serviceyears branch death_date death_place birth_name birth_place allegiance unit awards article_title battles birth_date placeofburial nickname rank image spouse name
1938 -- 1942 united states navy 24 march 1942 chiang mai , thailand john van kuren newkirk new york city united states uss yorktown -lrb- cv-5 -rrb- distinguished flying cross -lrb- usa -rrb- -lrb- posthumous -rrb- jack newkirk
 world war ii china burma india theater 15 october 1913 st. james the less church scarsdale , ny scarsdale jack lieutenant jvnewkirk-thumb . jpg virginia jane dunham john v. newkirk
jack newkirk

john van kuren `` scarsdale jack '' newkirk -lrb- 15 october 1913 -- 24 march 1942 -rrb- was a united states naval aviator and squadron leader with the 1st american volunteer group -lrb- avg -rrb- , also known as the flying tigers , who may have led the first american offensive mission of world war ii .
most of his combat experience was during the defense of rangoon , burma , from japanese air attacks .
after the fall of rangoon , his unit was operating from within china when he set off on his final mission , as part of an attack on japanese airfields in thailand .
