Help finding a family WWI pilot

[Flench]

My mother's father was a WWI pilot but the family has no info on him . Was told somewhere down the line his records burned up in the court house . Was told there was a pic of him in the Memphis paper of him standing in front of his plane . Wounder how I find it ? His name was Martin S Thomas Jr . No one knows or has a pic of him .

EDIT: He died when mother was five . I was told when he got out of service he drinked himself to a early grave .

[Badger85]

I did a few quick Google searches. The father of this Thomas S. Martin, Jr. didn't happen to be the Senator Thomas Staples Martin? This article ( http://scottsvillemuseum.com/portraits/homeTSM004.html ) mentions that the elder had a son, Thomas Staples Martin, Jr.

Edit: Disregard the above post. I just realized that the first/last names are all wrong with the guy I found. Oh Google... 

[Jack16]

Do you happen to know a year of birth/death and location in which he lived?

[earl1937]

My mother's father was a WWI pilot but the family has no info on him . Was told somewhere down the line his records burned up in the court house . Was told there was a pic of him in the Memphis paper of him standing in front of his plane . Wounder how I find it ? His name was Martin S Thomas Jr . No one knows or has a pic of him .

EDIT: He died when mother was five . I was told when he got out of service he drinked himself to a early grave .

  Call Military Historical records in St. Louis, Mo. and if he was in the military of the United States, anytime from 1861 till present day, they will be able to help you. Not sure of phone number, but if you goggle it, you can get it. You might have to fill out some sort of form as a family member, but it shouldn't be a big deal to find out more info on him.

[Flench]

Do you happen to know a year of birth/death and location in which he lived?

They were lost in a fire

earl1937 , I well try that . Thanks for the help . My mother tried to trace him back but was stopped when we were told his records burned up in the court house .

What year's did WWI run . I know I could look it up but you guy's probable know on the top of your head .

[Jack16]

Maybe?

[Flench]

WOW , That's It . I can not believe this . This is GREAT !!! Thank you so very much Jack16 . My people be trying to find this for many many year's . Thank you again .
Mother is 83 and the last of that family

[Delirium]

Just when I get tired of the AH community, one of you guys really come out of the woodwork and help redeem it.

Great stuff! 

[Flench]

Blew me away Delirium . You don't know how long we been looking for this and I get back to my PC and first thing I pull up is Jack16 has done found it .

EDIT: Look's like he was better pilot than I am ,  he seemed to made it through , lol . Now I GOT to find out more .

Now I got to try and find that pic of him in the Memphis paper .With him standing in front of the plane .

[Delirium]

Which paper?

[Flench]

Out of Memphis TN . All my people had that was lost in a fire was a pic of him in that paper with him standing in front of the plane . With the plane number on the tail .

[Flench]

ok , just found out it was the Commercial appeal out of Memphis TN .

[Stampf]

Just when I get tired of the AH community, one of you guys really come out of the woodwork and help redeem it.

Great stuff! 

Werd up.

I tried hard to help Flench...too no avail.

Well done!

[Flench]

Thank you Stampf <S> .

[MiloMorai]

35 Squadron (Wiki)

The unit came into existence when a group of aviation pioneers, eager to prove the value of air power in World War I, formed the 36th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas, in June 1917. First Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, was one of the squadron's first commanders, assuming command later that year. While the new squadron did not see combat as a unit when it moved to France, several of its members did while flying for other squadrons