Peyton C. March Jr.

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Peyton Conway March Jr. (December 31, 1896 – February 13, 1918) was an American soldier and pioneer aviator.

Biography[]

He was the son of Peyton C. March and Josephine Smith Cunningham and was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where his father was stationed.

He attended Lafayette College, Easton, PA, where his grandfather, Francis March a professor.[1] March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in the United States or Europe.

In 1917, March enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Signal Corps Aviation Section. He trained in Toronto, Ontario and Austin, Texas.

In 1918, March was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Corps after completing flying tests and gunnery instruction.

On February 12, 1918, he was seriously injured in an airplane accident at Hicks Field, near Fort Worth, Texas, and died of his injuries in the base hospital on February 13, age 21.[2]

The following month, on March 11, 1918, March Field (later March Air Force Base, now March Joint Air Reserve Base), located ten miles southeast of Riverside, California, was named in his honor.[3]

He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

References[]

  1. ^ Schlueter, June (1990). "Francis A. March First Professor of English". Shakespeare Bulletin. 8 (1): 5–6. JSTOR 26353473.
  2. ^ Wire service, "Two Killed Result Of Aircraft Falling - About Forty Aviators At Training Fields Have So Far Met Death", San Bernardino News, San Bernardino, California, Wednesday February 13, 1918, Volume 45, Number 37, page 1.
  3. ^ Armed Services Press, Welcome to March Air Force Base – 1971 Unofficial Guide and Directory, Riverside, California, 1971, page 3.

External links[]

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