1Lt Louis Bennett, Jr. (1894–1918) was an American aviator from Weston, West Virginia, who volunteered to serve with the Royal Air Force during World War I after the U.S. Army declined to accept his proposed West Virginia Flying Corps into military service. Assigned to No. 40 Squadron, RAF, Bennett flew the SE5a fighter on the Western Front and quickly earned a reputation as an exceptional "balloon buster," specializing in the destruction of heavily defended German observation balloons that were vital to enemy artillery operations. In an extraordinary nine-day combat career, he flew 25 sorties, shooting down nine German observation balloons and three enemy aircraft.

On 24 August 1918, after destroying his final two balloons, his aircraft was struck by German anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft crashed in flames, and although Bennett was pulled from the wreckage alive, he succumbed to severe burns later that day at the age of 23. The German military buried him with full military honors in recognition of his bravery. Although he was recommended posthumously for the Distinguished Flying Cross, the decoration was never awarded. Grieving the loss of her only son, Sallie Maxwell Bennett devoted much of her life to preserving his legacy. She financed the reconstruction of Saint Martin's Church in Wavrin, France, near the crash site, after it had been destroyed during the First World War. The church was later damaged again during World War II, and a monument honoring Bennett was subsequently erected in front of it. Today, his memory at Wavrin is commemorated by a simple plaque, while numerous other memorials—including monuments, stained glass, and public buildings in the United States and the United Kingdom—continue to honor his remarkable sacrifice and service.

Source of information: West Virginia University Libraries. West Virginia's Own World War I Flying Ace: Louis Bennett (1894–1918). https://news.lib.wvu.edu/2017/10/23/west-virginias-own-world-war-i-flying-ace-louis-bennett-1894-1918/