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History

On September 4, 1913, First Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, 11th Cavalry was killed in a Type C Wright pusher bi-plane at North Island, San Diego, California, practicing for his Military Aviator Test. He had been under the instruction of Lt. Frank P. Lahm in the Philippines in the Spring of 1912. Lt. Love was born on September 16, 1879 in Fairfax, Va. He was appointed to the Army from civil life and received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant on December 1, 1910.

He was promoted to First Lieutenant, 7th Cavalry on December 1, 1910 and ordered to the Philippines in early 1911. There he received verbal authority to take flying instructions from Lt. Lahm. Lt. Love then returned to the United States and was assigned to the 11th Cavalry. In April 1913, he was detailed for aviation duty with the Signal Corps and ordered to Texas City, Texas with the 1st Aero Squadron. He was relieved of this post in June and ordered to San Diego for duty with the Signal Corps Aviation School. On September 4, 1913, Lt. Love was killed in an airplane crash in San Diego.

He was the eighth aviation officer to be killed and the 10th fatality in Army aviation. Love Field was named by the United States Army on October 19, 1917, in honor of Lieutenant Moss Lee Love.

Love Field Chronology