Samuel M. Lunt

Samuel Milhollen Lunt (June 4, 1895 – August 1, 1922 ) served in World War I on the 96th Aero Squadron of the US Army as an Observer and received a citation for his "gallantry in action." He continued to serve in the US army aviation unit, getting recommissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in 1920, until his death on August 1, 1922, in San Antonio, Texas at Kelly Air Field.

Early life

   Samuel Milhollen Lunt was born to John D.H. Lunt and Lucy Lee Milhollen Lunt on June 4, 1895, in Alexandria, Virginia and lived in Alexandria, Virginia. His father passed away while Samuel was a child on May 4, 1905, after suffering an illness. Samuel studied at the Potomac Academy and then attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia for college, graduating in 1916.  He married Caroline Victoria Emerson with local Virginia newspapers from June 1916 reporting their wedding (a surprise to their families) as January 21, 1916, while he listed the date as December 1915 in New York in a questionnaire about his World War I experience. Prior to entering the army, he worked as a draftsman at S.S.E. Company and lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Role and participation in World War I

Samuel Milhollen Lunt voluntarily enlisted at Fort Meyer, Virginia in the Army Reserve Corps in its Aviation section on July 19, 2017, as a Private 1st class. At that time, the Aviation Section was under the Signal Corps branch of the US Army. The United States army had only begun to explore the use of airplanes in warfare over the last decade since 1907. Lunt was assigned to the 5th Cadet Detachment in Mineola, Long Island. From August 1 to October 17, 1917, he underwent ground training for the army at Ground School at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and then was dispatched to Europe on October 27, 2017. In France, he underwent further training at the 1st Corp School in Gondrecourt and Observer School, the 2nd Aviation Instruction Center (AIC) in Tours, 7th AIC at Clermont-Ferrand, and the 3rd AIC in Issodoun, and attended Bombardment School on May 27, 1918. He was promoted from a cadet in Cadet Observer Detachment to 1st Lieutenant in the 96th Aero Squadron on May 13, 2018.

The 96th Aero Squadron was assigned to the First Army, a field army formed on August 10, 1918, as part of the American Expeditionary Force. The First Army fought in a sector which included St. Mihiel and areas north of it. As part of the 96th Aero Squadron, a day bombardment squad, Lieutenant Lunt participated as an Observer in the lead plane in multiple raids, including bombings in August and early September,1918 on Conflans, Dommary, and Longuyon. As part of the St. Mihiel offensive, he participated as the lead Observer in the bombings of the town of Buxerulles on September 12, 1918, Conflans and later Vittonville and Arnaville on September 14, 1918, Longuyon on September 15, 1918, and Conflans again on September 16, 1918. The offensive to reduce the St. Mihiel salient was notable as "the first All-American large-scale operation" in World War I. He also participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He was in an airplane accident in Amaty, France and recovered at Base Hospital #18 in late September 1918. He continued to serve overseas and returned to the United States in May 1919. His Military Record shows credit for two planes along with "Assisted in bringing down seven enemy airplanes."

   On January 19, 1922, he was given a Silver Star citation in General Orders, No. 3 “for gallantry in action” for a raid over Conflans, “serving as leading observer,” he made a “perfect hit on the railroad yard and nearby munitions dump.” The citation went on to state that despite being at “precariously low altitude and exposed to the most accurate antiaircraft batteries in the sector, he stayed with his bomb-dropping sight until he had launched the bombs and then opened fire upon the attacking planes.” He was also cited to be awarded a Croix de Guerre.

Post-WWI

Upon returning to America on March 3, 1919, after serving overseas during World War I, he was assigned to Middletown, PA and then transferred to Post Field at Fort Sill in Oklahoma on May 8, 1920, where he graduated from Air Service Communications School in 1921. He was discharged from the Reserve Army and entered the army in permanent establishment, accepting a re-commission as a First Lieutenant in September 1920, with rank dating back to July 1920. In March 1921, he was at Carlstrom Field, and then in September 1921, he was transferred to Kelly Air Field in Texas for Advanced Bombardment Training. After more training at Ellington Field for advanced Pursuit, he was stationed back at Kelly Air Field in June 1922.

Death

Lieutenant Lunt was killed on August 1, 1922, in an airplane accident at Kelly Air Field in San Antonio, Texas when his aircraft dropped 150 feet. He was considered killed in the line of duty and was buried at Arlington Cemetery (Section 3, Grave 4605) on August 5, 1922.