December 16, 1936

Frank Tinker—who had graduated from Annapolis but was court-martialed and stripped of his commission as a naval officer following quarrels in Long Beach, California—left for Spain to join Republican forces fighting against the Nationalist forces led by Francisco Franco. He became distinguished as the top American ace as a mercenary pilot, being given credit for eight hits. His service in Spain was contrary to the United States’ non-interventionist policy, and he adopted the alias of Francisco Gomez Trejo for the time he served there. He returned to the United States in August 1937.