Roy Carrington Kirtland (14 May 1874 – 2 May 1941) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

soldier, officer and aviator. Kirtland Air Force Base in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

was named for him. He was among the first American military aviators and he recommended Henry "Hap" Arnold for aviation training.

Biography

He was born on May 14, 1874, in Fort Benton, Montana to Thaddeus Sanford Kirtland and Ann Virginia Carter. He married Helen K. Parker. Kirtland joined the Army in 1898 and was commissioned on August 1, 1901, as a second lieutenant in the

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

. In 1911 he was transferred to the

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

and placed in command of the U.S. Aviation School at College Park,

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from April to June 1911, and served in a number of capacities with the

Signal Corps A signal corps is a military branch, responsible for military communications (''signals''). Many countries maintain a signal corps, which is typically subordinate to a country's army. Military communication usually consists of radio, telephone, ...

Kirtland then commanded the First Aero Squadron in 1913 until his return to the infantry division in 1915. He rejoined Signal Corps aviation in 1917 and was tasked to organize four Air Service Mechanics Regiments, subsequently commanding the third in France. While overseas, he served as the Inspector for aviation in England and air service rest camps. After the war, Kirtland became a flight instructor, commanded aviation supply depots and graduated from the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

. During the 1920s he served with the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

until his appointment in 1930 as

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of the Langley Station and as acting commandant of the Air Corps Tactical School. He retired in 1938 after 40 years service. Colonel Kirtland was reactivated in advance of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

at age 65. He served at Moffett Field. He died on May 2, 1941, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in Moffett Field, California. He was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

Legacy

At special request from General H. H. Arnold, Albuquerque Air Army Airbase was renamed Kirtland Army Airfield.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirtland, Roy C. United States Army officers United States Army soldiers 1874 births 1941 deaths Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Members of the Early Birds of Aviation