Day 28 Black History Month 2021 - General Frank E. Peterson Jr.

Lieutenant General Frank E. Peterson (March 1932 – August 2015)

For day 28 of Black History Month, we’d like to highlight Brigadier General Frank E. Peterson, an American soldier, aviator, and educator, and the first African American aviator in the Marine Corps and the first officer in the Marine Corps to be promoted to the rank of General.

In 1952, Frank Peterson joined the Navy as an electronics technician. The inspiration to become a pilot came from the story of Jesse Brown, the first African American Naval Aviator, who was shot down and killed over North Korea. Peterson was accepted into the Naval Aviation Cadet Corps. After completing his training, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, making him the first African American aviator in the Marines.

At the time, segregation was still legal in America and he entered a military that still discriminated against African Americans. He describes an incident in 1953, where he was arrested and spent a night in jail for “impersonating an officer” even though he held the rank of lieutenant. Despite encountering racism throughout his career, he would serve honorably in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. In Korea, he flew 64 combat missions and earned 6 air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. In Vietnam, he flew almost 300 missions and became the first African American to command a tactical air squadron in the Navy or the Marines.

After retiring from the military, he worked with several education and research organizations and also held a Vice President role at Dupont Aviation. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.