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Paul John Fontana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 27, 1911 Lucca, Italy |
| Died | February 26, 1997(1997-02-26) (aged 85) New Bern, North Carolina, US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1936–1973 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Commands | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing 1st Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Navy Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross |
Paul John Fontana (November 27, 1911 – February 26, 1997) was a highly decoratedUnited States Marine with the rank ofmajor general. He was aflying ace with five aerial victories and a recipient of theNavy Cross duringWorld War II.
Paul J. Fontana was born on November 27, 1911, inLucca, nearFlorence, Italy. He was raised inSparks, Nevada, and graduated from the University of Nevada with a science degree.
Fontana commissioned into the Marine Corps as asecond lieutenant on July 6, 1936, and was designated as anaval aviator in January 1940.
When the United States entered World War II, Fontana was quickly promoted tomajor, and took command of the recently formedMarine Fighting Squadron 112 (VMF-112) inSan Diego on May 11, 1942.[1]
On October 15, Major Fontana's squadron set sail forNew Caledonia. Major Fontana arrived atHenderson Field onGuadalcanal on November 2.[1]
On November 11, Major Fontana led eight of his planes into battle against 22 Japanese bombers and sixZero escorts. The enemy was attempting to bomb Henderson Field, but Fontana shot one bomber down and led his squadron repelling the attack. He shot down two more enemy planes the following day that were attempting to attack American ships. A few days later, Major Fontana led six planes against twelve enemy fighters and succeeded in personally shooting two aircraft down. He was later awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during this period.[2]
Major Fontana also led his squadron in strafing attacks on Japanese destroyers off Guadalcanal. He was relieved of his command by Captain Robert B. Fraser on March 27, 1943. He was later assigned to theTenth Army and took part in thebattle of Okinawa.
Lieutenant Colonel Fontana would later take part in theKorean War as the commanding officer ofMarine Aircraft Group 33. On September 21, 1950, he led a close air support mission against enemy positions nearSeoul. Fontana personally made several low level attacks under heavy anti-aircraft fire and aided in destroying the enemy strongpoint. For his actions, he was awarded theSilver Star. He was also awarded theLegion of Merit for his service during theChosin Reservoir campaign.[2]
Fontana would later be promoted tomajor general and was made the commanding general of the2nd Marine Aircraft Wing atMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. In addition, he commanded the1st Marine Aircraft Wing from 1964 to 1965 during theVietnam War, where he was awarded two Legions of Merit. Major General Fontana retired from the Marine Corps on June 30, 1973.
Retiring inNew Bern, North Carolina with his wife, Paul J. Fontana would later die there on February 26, 1997. He was buried inArlington National Cemetery with his wives Claire R. (1912–1954) and Beth G. (1915–2000).[3]
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Commanding General of the1st Marine Aircraft Wing June 1964 - May 24, 1965 | Succeeded by |