Martin F.

Scanlon
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Martin Francis Scanlon (11 August 1889 26 January

1980) was a general officer in the United States Air Force Martin Francis Scanlon
during World War II.

After joining the United States Army in 1912, Scanlon

served on the Mexican border, and participated in the
United States occupation of Veracruz. He joined the
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, and during World War
I served with the American Expeditionary Force on the
Western Front as a pilot with the 91st Aero Squadron.

Between the wars he was an assistant military attach in Brigadier General Martin F. Scanlon
Rome and London, and was the military attach in London Born 11 August 1889
from 1939 to 1941, during the first part of World War II. He Scranton, Pennsylvania
was an Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from July 1941 to
March 1942 at Headquarters, United States Army Air Died 26 January 1980 (aged 90)
Forces, and then went to Australia as commanding general, Washington, DC
Air Command No. 2, based at Townsville, Queensland. As Place of burial Arlington National Cemetery
such he was in charge of the air forces in New Guinea
during the Kokoda Track campaign. Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army Air Corps
In September 1942, he returned to the United States where United States Air Force
he commanded the 38th Flying Training Wing and the 36th
Flying Training Wing. He retired from the United States Air Years of 19121948
Force in 1948, and was director of export and vice president service
of Republic Aviation until 1957. Rank Brigadier General
Commands 2d Aero Squadron
held 38th Flying Training Wing
Contents 36th Flying Training Wing
Battles/wars
1 Early life Occupation of Veracruz
2 World War I World War I:
3 Between the wars
4 World War II Meuse-Argonne Offensive
5 Later life Occupation of the Rhineland
6 Notes
7 References World War II:

Kokoda Track campaign

Early life Awards Distinguished Service Medal

Silver Star
Martin Francis Scanlon was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Legion of Merit
on 11 August 1889. He attended the University of Air Medal
Pennsylvania from 1908 to 1909, and Cornell University Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland)
from 1910 to 1911, before being commissioned in the Order of Saints Maurice and
United States Army as a second lieutenant in the Infantry on
Lazarus (Italy)
24 April 1912.[1] He initially served with the 7th Infantry
Regiment, but transferred to the 19th Infantry Regiment. Other work Director of export and vice
president of Republic Aviation
This regiment patrolled the border with Mexico from Fort Crockett, Texas. He participated in the United States
occupation of Veracruz from May to October 1914, when the 19th Infantry returned to Galveston, Texas.[2]

World War I
Scanlon was at San Antonio, Texas, from September 1915 to March 1916, at which point he was assigned to
the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps.[2] He was promoted to first lieutenant in the infantry on 1 July 1916,
and in the Aviation Section on 28 October 1916,[1] when he received his wings as a junior aviator in San Diego,
California.[2]

Scanlon assumed command of the 2d Aero Squadron, which was then flying seaplanes from Fort Mills on
Corregidor Island in the Philippines.He was promoted to captain on 15 May 1917. He returned to the United
States in November 1917, and was posted to Kelly Field and then Fort Worth, Texas for additional training.[2]

He went to England, where he trained with the Royal Flying Corps from February to August 1918, with the
rank of major from 7 June 1918. He joined the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France a
pilot with the 91st Aero Squadron until September 1918, when he assumed command of Colombey-les-Belles
aerodrome during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He was then air service commander of V Corps until March
1919. He was a student officer at the Army Artillery School at Trier, and was on the headquarters of the air
service of the Third United States Army at Coblenz during the Occupation of the Rhineland.[2]

Between the wars

On returning to the United States in July 1919, he became commanding officer of Bolling Field, DC.[2] He
reverted to the rank of captain on 27 August 1919, but was transferred to the United States Army Air Service
with the rank on major on 1 July 1920.[1] In 1923, he attended the Air Corps Engineering School at McCook
Field, Ohio. On graduation in August 1923, he was assigned to the National Guard Bureau in Washington, DC
from 1 December 1923 to 1 May 1924.[2]

Scanlon was the assistant military attach for air at the United States Embassy in Rome from May 1924 until
August 1927, when he returned to the United States to attend the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field,
Virginia, from which he graduated in 1928, and then the United States Army Command and General Staff
College, from which he graduated in 1929. He was then assistant military attach for air at the United States
Embassy in London.[1]

After a four-year tour, he returned to the United States to become commander of the 15th Observation
Squadron in 1933. He was the base commander of Bolling Field from January 1935 to January 1936, when he
went back to England as the military attach for air.[2] He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant
colonel on 20 April 1935. This became substantive on 1 August 1935. On 26 August 1936, he was promoted to
the temporary rank of colonel.[1] He was special assistant to the United States Ambassador to the United
Kingdom from April to September 1939, when he became the military attach. He was promoted to brigadier
general in the wartime Army of the United States on 1 October 1940.[2]

World War II
Scanlon was assigned to Headquarters, United States Army Air Forces as an Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
from July 1941 to March 1942. He was then sent to Australia as commanding general, Air Command No. 2,
based at Townsville, Queensland.[1] As such he was in charge of the air forces in New Guinea during the
Kokoda Track campaign. When Major General George Kenney took over as commander, Allied Forces in the
South West Pacific Area from Lieutenant General George Brett in August 1942, he formed an unfavourable
impression. He later recalled:
 I had known Mike ever since 1918 and liked him immensely, but he was miscast in this job. He
had been an air attach in Rome and London for the best part of the last ten years, with a tour as
intelligence officer in Washington, I dont know why they sent him up to New Guinea; he was not
an operator and everyone from the kids on up knew it.[3]

Kenney replaced Scanlon with Brigadier General Ennis Whitehead.[4] Scanlon returned to the United States in
September 1942, and became the commanding general of the 38th Flying Training Wing at Roswell Army Air
Field in New Mexico, and then the 36th Flying Training Wing at Santa Ana Army Air Base in California. In
August 1944, he became president of the Army Air Forces Evaluation Board in Hawaii.[2] He reverted back to
his temporary rank of colonel on 10 April 1946, and retired with the rank of brigadier general on 21 February
1948.[1]

Later life
After retiring from the United States Air Force, Scanlon became the director of export and vice president of
Republic Aviation, a position he held until his retirement in 1957. He was a member of the Army and Navy
Club, Metropolitan Club, and the Burning Tree Club. He was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation and the
Order of Daedalians.[5] His decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion
of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, the Polish Order of Polonia Restituta and the Italian Order of Saints
Maurice and Lazarus.[1]

Scanlon died from heart failure at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC, on 26 January 1980.[5]

Notes
1. Fogerty, Dr Robert O. (1953). "Biographical data on Air Force General Officers" (http://www.afhra.af.mi
l/Portals/16/documents/Studies/51-100/AFD-090601-135.pdf) (PDF). Maxwell Air Force Base,
Alabama: Air University. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
2. "Brigadier General Martin F. Scanlon" (http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/10570
7/brigadier-general-martin-f-scanlon/). U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
3. Kenney 1949, p. 35.
4. Kenney 1949, pp. 41, 57.
5. "Gen. Martin Scanlon Dies" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1980/01/31/gen-martin-scan
lon-dies/bfe90c9e-aa41-4d6c-90aa-799a83dbede7/). Washington Post. 31 January 1980. Retrieved
14 July 2017.

References
Kenney, George C. (1949). General Kenney Reports: A Personal History of the Pacific War. New York
City: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. ISBN 0160613728. OCLC 37302833.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martin_F._Scanlon&oldid=792248951"

Categories: 1889 births 1980 deaths American military personnel of World War I
American military personnel of World War II Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Cornell University alumni Members of the Early Birds of Aviation Military personnel from Pennsylvania
People from Scranton, Pennsylvania Recipients of the Air Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Silver Star United States Air Force generals
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni
Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (194489)
Recipients of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus

This page was last edited on 25 July 2017, at 11:59.

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