Pierre Roques
1856–1920 (age 64)
Biography
Pierre Roques was a visionary military engineer whose steady hand guided France through the birth of military aviation; as Minister of War and later the first head of the Army’s aerial service, he shaped a branch that would prove decisive for the Republic.
His tireless advocacy for pilots and the logistical networks that supported them helped define the role of air power in the Great War, and he now rests in the Vault of Governors as a reminder of that pioneering service.