late 1940 , the family moved to the United States by way of Spain and Portugal . In 1942 , Grey became an early member of the Office of Strategic Services , and was active in its X - 2 counter espionage division , based in Lisbon Portugal . He was also active in various capacities in Finland ( Red Cross ) , Poland , North Africa , and in France where he was a member of the F - 2 " Forces Françaises Combattantes " resistance network under code name " Gris " . His World War II service earned him a number of citations among which the " Légion d ' honneur " , the " Médaille de la Résistance Française . " , and the " Golden Cross of Merit " , ( Poland ) . Post World War II . On the heels of the liberation of Paris in 1944 , the Grey family returned to their home there . Charles Grey remained in U . S . diplomatic service in France , until his retirement in 1960 . Following his retirement , Charles Grey remained a resident of Paris for the rest of his life . . He returned to the United States periodically for family visits . On 20 February 1987 , he was struck by a car in Manalapan , Florida . He died of his injuries in JFK Hospital in Atlantis , Florida on 6 March 1987 , and was interred in Paris . Honors and awards . Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC ) The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles Gossage Grey , Captain ( Air Service ) , U . S . Army , for extraordinary heroism in action near Montmedy , France , November 4 , 1918 . While leading a patrol of three machines , Captain Grey observed a formation of our bombing planes hard pressed by 12 of the enemy . He attacked the leading enemy machine without hesitation , thereby attracting the enemy ' s fire and allowing the bombing machines to escape undamaged . ( General Orders No . 46 , W . D . , 1919 ) " " Médaille de la Résistance Française " " : " Agent de S . R . en territoire occupé par l ' énemi . A organisé par ses relations personnelles , l ' envoi régulier de rapports du Réseau F - 2 par la voie diplomatique . A rendu par ce fait des services importants au Réseau F - 2 . A hébergé , à son domicile , des agents compromis du Réseau malgré les risques considérables que cela comportait . A donné au Réseau des contacts et des renseignements de tout premier ordre . Ce résistant mérite bien d ' être décoré de la Médaille de la Résistance " .