Colin Kelly

Captain Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. was an American B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who flew bombing runs against the Japanese navy in the days immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is remembered as one of the first American heroes of World War II after ordering his crew to bail out of their damaged bomber while he remained at the controls to keep the plane stable before it exploded. His aircraft was the first American B-17 to be shot down in combat.

Following his death in action, Kelly became an iconic figure of American bravery. For his extraordinary heroism during his final mission, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, adding to his prior peacetime decorations which included the Distinguished Flying Cross and a posthumous Purple Heart. His sacrifice was widely publicized and inspired numerous civic memorials, artistic tributes, and patriotic songs during the war years.

His legacy endured long after the conflict, with numerous schools, streets, and monuments named in his honor across the United States. His son, Colin P. Kelly III, whom President Franklin D. Roosevelt had recommended for a future West Point appointment in a famous 1941 letter, later graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1963, cementing the family's distinguished history of military service.