General Frank M. Andrews was an inspirational figure in our history and it is fitting that we highlight his accomplishments and contributions in the creation, shaping, and development of the United States Air Force.
As the organizer and commander of the prewar General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force, he was the first airman to have centralized nationwide command of Air Corps bombardment, attack, and pursuit units. The advent of GHQ Air Force marked one of the first decisive steps on the road to the birth of a separate air service. Nevertheless, likely due to his personal modesty and untimely death in a B-24 crash in, May 1943, while commanding the European Theater of Operations, he has been a background figure in our history.
General George C. Marshall, wartime Chief of Staff of the Army, captured the magnitude of his tragic loss to the Allied war effort by characterizing Andrews as one of the nation’s "few great captains." Memorializing General Andrews is one example of how we can commemorate the Centennial of Flight, emphasizing the tremendous impact an individual’s efforts and contributions can have on aviation and the Air Force.
Deaths of US Generals in World War II...
Related Scanning WWII dates...
- 07 Jun 42: Gen Clarence L Tinker lost during Midway B-24 bombing mission
- 03 May 43: Gen Frank M Andrews is killed in an airplane crash in Iceland
- 12 Jul 44: Gen Theodore Roosevelt Jr dies of a heart attack in Normandy
- 25 Jul 44: Gen Lesley J McNair is killed in action by errant Allied bombing
- 28 Sep 44: Gen Theodore Roosevelt Jr posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
- 26 Feb 45: Gens Millard Harmon and James Andersen disappear en route to Hawaii
- 30 Mar 45: Gen Maurice Rose is killed in action in Germany
- 18 Jun 45: Gen Simon Bolivar Buckner killed by artillery fire on Okinawa
- 09 Dec 45: Gen George S Patton is fatally injured in a car accident in Germany
- 21 Dec 45: Gen George S Patton dies from injuries sustained in the car accident
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US Army Commanders in World War II - The Generals:
American Military Command from World War II to Today - Frank M. Andrews
Marshall's Airman - Major General Maurice Rose:
World War II's Greatest Forgotten Commander