Peyton C. March, Jr.

Who was Peyton C. March, Jr.?

Peyton Conway March, Jr. was an American soldier and pioneer aviator. He was the son of Peyton C. March and Josephine Smith Cunningham and was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where his father was stationed.

He attended Lafayette College.

In 1917, March enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Signal Corps Aviation Section. He trained in Toronto, Ontario and Austin, Texas.

In 1918, March was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Corps after completing flying tests and gunnery instruction.

In February 1918, he was seriously injured in an airplane accident and died of his injuries in Fort Worth, Texas on February 18.

The following month, on March 11, 1918, March Field, located ten miles southeast of Riverside, California was named in his honor.

He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.