Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrined 2012
Born in Durango, Mexico, Ralph O’Neill spent the years of his youth growing up in the Borderlands region of the American southwest and northern Mexico, including Nogales, Arizona. Following a year of study at Lehigh University and America’s entry into the First World War, O’Neill enlisted in the Army Signal Corps in June 1917. Attaining his wings at Everman Field at Ft. Worth, he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and assigned to the 147th Aero Squadron flying Nieuport 28 & SPAD 1 fighters. In July 1918, O’Neill downed as many as 6 German aircraft and was hailed as one of America’s first aces. By the war’s end, he had risen to the rank of 1st Lt., officially been credited with victories, flown 103 combat patrols and was thrice decorated for extraordinary heroism, receiving 3 Distinguished Service Crosses & the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
