Benjamin Leider was the first American to be killed while fighting in the Spanish Civil War. He enlisted in the Spanish Loyalist air force in September 1936 and was assigned to the squadron at Alcala de Henares just north of Madrid. Leider died on February 19, 1937 at Madrid when his airplane was shot down during fighting. Leider was born in Russia in 1901 and moved to the United States with his family in 1904. He was a newspaper reporter and aerial photographer. This collection contains newspaper articles about a memorial service held in his honor, a letter from Benjamin to his brother, a pamphlet entitled Ben Leider, American Hero, and other personal documentation.
From the description of Benjamin Leider papers, 1923-1955. (New York University). WorldCat record id: 473387251
