Harry Henry Shepherd – Captain, United States Marine Corps

The Pointer
Friday, December 4, 1925
Riverdale, Illinois

Planes Collide at 500 Feet over San Diego.

Planes being flown at a height of 500 feet by Captain Harry H. Shepherd and Lieutenant John D. Christian, attached to the Marine Corps Air Squad, collided and both flyers were killed.

TWO KILLED IN AIR CRASH
Marine Aviators’ Planes Are in Collision Over San Diego Bay

SAN DIEGO, California, December 3, 1925 – Captain Harry H. Shepherd and Lieuenant John D. Christian, airmen attached to Marine Aviation Squadron Number One, were killed today when their planes crashed together at a height of 3,000 feet over San Diego Bay.

Both men were in Voight single-seater planes and were engaging in combat flying.  Captain Shepherd is was reported, tried to cross over Lieutenant Christian’s plane in an effort to gain an advantagous position and apparently misjudged the distance.

The planes were flying at a speed of about 120 miles per hour.  Tumbling end over end, they fell into the bay.  Rescuers recovered the body of Lieutenant Christian, but that of Captain Shepherd has not yet been found.

SHEPHERD, HARRY HENRY
CAPT USMC

• DATE OF DEATH: 12/02/1925
• BURIED AT: SECTION D  SITE 3004
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard