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Peyton C. March Jr.

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Peyton Conway March Jr. (January 1, 1897 – February 13, 1918) was an officer of the United States Army and military aviator.

Early life and education

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March was the son of Peyton C. and Josephine Smith (née Cunningham) March and was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where his father was stationed. He attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, 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.

Military career

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In 1917, March enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps. He trained in Toronto and Austin, Texas. In 1918, March was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Signal 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] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Honors

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

References

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  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.
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