Harold Melville Clark (1890 - 1919)

Born 4 Oct 1890 in St. Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Ancestors

Died 2 May 1919 at age 28 in Miraflores, Panama Canal Zone, United States

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Biography

Harold was an Aviator

Harold Clark is Notable.

Harold was born in 1890 in St. Paul, Minnesota.^[1] He was the son of Charles Asa Clark.^{[2] [3]} He passed away in 1919 in a seaplane crash in Panama.

Harold Clark was a pioneer aviator. He began his career in aviation being commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry Division in 1913, transferred to the Army Signal Corps' aviation section in 1916 and received his wings in 1917. He was assigned to the 6th Aero Squadron at Fort Kamehameha, Oahu Hawaii. On March 15, 1918, he flew to Molokai and back, which was the first round trip inter-island flight ever made in the Hawaiian Islands. His next feat was try a three-island flight. Agreeing to take the mail, on May 9, 1918, Clark and mechanic Sergeant Robert Gray took off from Fort Kamehameha Oahu and flew to Maui. After landing in Maui, they continued onto the island of Hawaii, but encountered fog and darkness over the island, and crashed in the jungle near Hilo. Two days after the crash, Clark and Gray emerged from the Hawaiian jungle unhurt. Clark delivered the letters, received an enormous welcome from the island's residents and was the first airman to fly the mail in the Hawaiian Islands. Upon his return to the United States, he served at various air fields before being promoted Major and executive officer with the Aviation Section in Panama.

He died in a seaplane crash in the Mira Flores Locks, Panama Canal Zone. Clark AFB in the Philippine Islands was named after him. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Clark AFB was originally called Fort Stotsenberg. The Army used this installation as a cavalry post following the Spanish American War. During World War II, this base was pivotal in the Army Air Force’s effort to win the air war against Japan. Following the end of World War II and creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, Fort Stotsensberg was renamed Clark Air Base. The base was severely damaged by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. The US turned over possession of Clark Air Base to the Republic of the Philippines November 26, 1991. Clark Air Base is now an international airport serving the Philippines. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "Minnesota Births and Christenings, 1840-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDST-D5K : 4 December 2014), Clark, 04 Oct 1890; citing Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,309,123.
2. ↑ "Minnesota State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ6G-45T : 3 April 2016), Harold M Clark in household of Chas A Clark, St. Paul city, Ward 09, Ramsey, Minnesota; citing p. 11, line 14, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,802.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M93V-SJ5 : accessed 8 March 2018), Harold M Clark in household of Charles A Clark, Election Districts 2 & 12 (incl. Salvation Army Rescue Home) St. Paul city Ward 9, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 139, sheet 7A, family 114, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,786.
4. ↑ Harold Melville Clark on Find A Grave: Memorial #4792 retrieved October 30, 2017
5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Harold M. Clark," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_M._Clark (accessed October 30, 2017).
6. ↑ Patterson, Michael Robert. "Harold Melville Clark: Major, United States Army Air Service."
7. ↑ http://imagesofoldhawaii.com/harold-melville-clark/

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