World War I broke out on July 28, 1914. At first, airplanes were used only for reconnaissance, but it didn’t take long for the shooting to break out in the air. On August 25, two French aviators shot at and damaged a German plane, which managed to escape. In September, a Russian pilot destroyed an enemy airplane, but instead of shooting it down, he rammed it with his own plane. The crews of both planes were killed.
On this date in 1914, a French pilot and his gunner shot down a German plane, claiming what is recognized as the first official aerial combat victory. While North Dakotans avidly followed the war news in the newspapers, it seemed very far away. President Wilson was elected on his promise to keep the country out of the pending war, and it didn’t seem likely that the United States would become actively involved.
Not every North Dakotan thought staying out of the war was a good idea. John Donaldson was born in Fort Yates in 1897. He was the son of General Thomas Donaldson, a West Point graduate. John was attending Cornell University, and as the war raged in Europe, he felt increasingly uncomfortable sitting on the sidelines. Eventually, he could not justify staying out of the fight. In March 1917, he journeyed to Canada and joined the Royal Flying Corps.
When the United States entered the war in April 1917, John transferred to the American Air Service and was attached to the Royal Air Force. He shot down four German fighters and chased down three more, forcing them to crash. He was shot down and captured in September. He was injured during an escape attempt. He escaped again a few days later and successfully made it to Holland.
After the war, John took up stunt flying and airplane racing. On September 7, 1930, he was performing stunts when his plane suddenly went into a tailspin and crashed. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after arriving.
John is still remembered for his heroics in the air during World War I. He was awarded the United States Distinguished Service Cross, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre.
The Fargo Air Museum has a panel dedicated to John and his aviation career.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Military History Fandom. “John Donaldson.” https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/John_Donaldson_(aviator)Accessed 9/7/2026.
- Smithsonian Magazine. “The First Aerial Combat Victory.” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/first-aerial-combat-victory-180952933/Accessed 9/7/2026.
- Message from Max Sabin. Fargo Air Museum Collection Manager. 9/7/2026.
