This brief history of Marine aviation from 1912 to 1940 describes the efforts of Marines to secure their own air arm and recounts the early development of the Marine air-ground team.

The collections contained within the Combined Arms Research Library Digital Library are largely composed of digital versions of paper documents from the Combined Arms Research Library collections and student papers produced at the US Army Command and General Staff College. The documents in this collection cover the areas on the Vietnam Conflict, Korean War, and the U.S. Civil War, to name a few. This is one of those documents.

This brief history of Marine aviation from 1912-1940 describes the efforts of Marines to secure their own air arm and recounts the early development of the Marine air-ground team. The story is drawn from official reports, documents, and personal correspondence, as well as from published historical works. It also draws heavily upon the transcribed reminiscences of notable Marine aviators collected and preserved by the Oral History section of the History and Museums.