Francis "Frank" Edward Ormsbee Jr. was born on April 30, 1892 in Providence, Rhode Island to Francis Sr. and Sarah Jane Griffiths. His father supported the family at his birth as a coachman, but would change jobs throughout his life. With World War I still raging, young Frank went down to the recruiting station and enlisted in the US Navy in his hometown in 1917. After basic training in Newport, he volunteered for flight training and was sent to NAS, Pensacola. On September 25, 1918, he was in an aircraft piloted by his instructor Ensign John Auguste Jova. Suddenly, they saw a nearby plane go into a tail spin and crash into the water (most likely Pensacola Bay). They landed their float plane next to the wreck and Frank immediately dove in and swam to the downed plane's gunner. He was able to partially pull the man out enough to keep his head above water and prevent his drowning. A rescue boat quickly arrived to assist and Ormsbee then attempted to pull the pilot out as well, but to no avail.
Because of his bravery and risk to his own life, Frank was awarded the Navy Cross. This medal was later upgraded to America's highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor. With the end of World War I in November 1918, Frank returned to his duties as an aviation cadet. However, in August 1919, he received the horrible news that his brother, US Army Lt. Harry Selfridge Ormsbee had been killed in a plane crash in McComb County, Michigan. After the burial of his brother, Frank eventually obtained his own wings in 1920 and became Naval Aviation Number "NAP-25." He was discharged from the Navy in 1929 and took up civilian flying in various positions. One of his jobs was that of a mail carrier in the longest airmail flight in the world, Miami, Florida to Santiago, Chile.
In 1935, he took a an administrative position with the Bureau of Commerce. The following year, Frank was attempting to land his Curtiss Air Sedan on Saturday, October 24, 1936, to wait out some bad weather. Due to the poor weather conditions, he crashed into a mountain north of Woodford, Oklahoma. His body was recovered and buried in the St. Francis Cemetery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island next to his brother Harry. The next year his former Naval instructor LTJG John A. Jova was killed in a car wreck on January 3, 1937 and was buried in Newburgh, New York.
Navy Times article 1955
Curtiss Model N Type Aircraft Used by Frank and Jova
Chief Francis Edward Ormsbee Jr. (1892-1936)
Curtiss Air Sedan Similar to Frank's Aircraft
Medal of Honor Winner Chief Machinists
Mate Francis "Frank" Edward Ormsbee