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This is a standard issue M1912/1917 United States Army Air Service uniform coat worn by Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson (1897-1919). Lt. Patterson was the son of Frank J. Patterson the founder of the National Cash Register Company. He attended Yale University and graduated "in absentia" in the spring of 1918 because he enlisted in the Army earlier in May 1917. Commissioned that September as a first lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps with a pilot's aeronautical rating. Lieutenant Patterson was assigned to the 137th Aero Squadron as a test pilot at Wright Field the in May 1918. On June 19, 1918, Lt. Patterson and his observer, Lt. LeRoy Amos Swan, went on a flight to test newly installed machine guns synchronizers on a DH-4. They completed two trials successfully, but during a steep dive on the third test the airplane's wings collapsed and the aircraft crashed, killing both crewmen.

Citizens of the Dayton, Ohio believed that part of the local air base should honor the Patterson family for their leadership in keeping the engineering center in Dayton. On July 1, 1931, a portion of Wright Field eastt of Huffman Dam was redesignated "Patterson Field" in honor of Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson. The facility was later designated as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Uniforms: Military Owner Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson
 Physical Description United States Army Air Service (USAAS) wings from a Type M1912/1917 officer's uniform coat Dimensions 3-D: 7 x 1.6 x 0.6cm (2 3/4 x 5/8 x 1/4 in.)
 Materials Overall: Silver or silver-plated
 Inventory Number A19810135001 Credit Line Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Patterson Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.