Never before has the story of Quantico’s Marine aviation history been told with such rich detail and historical accuracy.

When the United States declared war in 1917, officials began the search for a training base to accommodate the expansion of the Marine Corps. Quantico met all the military’s requirements, and in 1918 the Marines took possession of the land. Marine Aviation at Quantico not only tells the story of Quantico’s origin and development; it paints a vivid picture of the adventures of the Marines fighting in the jungles and sky over Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Nicaragua. History, military, and aviation buffs will be richly rewarded by this book’s well-balanced and well-researched record of Marine aviation history.

Major John M. Elliott, USMC (Ret.) spent 24 years serving in the Marine Corps—from a private in 1941 to a major and aviation ordnance officer in 1966. He joined the Smithsonian in 1966 as the Chief, Collections Branch, National Armed Forces Museum Advisory Board and became their contract administrator in 1975. After 18 years with the Smithsonian, he accepted the position of Assistant Naval Aviation Historian on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, where he worked for another five years on both Marine Corps and Navy aviation history. He is considered the world’s leading expert on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and paint schemes and has one of the largest private collections of early Marine Corps aircraft photos. Major Elliott has published numerous articles, written several segments of aviation history publications, and received the Admiral Arthur Radford Award for the Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Volumes I-IV, 1911-1993. Now retired, he serves as a docent at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.