Edward Steve Fris (1 September 1921 – 17 May 2010) was a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

. He served as the

Director of Aviation The Deputy Commandant for Aviation (DCA) is the United States Marine Corps' principle advisor on all aviation matters and is the spokesperson for Marine Corps Aviation programs, requirements, and strategy throughout the Department of the Navy ...

Headquarters Marine Corps Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...

and is considered a pioneer in the development of today's Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS). He was commissioned during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and originally trained as a

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

officer. Following the war, he transitioned to become a

naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-base ...

. His radar and electrical engineering background led to his near decade long involvement with the development of the Marine Tactical Data System (MTDS). He served as the commanding officer (CO) of

Marine Air Control Squadron 3 Marine Air Control Squadron 3 (MACS-3) was a former United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. During its later years it also served as an operational test and evaluation squadron. Originally formed in World War II as Air ...

(MACS-3) for more than four years from 1961-1965 as MTDS went through operational test and evaluation. Later assignments included a tour in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

as the CO of Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), time as Commanding General Marine Corps Air Bases Western Area and two years as the Director of Marine Corps Aviation. His final assignment before retirement was as the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Development and Education Command. The

Marine Corps Aviation Association Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

award given annually to the top Marine Corps Aviation Command and Control Unit is named in his honor.

Early years

Born September 1, 1921, in Orient, Illinois, Fris attended Frankfort Community High School,

West Frankfort, Illinois West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is well known for its rich history of coal. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area. History Although one might associate the name ...

, graduating in 1939. He was the president of his senior class at the

Missouri School of Mines Missouri University of Science and Technology, or Missouri S&T, is a public research university in Rolla, Missouri. It is a member institution of the University of Missouri System. Most of its 7,645 students (fall 2020) study engineering, busin ...

and graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in electrical engineering in February 1943. He was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on 2 February 1943.

World War II and transition to Naval Aviator

Fris completed the Officer Candidates School in June 1943. Afterwards he attended the Naval Trainings for

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

. He also completed the Radar Maintenance Course at Camp Murphy in Orlando, Florida. During

, Fris served at

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 and ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

, as a radar officer with the

9th Marine Aircraft Wing The 9th Marine Aircraft Wing was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The wing was commissioned during World War II as a training unit for Marine Aviation personnel ...

(9th MAW) and later with Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force Pacific in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. Upon his return to the United States in January 1946, he entered flight training at

Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is a United States Navy naval air base located six miles (10 km) southeast of the central business district (CBD) of Corpus Christi, in Nueces County, Texas. History A naval air station for Corpus Christi ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He received his wings and was designated a

Naval Aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-base ...

upon completion of flight training at

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

, Florida, on June 27, 1947. After completing advanced training at the

Naval Air Station Jacksonville Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 Location NAS Jac ...

, he was assigned to the

Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast. ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

for duty as a flight officer with VMF-312 with a follow on tour as the Executive Officer of the station's Headquarters Squadron. He was promoted to captain in August 1947.

1950s

He attended the Amphibious Warfare School Junior Course at

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeaste ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

graduating in December 1950. He remained at Quantico for a few more months before attending the United States Naval Postgraduate Schools at

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

and

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

in California. He graduated from those schools in November 1951 and June 1954, respectively. From June through October 1954 he refreshed his pilot qualifications with VMFT-10 prior to his next assignment as executive officer of VMF-115 from December 1954 until December 1955. He next served as the Electronics Officer for the

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The Wing provides the aviation combat element for the ...

beginning in January 1956. In June 1957, Fris reported to

, Washington, D.C., for duty as Head, Aviation Electronics Logistics Section, Division of Aviation, for three years. During his time at HQMC Aviation, then Major Fris was responsible for writing the Marine Corps' requirements for their new aviation command and control

Program of Record The processes of government procurement in the United States enable federal, state and local government bodies in the country to acquire goods, services (including construction), and interests in real property. In fiscal year 2019, the US Federa ...

- Marine Tactical Data System (MTDS).

MTDS development and Vietnam

Promoted to lieutenant colonel in January 1959, Fris was made the Marine Corps Liaison Officer with

Litton Industries Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States named after inventor Charles Litton Sr. During the 1960s, the company began acquiring many unrelated firms and became one of the largest conglomerates in the United States. A ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, California, in July. He oversaw the design and development of the MTDS program. At this time, MTDS was the largest research and development project in the Marine Corps. From September 1961 until February 1965, he served as the Commanding Officer of

(MACS-3) at Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, California. During this time, MACS-3 was the designated operational test and evaluation squadron for MTDS seeing it through numerous financial and developmental issues until it was officially fielded in 1966. He returned to Washington, D.C., in April 1965, and served as Head, Marine Corps Amphibious Electronics Branch, Electronics Division,

Bureau of Ships The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships (BuShips) was established by Congress on 20 June 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R) and the Bureau of Engineering (BuEng). The new bureau was to ...

. Fris was reassigned to

in August 1966, as Head, Aviation Command Control and Communications Branch, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Air). He was the first officer to serve in this newly formed billet which today is known as Branch Head, Aviation Expeditionary Enablers (APX-1). Following this assignment he took command of Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), in July 1968 and served a year in Danang, South Vietnam.

Promotion and Director of Aviation

Upon his return to the United States, Fris was promoted to brigadier general on August 22, 1969, and designated as

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory o ...

of the Marine Corp until July 1970, when he assumed duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff (Programs). Detached from Headquarters Marine Corps in October 1971, he again reported to MCAS El Toro, where he commanded the Air Station and Marine Corps Air Bases Western Area. In September 1972 Fris returned to Headquarters Marine Corps to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Aviation. Following his advancement to lieutenant general on August 27, 1974, he became commanding general, Marine Corps Development and Education Command (MCDEC), MCB Quantico, Virginia, remaining in that billet until his retirement.

Retirement, death and legacy

Fris retired from active duty on 1 September 1975. He was married to the former Minerva E. Fellows of

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...

. He had two daughters, two step-daughters and a son, Captain Steve A. Fris, who preceded him in death. Fris died on 17 May 2010 and is buried in

Quantico National Cemetery Quantico National Cemetery is a national cemetery in Triangle, Virginia for veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces. Adjacent to and originally part of Marine Corps Base Quantico, it was established as a national cemetery in 1983 w ...

with his wife and son. The Marine Corps Aviation Association's annual award for the Marine Aviation Command and Control Unit of the year is named after him.

Medals and decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Lieutenant General Edward S. Fris:

Citations

References

: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fris, Edward S. 1921 births 2010 deaths United States Marine Corps generals American electrical engineers United States Naval Aviators United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit People from Franklin County, Illinois Military personnel from Illinois Missouri University of Science and Technology alumni Aviators from Illinois Burials at Quantico National Cemetery