Zachary Lansdowne
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy

Zachary Lansdowne was born on 1 December 1888 in Greeneville, OH.

Lansdowne graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and went on to serve in World War I. Chosen by the Navy to go to England for training in the operation of dirigibles, he was the only American member of the crew that made the first successful non-stop flight from England to the U.S. on the British airship, "R-34." He received the Navy Cross for this historic journey.

He was a leading part of the effort in developing rigid airships for the Navy. In 1924 he was Commander of the USS Shenandoah. He was killed when, on a flight across Noble County, OH, the USS Shenandoah encountered bad weather and crashed, killing fourteen of the forty-three men on board.

Honors

The destroyer, the USS Lansdowne (DD-486), was named in his honor.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Commander Zachary Lansdowne was killed on 3 September 1925. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.