Marion Eugene Carl
| Marion E. Carl | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
November 1, 1915 Hubbard, Oregon |
| Died | June 28, 1998 (aged 82) Roseburg, Oregon |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1938 (Army Reserve) 1939–1973 (USMC) |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held |
VMF-223 VMF-122 Director of Marine Corps Aviation 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Inspector General of the Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars |
World War II *Battle of Midway *Battle of Guadalcanal Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Navy Cross (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Legion of Merit |
Major General Marion Eugene Carl, USMC, (November 1, 1915 – June 28, 1998) was a World War II fighter ace, record-setting test pilot, and naval aviator. He was the Marine Corps' first ace in World War II.
Born on the family farm near Hubbard, Oregon, Carl was always attracted to aviation. He learned to fly while attending college and soloed after merely 2½ hours of instruction; eight to ten hours is typical. He studied engineering at Oregon State College (now a university) and, in 1938, graduated as a lieutenant in the Army Reserve.
Carl resigned his commission to become a naval aviation cadet and received his "wings of gold" and Marine Corps commission in December 1939. His first posting was to Marine Fighting Squadron One (VMF-1) at Quantico, Virginia. After a year there, he was posted back to Pensacola as an instructor pilot helping to train the rapidly growing number of naval aviators, before receiving orders to the newly formed Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) at NAS North Island in San Diego, California.
The 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor found VMF-221 preparing to embark aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga for transport to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The unit was rushed to Hawaii, then to Wake Island as part of the WI Relief Task Force, still aboard Saratoga. After the relief attempt was canceled, VMF-221 was deployed to Midway Atoll on Christmas Day, 1941. Carl's first combat occurred six months later during the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, when 15 of the 25 aircraft VMF-221 put into the air that morning were destroyed. Nevertheless, Carl was credited with destroying one enemy aircraft, a Mitsubishi Zero. All the survivors of VMF-221 were returned to Hawaii shortly after the battle.
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