Ross Erastus Rowell (22 September 1884 – 6 September 1947) was a highly decorated
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 ...
aviator
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
who achieved the rank of
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 ...
by the end of his 40 years of service. He served as the Marine Corps'
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 ...
from May 30, 1935, until March 10, 1939, and was one of the three senior officers of
Marine Corps Aviation during World War II.
Biography
Early years
Ross Rowell was born on September 22, 1884, in
Ruthven, Iowa, attending grade and high school in Ruthven. He was graduated from
Iowa State College
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
and then studied electrical engineering for two years at the
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...
. He then worked for two years as topographer and draftsman for the
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
at
Sanke River Valley, Idaho.
Early military career
He was appointed as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in August 1906. He served in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
from 1906 until 1909.
Rowell was designated a student naval aviator in 1923, taking his fight 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
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
and at
Kelly Field
Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting.
I ...
in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
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, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
. General Rowell was commended by the
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
for making the highest bombing score during the gunnery year 1924–25, and in 1926 he was praised by the
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The CMC reports directly to the sec ...
for the high state of efficiency prevailing at
Naval Air Station San Diego
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado, California, Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest Military-industrial complex, aerospace-industrial complex in t ...
,
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 ...
, where he then was group commander.
In early 1927, Rowell as commander of the squadron
VO-1M, deployed to
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to ...
as part of the United States
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
during this time referred to as the
Banana Wars
The Banana Wars were a series of conflicts that consisted of military occupation, police action, and intervention by the United States in Central America and the Caribbean between the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898 and the incepti ...
. They arrived at the port of
Corinto on February 25 and proceeded to
Managua
)
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where they began training and flying in support of their fellow Marines on the ground.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 24. On
July 16, 1927, a 37-man Marine garrison in
Ocotal
Ocotal () is the capital of the Nueva Segovia Department in Nicaragua, Central America and the municipal seat of Ocotal Municipality.
History
The region currently occupied by the city of Ocotal was occupied by different ethnic groups that had pro ...
was surrounded by several hundred
sandinistas
The Sandinista National Liberation Front ( es, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN) is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas () in both English and Spanish. The party is named after Augusto C ...
led by
Augusto César Sandino
Augusto C. Sandino (; May 18, 1895 February 21, 1934), full name Augusto Nicolás Calderón de Sandino y José de María Sandino, was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the United States occupa ...
. Upon getting news of the attack, then Major Rowell, flew a 5 plane detachment of
DHs
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
to help relieve the garrison. The
dive-bombing
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
runs from low altitude made by Rowell and his men marked one of the first coordinated dive-bombing attacks in aviation history.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 25. Rowell was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross and the
Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his extraordinary heroism and exceptionally meritorious service in action against hostile Nicaraguan bandits during this time.
On May 30, 1932, Rowell took command of the ''East Coast Expeditionary Force'' at
Marine Corps Air Station Quantico
Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico (MCAF Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located within Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. It was commissioned in 1919 and is currently home to HMX-1, the squadron that flies the President of ...
,
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 ...
.
[ Barrow (1981), p. 67.] His air command won the Schiff Trophy in 1926, 1932, and again in 1933. He led the Marine Air Detachment at the International Air Races at Chicago in September, 1933, and in the All-American Air Races at Miami, Florida, in January 1935, achieving commendable performances on both occasions.
He served as director of Marine Corps Aviation from May 30, 1935, through March 10, 1939.
[
] In this role he was the senior advisor to the commandant on all aviation matters and the Marine Corps' liaison with the Navy's
Bureau of Aeronautics
The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relat ...
.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 31.
In addition to duty at various posts in this country and extensive sea duty, Rowell served abroad in the Philippine Islands, France, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
World War II
Early in World War II, Rowell was sent to London as an Air
Attaché
In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...
for duty in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
. It was in the
desert and in the skies over Great Britain that he was able to see the advent of fighters equipped to operate at night. He also traveled and learned all he could about
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
and
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...
in
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-eas ...
, England.
Doll
A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are foun ...
(2000), p. 4. Upon his return in November 1941, Rowell made a recommendation for the Marine Corps to acquire a medium-sized, long range, high-speed bomber to be used for night harassing missions. This coupled with the work of other Marines grew into the Marine
PBJ night bomber program.
[ De Chant (1947), p. 48.] Following these tours, Rowell served as commanding general, Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific (MAWP), from the opening of the
Guadalcanal Campaign in August 1942 until Japanese air power was driven from the Bismarck-Solomons in 1944. MAWP was based at
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa (MCAS Ewa) was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located west of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The base was hit during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and later served as the hub for all Mar ...
,
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 ...
and its mission was to organize, administrate and distribute personnel and supplies for Marine Air Wings in the Pacific.
[ Shettle (2000), p. 90.] On December 27, 1942, Rowell read a dispatch from
Admiral Halsey on
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the se ...
speaking to the negative effects that night time raids from Japanese bombers were having on the ground troops. Based on his earlier travels and observations, Rowell immediately recommended that a night fighter unit be made "available immediately for overseas duty". This message to Marine Headquarters in Washington would be the catalyst for kicking the development of Marine Night Fighters into high gear.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 160.
It was during this time that
Admiral Ernest King convinced Rowell that there was no longer a need for Marines to get carrier qualifications since all of their aircraft were currently based out of land based strips. This lack of foresight led to Marine pilots not being able to fly from
escort carriers
The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
which were providing the
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...
during amphibious landings. This would return to haunt the Marine Corps during the
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November 1944 d ...
in which it was generally felt that close air support provided by pilots from the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
left much to be desired.
The lack of adequate air support was coupled with the feeling amongst other senior Marine aviators such as
Roy Geiger
General Roy Stanley Geiger (January 25, 1885 – January 23, 1947) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served in World War I and World War II. In World War II, he became the first Marine Corps general to lead a field army.
Gei ...
and then Commandant
Alexander Vandegrift
General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, USMC (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of the war, the B ...
that Marine aviation was not paying attention to its primary purpose of providing close air support and was too concerned with shooting down enemy aircraft.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 325. In August 1944, General Vandegrift flew to Hawaii to meet with
Admiral Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in ...
and his staff and came up with the solution that Marine squadrons would be assigned to escort carriers, Marine aviation would take control of aircraft directly supporting ground troops during amphibious operations and ''Marine Air Wing Pacific'' would be renamed ''Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific''(AirFMFPac). This new role was not welcomed by Rowell and he became so negative that he was quickly replaced by MajGen
Francis P. Mulcahy
Francis Patrick Mulcahy CBE (March 9, 1894 – December 11, 1973) was a general and commander in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Mulcahy commanded the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Cactus Air Force, and the Tactical Air Fo ...
in October 1944 and reassigned as the Chief of the Naval Aviation Mission to
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, a post he held until his retirement in November 1946.
Sherrod Sherrod is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Sherrod Brown (born 1952), United States Senator
* Sherrod Martin (born 1984), American football player
* Sherrod Small, American comedian
* Sherrod E. ...
(1952), p. 327.[ Mersky (1983), p. 98.] In September 1944, he was awarded the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
for outstanding service as commanding general, Marine Aircraft Wings Pacific from August 1942 to September 1944.
Rowell retired from the Marine Corps after 40 years of service on November 1, 1946. He died at the
Naval Hospital in San Diego on September 6, 1947. He is buried in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
Burial Detail: Rowell, Ross E
– ANC Explorer
Dates of rank
Rowell's dates of rank are:
Decorations
See also
* Alfred A. Cunningham, first Marine Corps aviator and first director of Marine Corps Aviation
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowell, Ross E.
1884 births
1947 deaths
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
United States Marine Corps generals
United States Marine Corps World War II generals
Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
Air Corps Tactical School alumni
University of Idaho alumni
Iowa State University alumni
People from Palo Alto County, Iowa
American military personnel of the Banana Wars
Military personnel from Iowa