Marion E. Carl | |
|---|---|
 Major General Marion E. Carl in August 1967 | |
| Born | (1915-11-01)November 1, 1915 Hubbard, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1998(1998-06-28) (aged 82) Roseburg, Oregon, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Army Reserve United States Marine Corps |
| Service years | 1938–1973 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands | VMF-223 VMF-122 Director of Marine Corps Aviation 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Inspector General of the Marine Corps |
| Conflicts | World War IIVietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Cross (2) Legion of Merit (4) Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Air Medal (14) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Major GeneralMarion Eugene Carl (November 1, 1915 – June 28, 1998) was an American military officer, World War IIfighter ace, record-settingtest pilot, andnaval aviator. He was theUnited States Marine Corps' first ace in World War II.
Born on the family dairy farm nearHubbard, Oregon,[1] Carl was always attracted toaviation. He learned to fly while attending college and soloed after only 2½ hours of instruction; eight to ten hours is typical. He studiedaeronautical engineering atOregon State College (now a university) and, in 1938, graduated with aBachelor of Science degree as a lieutenant in the Army Reserve.
Carl resigned his Army commission to become a naval aviation cadet and received his "Wings of Gold" andMarine Corps commission in December 1939. His first posting was to Marine Fighting Squadron One (VMF-1) atQuantico, Virginia. After a year there, he was posted back toPensacola 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) atNAS North Island inSan Diego,California.
The 7 December 1941attack on Pearl Harbor found VMF-221 preparing to embark aboard theaircraft carrierUSS Saratoga for transport toMarine Corps Air Station Ewa on the island ofOahu,Hawaii. The unit was rushed to Hawaii, then toWake Island as part of theWI Relief Task Force, still aboardSaratoga. After the relief attempt was cancelled, VMF-221 was deployed toMidway Atoll on Christmas Day, 1941. Carl's first combat occurred six months later during theBattle of Midway on June 4, 1942,[2] when 15 of the 25 aircraft VMF-221 put into the air that morning were destroyed.[3] Nevertheless, Carl was credited with destroying one enemy aircraft, aMitsubishi Zero. All the survivors of VMF-221 were returned to Hawaii shortly after the battle.
After a short rest, Carl was reassigned to Marine Fighting Squadron 223 (VMF-223), led by former VMF-221 pilot Captain (later Major)John L. Smith. On August 20, VMF-223 was deployed toGuadalcanal, the first fighter unit ashore with theCactus Air Force. Over the next two months, Carl became the Marines' first ace, running his tally to 16.5 victories, during which time he had to bail out once from a badly damaged airplane. It is believed that on August 26 Carl shot down the famous Japanese NavyTainan Kōkūtai aceJunichi Sasai overHenderson Field. When the squadron left Guadalcanal in October, Carl was America's second-ranking ace behind Major Smith.
In 1943, then-Major Carl returned to the Pacific and led VMF-223 until the following summer. During combat in theSolomon Islands, he claimed two more enemy planes, finishing as the Corps' seventh-ranking ace with 18.5 victories.
| Date | Total | Aircraft types claimed (location) |
|---|---|---|
| 04 Jun 1942 | 1 | 1A6M Zeke destroyed and 2 damaged (Midway VMF-221) |
| 24 Aug 1942 | 4 | 1A6M Zeke, 1Betty bomber, 2Kate bombers destroyed (Cactus) |
| 26 Aug 1942 | 2 | 2A6M Zekes destroyed (Cactus) |
| 29 Aug 1942 | 1 | 1Betty bomber destroyed (Cactus) |
| 30 Aug 1942 | 3 | 3A6M Zekes destroyed (Cactus) |
| 09 Sep 1942 | 2 | 2Mitsubishi G4M Betty bombers destroyed (Cactus) |
| 27 Sep 1942 | 1½ | 1.5 (1 shared credit with Major. K. Armistead)Betty bombers destroyed (Cactus) |
| 28 Sep 1942 | 1 | 1Betty bomber destroyed (Cactus) |
| 03 Oct 1942 | 1 | 1A6M Zero destroyed (Cactus) |
| 23 Dec 1943 | 1 | 1Ki-61 Tony destroyed (Rabaul) |
| 27 Dec 1943 | 1 | 1A6M Zeke destroyed (Rabaul) |
| 18½ |
In 1945, Carl graduated in the firsttest pilot class atNaval Air Station Patuxent River,Maryland. As alieutenant colonel, he conducted pioneeringjet operations fromaircraft carriers and later commandedVMF-122, the first Marine jet squadron.
In 1947, Carl was one of two pilots selected to fly theDouglas D-558/I Skystreak in record-setting speed attempts. That August, he was recorded at 650 miles per hour (1,050 km/h), establishing a new world record for a conventional aircraft. WhenAir ForceCaptainChuck Yeager broke thesound barrier in October, he also broke Carl's record.
At Patuxent River on April 1, 1952, Carl had a close brush with death. He was performing a series of check spins in the newGrumman AF-2S Guardian anti-submarine attack aircraft. The anti-spin parachute that had been fitted in earlier tests had been removed. Climbing to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) over Chesapeake Bay, Carl commenced the spin. The aircraft entered a flat spin with strong centrifugal forces. Carl could not break the spin and rode it down to 4,000 ft (1,200 m). He tried to operate the ejection seat, but the face blind ripped away in his hands and the seat failed to fire. He climbed out at 3,000 feet (910 m). He then tried the wind-tunnel approved method of getting out on the inside of the spin, but was forced back due to airflow. He finally got out on the other side and felt his parachute open as he fell into the splash of the aircraft. The success of this proved bailing out on the inside of the spin to avoid being hit by the tail was an incorrect theory.[4]
During a second test pilot tour in 1953, Carl set an unofficial altitude record of 83,000 feet (25,000 m) in theDouglas D-558/II.
Between test pilot duties, Carl commanded other units including areconnaissance squadron based onTaiwan. In 1954, he led missions overMainland China, photographingCommunist forces along the coast. After his death, an incorrect version of his reconnaissance missions appeared in several obituaries, stating that he had flownU-2 spy planes.
Though still acolonel, Carl became Director of Marine Corps Aviation for five months in 1962. In 1964 he was promoted tobrigadier general; in 1965, he took the1st Marine Brigade toDanang,South Vietnam. Despite his seniority, he repeatedly flew combat missions inhelicopter gunships and jet fighters.
Carl received his second star as amajor general in 1967, commanding the2nd Marine Aircraft Wing atMCAS Cherry Point,North Carolina, from 1968 to 1970. He subsequently served asInspector General of the Marine Corps, until retiring in 1973. By then he had logged some 13,000 flying hours, more than twice as much as most contemporaries.
Carl returned to his native Oregon, where he and his wife Edna settled nearRoseburg. Marion Carl's memoir,Pushing the Envelope, coauthored with his friendBarrett Tillman, was published in 1994.[5] In 1998, at age 82, he was shot to death during a robbery, defending Edna from a home invader.[6] Carl had entered his living room late one evening and had found an intruder pointing a shotgun at his wife and demanding money and car-keys. Carl lunged at the intruder who fired his weapon, the shot grazing Edna's head and leaving her injured. The attacker then turned the weapon on Carl, fatally shooting him and then fleeing, stealing cash and the couple's car.[7] Carl was buried with full military honors atArlington National Cemetery.[8]
His murderer, 19-year-old Jesse Fanus, was apprehended one week later. In April 1999, he was convicted on two counts of aggravated murder (and 11 additional felony charges) and sentenced to death. In 2003, his conviction and death sentence were upheld by the Oregon Supreme Court. In December 2011, the sentence was overturned based on the prisoner's inadequate legal representation.[9][10] Fanus was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on May 7, 2015.[11]
Carl's widow Edna died in 2007.[7] His two children were Bruce and Lyanne.
Carl's decorations include (having declined any personal medals for service in Vietnam):[12]
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| Naval Aviator Badge | |||||||||||||
| Navy Cross w/ one Gold Star | Legion of Merit w/Combat "V" and three Gold Stars | ||||||||||||
| Distinguished Flying Cross w/ four Gold Stars | Air Medal w/ two Silver Stars and two Gold Stars | Air Medal | |||||||||||
| Combat Action Ribbon | Presidential Unit Citation w/ two Bronze Stars | American Defense Service Medal | |||||||||||
| American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/three Bronze Stars | World War II Victory Medal | |||||||||||
| National Defense Service Medal w/ one Bronze Star | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Vietnam Service Medal w/ two Bronze Stars | |||||||||||
| Korean Defense Service Medal | Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross | Vietnam Campaign Medal | |||||||||||
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Marion Eugene Carl (MCSN: 0-6053), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving Section Leader and a Pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE (VMF-221), Marine Air Group TWENTY-TWO (MAG-22), Naval Air Station, Midway, during operations of the U.S. Naval and Marine Forces against the invading Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Midway on 4 June 1942. Leading his section in a dauntless and aggressive attack against a vastly superior number of Japanese bomber and fighter planes, Captain Carl aided in the disruption of enemy plans and lessened the effectiveness of their attack. As a result of his daring tactics, he succeeded in destroying one OO Isento KI Navy Fighter. The courageous leadership and utter disregard for personal safety displayed by Captain Carl in this attack were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[13]
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross to Captain Marion Eugene Carl (MCSN: 0-6053), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving as a Pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE (VMF-223), Marine Air Group TWENTY-THREE (MAG-23), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomons Islands Area from 24 August 1942 to 9 September 1942. With utter disregard for his own personal safety, Captain Carl, during the period of sixteen days, shot down ten enemy aircraft unassisted, and with the help of another Marine Corps pilot, succeeded in shooting down the eleventh plane. His brilliant daring and conspicuous skill as an airman served as an inspiration to other pilots of his squadron and contributed greatly to the security of the positions of the United States Forces in the Solomon Islands. His courageous and loyal devotion to duty is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[13]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.
Media from Commons| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
| Preceded by | Human altitude record 1953–1954 | Succeeded by |
