I came across this note on a webpage, after receiving a call from a fellow researching this man: "Arguably the first American casualty of the Second World War was Robert Short, of Tacoma, Washington, a former U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, working as a salesman for Boeing in China, who made several demonstration flights against Japanese aircraft in a Boeing Model 218 Fighter, scoring at least one kill, before being shot down by Japanese naval aviator Yoshiro Sakemago in an A1N2 off the carrier Kaga, near Soochow on February 22, 1932." The fellow mentioned that Robert Short's wife was named Elizabeth, and that they had a son. They were transported to China to attend Robert Short's funeral; there is also a memorial to him erected near Shanghai. So the question is, how to find out more information about his heirs. The fellow researching him wants to make sure Short is remembered for his heroism. Anna Hanson Here's another webpage with more of the story: http://www.talesofoldchina.com/tales/t-short.htm

Here is another site: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/4826/robertshort.htm I was in error before: Elizabeth Short was Robert's mother, not wife. Anna