List of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing commanders


The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Activated in 1941, the wing has seen heavy combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Commanding generals

#PictureNameRankStartEndNotabilityRef
1WoodsLouis E. WoodsO-04 Lieutenant colonelVeteran Guadalcanal Campaign, veteran Okinawa Campaign, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2GeigerRoy S. GeigerO-04 ColonelNavy Cross; commanding general Fleet Marine Force, Pacific
3MitchellRalph J. MitchellO-04 Major generalNavy and Army Distinguished Service Medals; director of Marine Corps Aviation 1939-1943; Distinguished Flying Cross from Nicaraguan Campaign.
4MooreJames T. MooreO-04 Major generalArmy Distinguished Service Medals, Legion of Merit; commanded also 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
5MitchellRalph J. MitchellO-04 Major generalNavy and Army Distinguished Service Medals; director of Marine Corps Aviation 1939-1943; Distinguished Flying Cross from Nicaraguan Campaign.
6MajorHarold C. Major O-04 ColonelLegion of Merit
7MerrittLewie G. MerrittO-04 Brigadier generalWorld War I veteran; director, South Carolina Legislative Council; Citadel alumnus; Merritt Field as MCAS Beaufort is named after him
8LarkinClaude A. LarkinO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; MAG-21 Commanding Officer at Ewa Field during Pearl Harbor attack
9WoodsLouis E. WoodsO-04 Major generalVeteran Guadalcanal Campaign, veteran Okinawa Campaign, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
10SandersonLawson H. M. SandersonO-04 Brigadier generalAviation pioneer, veteran Guadalcanal Campaign, as commanding officer of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Sanderson accepted the Japanese surrender of Wake Island in 1945.-
11McKittrickWilliam L. McKittrickO-04 Brigadier generalVeteran Bougainville Campaign and Battle of Saipan; two awards of Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
12WoodsLouis E. WoodsO-04 Major generalVeteran Guadalcanal Campaign, veteran Okinawa Campaign, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
13HarrisField HarrisO-04 Major generalGraduate U.S. Naval Academy; Lieutenant general; Navy and Army Distinguished Service Medals
14SchiltThomas J. Cushman O-04 Brigadier generalLieutenant general; commanding general, 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
15SchiltChristian F. SchiltO-04 Major generalMedal of Honor; General; Veteran World War I, United States occupation of Haiti, United States occupation of Nicaragua, and World War II
16JeromeClayton C. JeromeO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
17MegeeVernon E. MegeeO-04 Major generalAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Veteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general Fleet Marine Force Pacific; Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
18CooleyAlbert D. CooleyO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; Navy Cross, Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal
19McCaulVerne J. McCaulO-04 Major generalAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Veteran World War II and Korean War;
20DawsonMarion L. DawsonO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II and Korean War; Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy;
21JackSamuel S. JackO-04 Major generalVeteran Nicaraguan Campaign, World War II and Korean War; Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Recipient of the Navy Cross
22O'NeillDavid F. O'NeillO-04 Brigadier generalVeteran of World War II and Korean War; Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Recipient of the two Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal and three Air Medals
23BinneyArthur F. BinneyO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing; graduate U.S. Naval Academy in 1928;
24HayesCharles H. HayesO-04 Brigadier generalAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Veteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; graduate U.S. Naval Academy in 1930;
25RobertsCarson A. RobertsO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; Distinguished Flying Cross; Lieutenant general
26MangrumRichard C. MangrumO-04 Major generalAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Veteran World War II and Korean War; Navy Cross; commanding general 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
27KierAvery R. KierO-04 Brigadier generalVeteran World War II and Korean War; Navy Cross; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
28CondonJohn P. CondonO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II and Korean War; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; graduate U.S. Naval Academy in 1934;
29LeekFrederick E. LeekO-04 Brigadier generalCommanding general, 1st Marine Division June–July 1961; Assistance Division Commander, 1st Marine Division 1961-1962
30TharinFrank C. TharinO-04 Major generalA veteran of Battle of Wake Island;Prisoner of War from December 1941 to September 1945; Navy Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross; Legion of Merit; Purple Heart
31FontanaPaul J. FontanaO-04 Major generalFlying ace with 5 aerial victories; Navy Cross; Distinguished Flying Cross
32McCutcheonKeith B. McCutcheonO-04 Brigadier generalGeneral; Distinguished Flying Cross; Army Silver Star Medal; Commanding Officer Marine Helicopter Squadron One ; commanding general, III Marine Amphibious Force; McCutcheon Field at MCAS New River, North Carolina is named in his honor.
33RobershawLouis RobertshawO-04 Major generalGraduate U.S. Naval Academy; captain of the 1935 Naval Academy football team; Inspector General of the Marine Corps
34AndersonNorman J. AndersonO-04 Major generalNavy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross with three gold stars; Air Medal with two silver stars; graduate UCLA
35QuilterCharles J. QuilterO-04 Major general
36ThrashWilliam G. ThrashO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War; Prisoner of War from May 1952 to September 1953; Navy Distinguished Service Medal with one gold star; Distinguished Flying Cross
37ArmstrongAlan J. ArmstrongO-04 Major generalNavy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star
38ConleyRobert F. Conley O-04 Brigadier generalLegion of Merit w/ 2 gold stars; Distinguished Flying Cross w/ 3 gold stars; Director of Information
39OwensRobert G. Owens Jr.O-04 Major generalFlying ace with 7 victories; Navy Cross; Distinguished Flying Cross w/ 4 gold stars; commanding general, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
40OwensLeslie E. BrownO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II; Korean War, and Vietnam War; Silver Star with gold star; Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and 2 gold stars; Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; Purple Heart with 2 gold stars
41LangFrank C. LangO-04 Major generalVeteran World War II; Korean War, and Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and 2 gold stars; Distinguished Flying Cross with 7 stars
42ArmstrongVictor A. ArmstrongO-04 Major generalMajor general; Veteran World War II; Korean War, and Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and 2 gold stars; Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star
43GourleyNorman W. GourleyO-04 Major generalMajor general; Veteran World War II; Korean War, and Vietnam War; Navy Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and gold stars Distinguished Flying Cross with three gold stars
44WhiteWilliam J. White O-04 Brigadier generalVeteran Korean War, and Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V"; Distinguished Flying Cross
45NewNoah C. NewO-04 Major generalVeteran Vietnam War; Legion of Merit with Combat "V"; Distinguished Flying Cross
46DavisJohn K. DavisO-04 Major generalGeneral; Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Navy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
47MaloneyWilliam R. MaloneyO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; Silver Star; Navy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross; commanding general 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; commanding general 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
48FitchWilliam H. FitchO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; Silver Star Medal
49WentJoseph J. WentO-04 Major generalAssistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; General; Veteran Vietnam War
50PetersenFrank E. Petersen Jr.O-04 Major generalLieutenant general; Distinguished Flying Cross; Gray Eagle Award; Man of the Year, NAACP, 1979.
51PitmanCharles H. PitmanO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; Silver Star Medal
52PlastererRoss S. PlastererO-04 Major generalVeteran Vietnam War; Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross
53WillsDuane A. WillsO-04 Brigadier generalLieutenant general; Veteran Vietnam War; Distinguished Flying Cross; lettered in football at UCLA;
54EhlertNorman E. EhlertO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force; Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Navy Distinguished Service Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross
55BladesArthur C. BladesO-04 Brigadier generalSilver Star; Distinguished Flying Cross
56ForneyWilliam A. ForneyO-04 Brigadier generalVeteran Vietnam War; Legion of Merit
57KaramarkovichGeorge M. KaramarkovichO-04 Brigadier generalVeteran Vietnam War; Defense Superior Service Medal
58KnutsonBruce B. Knutson, Jr.O-04 Major generalLieutenant general
59AndersonJoseph T. AndersonO-04 Major generalVeteran Vietnam War; graduate U.S. Naval Academy; Deputy Director, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
60CartwrightJames E. CartwrightO-04 Major generalGeneral; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; commander, U.S. Strategic Command
61GoodmanJohn F. GoodmanO-04 Major generalLieutenant general; Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Soldiers Medal; Veteran Vietnam War; commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific; director, Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance; former NFL quarterback
62ThiessenDuane D. ThiessenO-04 Major general
63TrautmanGeorge J. Trautman, IIIO-04 Major general
64SchmidleRobert E. Schmidle, Jr.O-04 Brigadier general
65FoxRaymond C. FoxO-04 Brigadier general
66BeydlerWilliam D. BeydlerO-04 Brigadier general
67OwensChristopher S. OwensO-04 Brigadier general
68RudderSteven R. RudderO-04 Brigadier general
69SanbornRussell A. SanbornO-05 Major general
70WeidleyThomas D. WeidleyO-04 Brigadier generalCommanding during the loss of 6 Marines in a mid-air collision between an F/A-18D Hornet and a KC-130J Hercules. Formally rebuked after allowing the investigative officer Colonel Samuel Schoolfield to run an unprofessional JAGMAN investigation into the crash.
71McPhillipsChristopher A. McPhillipsO-04 Brigadier general
72CavanaughBrian W. CavanaughO-04 Major general
73AustinEric E. AustinO-04 Major general
74AnnibaleMarcus B. AnnibaleO-04 Major generalIncumbent