Frank E. Petersen

Frank E. Petersen

Frank E. Petersen Jr. (USMC) (born March 2, 1932 in Topeka, Kansas) is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general.

Petersen retired from the Marine Corps in 1988 after 38 years of service. "At the time of his retirement he was by date of aviator designation the senior ranking aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps and the United States Navy with respective titles of "Silver Hawk" and "Gray Eagle". His date of designation as an aviator also precedes all other aviators in the U.S. Air Force and Army."