Vernon E. Megee
General Vernon Edgar Megee (June 5, 1900 – January 14, 1992) was a United States Marine Corps general. He is recognized as a pioneer in the development of close air support for ground combat operations. He served as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1957; with his final billet from 1957 to 1959 as commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. When he retired from the Marine Corps, after 40 years of active duty service, he received a promotion to 4-star rank. Biography Vernon Megee was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1900. After attending Oklahoma A&M College from 1917 to 1919, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1919, and spent the next two years on garrison duty at Parris Island, South Carolina. In 1921, he was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS). Early Marine Corps career — 1920s In 1922, upon graduation from OCS, Megee was commissioned a second lieutenant. For the next several years he held many positions in Marine forces stationed abroad, including one tour of duty in Haiti and two tours of duty in China. He served his first tour of expeditionary duty with the 1st Marine Brigade in Haiti from October