Peyton C. March Jr.

Peyton Conway March Jr. (31 December 1896 – 13 February 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.

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 12 February 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 13 February.[1]

The following month, on 11 March 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.[2]

He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

References

  1. ↑ 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 13 February 1918, Volume 45, Number 37, page 1.
  2. ↑ Armed Services Press, Welcome to March Air Force Base – 1971 Unofficial Guide and Directory, Riverside, California, 1971, page 3.
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