Arthur Raymond Brooks - Early Life and World War I

Early Life and World War I

Brooks was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. He graduated as valedictorian from Framingham Academy and High School in Massachusetts in 1913 and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1917. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Officer Reserve Corps and attended the School of Military Aeronautics with the Royal Flying Corps in Canada from September to November 1917. Brooks then trained with the Texas 139th Squadron from November 1917 to February 1918. In March 1918, Brooks was transferred to France, where he flew the SPAD XIII C.1 Smith IV, which now resides in the aircraft collection of the National Air and Space Museum. While in France he became flight commander of the 22nd Aero Squadron. His combat actions earned him a recommendation for the Medal of Honor. The U.S. Army, upon review of the action awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross.

Ray Brooks was one of the pilots featured in the series Dogfights presented by The History Channel. Season 2, Episode 7 titled "The First Dogfighters" depicts Brooks' solo dogfight against eight German Fokker D.VII aircraft on September 14, 1918. During the aerial mêlée he shot down four Fokkers, though U.S. Army records only credited him with two. He was finally able to escape the last four pursuing enemy aircraft by using his superior diving speed.

Brooks is the subject of a 1963 book entitled Capt. Arthur Ray Brooks: America's quiet ace of W.W.I by Walter A Musciano. He is also the subject of the painting Last Victory by noted aviation artist Roy Grinnell.

Brooks returned to the United States in July 1919 and was stationed at Kelly Field, Texas, where he was promoted to Captain and assigned as the commander of the 1st Pursuit Group. He was subsequently assigned to the Air Service Field Officer's School, Langley Field, Virginia.

He resigned from the army and received an Honorable Discharge in December 1922.