Paul W. Beck
| Paul Ward Beck | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 1, 1876 Fort McKavett, Texas, U.S.A. |
| Died | April 4, 1922 (aged 45) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.A. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |
 Air Service, United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1899—1922 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Commands held | Commandant, A.S. Observation School, Henry Post Field, Oklahoma |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Infantry, United States Army
Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps
Paul Ward Beck (1 December 1876 – 4 April 1922) was an officer in the United States Army, an aviation pioneer, and one of the first military pilots. Although a career Infantry officer, Beck twice was part of the first aviation services of the U.S. Army, as de facto head of the flying section of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps in 1911 and as a senior officer of the Air Service in 1920–1922. He is generally credited as being the first military officer to advocate an air force for the United States separate from the control of other branches of the Army.
The son of a cavalry officer, Beck developed an interest in aviation while detached to service with the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Benicia, California, in 1908–1910, attending several air meets. He was one of four students in the first class of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy pilot trainees taught by Glen Curtiss beginning January 1911, and commanded the "provisional aero company" at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. On 1 May 1912, he returned to the Infantry in compliance with an army regulation.
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