Carl Wayne Gray Genealogies
English
Schilt, Christian Franklin
1895 - 1987 (91 years)-
Name Schilt, Christian Franklin Birth 18 Mar 1895 Olney, Richland County, Illinois 
[1] Gender Male Reference Number SCHI.C010 _FGRAVE 7865231 Military Service Career Marine Military Service Korean War, Major General, United States Marine Corps [1] - Haitian Campaign Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was one of the first US Marine Corps aviators and his military career spanned World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
Born in Richland County, Illinois, he attended Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana and enlisted in the US Marine Corps in June 1917, soon after the US entered World War I. His first assignment was to Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, with the 1st Marine Aeronautical Company, a seaplane squadron that performed anti-submarine patrol, the first organized American air unit of any service to go overseas during World War I.
He returned to the US at the rank of corporal and entered flight training at the Marine Flying Field, Miami, Florida. He was designated an aviator and awarded his aviator's badge in June 1919, and commissioned a second lieutenant shortly afterwards. In October of that year, he began his first tour of expeditionary duty as a member of Squadron "D," Marine Air Forces, 2nd Provisional Brigade, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In February 1920 he returned to the US to enter the Marine Officers Training School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
In August 1920, he went overseas again the following month, joining squadron "E" of Marine Aviation Forces, 1st Provisional Brigade, at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He was transferred to the 2d Brigade the following March to make an aerial survey and mosaic map of the coast line of the Dominican Republic. Upon completion of that assignment, he returned to Quantico in October 1922. Except for a short tour at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, from January to July 1923, and completion of a three-month photographic course at the Air Service Technical School, Chanute Field, Illinois in 1925, he remained at Quantico for the next five years.
While attached to that post, he won 2nd place in the Schneider International Seaplane Race at Norfolk, in November 1926. In November 1927 he was sent to Managua, Nicaragua, where he joined Observation Squadron 7-M.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism from 6 to January 8, 1928, at Quilali, Nicaragua, where two Marine patrols were ambushed and cut off by Sandino forces. Then a lieutenant, he voluntarily risked his life to make ten flights in his 02U Corsair biplane into the besieged town, evacuating 18 casualties and carrying in a replacement commander and badly needed medical supplies. To make a landing strip on the village's rough, rolling, main street, the Marines on the ground had to burn and level part of the town, and since his aircraft had no brakes they had to stop it by dragging from its wings as soon as it touched down.
In August 1929 he returned to the US and after commanding Fighter Squadron 5-N at Quantico, he was named Chief Test Pilot and Flight and Aerological Officer at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in that capacity for two years before returning again to Quantico in June 1932, to attend the Company Officers' Course at the Marine Corps Schools. After completing that course in July 1933, he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Montgomery, Alabama, graduating in June 1934.
He returned again to Quantico for another four years, where he was Air Officer on the Staff of the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, and later a squadron commander with Aircraft One, Fleet Marine Force. He then served from May 1938 to June 1940, as Executive Officer of the Marine Corps Air Station St. Thomas (MCAS St. Thomas), Virgin Islands. He then returned to Quantico to complete the Senior Course in the Marine Corps Schools and serve with Base Air Detachment 1, Fleet Marine Force.
In May 1941 he was assigned to the American Embassy in London, England as an Assistant Naval Attaché for Air. In that capacity he traveled through England and Scotland and served as a naval observer in North Africa and the Middle East. Returning to the US in August 1941, he was assigned back to Quantico as Engineer and Supply Officer of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
In September 1942, after the US entry into World War II, he arrived on Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands and served as Assistant Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Air Wing, and commander of Marine Aircraft Group 11, Chief of Staff of the 1st Wing and Commanding Officer of the Strike and Search Patrol Commands. In September 1943 he returned to the US and commanded the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, until March of the following year.
From April to June 1944 he commanded the 9th Marine Aircraft Wing during the organization of that unit, then served for six months as Chief of Staff of the wing and for another month as its commander before returning to the Pacific Theater in February 1945 as Island Commander, Peleliu, from March to August 1945, and Commanding General, Air Defense Command, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, on Okinawa until October 1945, when he took command of the 2nd Wing.
He returned to the US in March 1946 and was assigned to the Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois, the following month where he was head of the Marine Air Reserve Training Command until July 1949, when he was ordered to Naval Station Norfolk as Chief of Staff, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic.
He served in that capacity until he took command of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Korea in July 1951. In April 1952 he returned from Korea to serve in Hawaii as Deputy Commander, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, until February 1953 when he became Commanding General, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.
In August 1955 he became the Director of Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington DC at the rank of lieutenant general, serving in this capacity until he retired in April 1957 with nearly 40 years of continued military service.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the following military and foreign decorations and awards: The Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with combat "V" valor device, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with combat "V" valor device, the Air Medal with 4 award stars, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation with 1 service star, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with 1 service star, the World War I Victory Medal with Overseas clasp, Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933), the American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 5 service stars, the Nicaraguan Medal of Merit with silver star, the Nicaraguan Cross of Valor, the Order of Military Merit, Taeguk Cordon Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the United Nations Korea Medal.
He was then promoted to the rank of general on the retired list for having been especially commended in combat in accordance with an Act of Congress passed on February 23, 1942 (colloquially known as a "tombstone promotion"). He died in Norfolk, Virginia at the age of 91.
His Medal of Honor citation reads: "During the progress of an insurrection at Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7, and 8 January 1928, 1st Lt. Schilt, then a member of a marine expedition which had suffered severe losses in killed and wounded, volunteered under almost impossible conditions to evacuate the wounded by air and transport a relief commanding officer to assume charge of a very serious situation. 1st Lt Schilt bravely undertook this dangerous and important task and, by taking off a total of 10 times in the rough, rolling street of a partially burning village, under hostile infantry fire on each occasion, succeeded in accomplishing his mission, thereby actually saving 3 lives and bringing supplies and aid to others in desperate need."
Career Marine, General, United States Marine Corps
Christian Franklin Schilt (1895-1987) 
Korea 
General, United States Marine Corps Korean Service Medal, United States Armed Forces 
Korean Service Medal, United States Armed Forces Korean War
(1950-1953)
National Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces National Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces 
United Nations Service Medal for Korea Navy Distinguished Service Medal
United States Navy and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps United Nations Service Medal Korea 
United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959)
In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps Rank Insignia Military Service World War I, Corporal, United States Marine Corps [1] 
Christian Franklin Schilt (1895-1987) Medal of Honor 
Medal of Honor, United States Navy ('Tiffany Cross' Version) (1919-1942) Nicaraguan Campaign Medal United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps 
World War I Victory Medal, United States Vought O2U Corsair United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959)
In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…World War I (1914 - 1918)
World War I Victory Medal, United States Military Service World War II, United States Marine Corps [1] 
American Campaign Medal, United States Military American Campaign Medal, United States 
American Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces American Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces 
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces 
Bronze Star Medal, United States Bronze Star Medal, United States Armed Forces 
Corporal, United States Marine Corps
Pre-1918-1959
Navy Occupation Service Medal, United States Navy 
Good Conduct Medal, United States Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, United States Uniformed Services
Originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
United States Navy and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps 
Navy Occupation Service Medal, United States Navy World War II
(1939-1945)United States Marine Corps World War II Victory Medal, United States Military 
World War II Victory Medal, United States Military United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959)
In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…Death 8 Jan 1987 Norfolk, Virginia [1] Burial Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia [1] - Section 2E Plot 151-2
Headstone, Schilt, Christian Franklin and Elizabeth Weber 
Headstone, Schilt, Christian Franklin 
Headstone, Schilt, Christian Franklin, and Elizabeth Weber Person ID I43437 Carl Wayne Gray Research Last Modified 28 Apr 2025
Father Schilt, Fred William, b. 1 Mar 1868, Preston Township, Richland County, Illinois d. 17 Sep 1934, Newton, Jasper County, Illinois (Age 66 years) Mother Joerris, Anna Cornelia, b. 28 Mar 1869, Poland, Clay County, Indiana d. 17 Apr 1961, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 92 years) Family ID F6160 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Weber, Elizabeth, b. 7 Jan 1903, Olney, Richland County, Illinois d. 15 Jul 1985, Norfolk, Virginia (Age 82 years) Marriage Y [1] Family ID F16786 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Haitian Campaign Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was one of the first US Marine Corps aviators and his military career spanned World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
-
Event Map 
Birth - 18 Mar 1895 - Olney, Richland County, Illinois 
Death - 8 Jan 1987 - Norfolk, Virginia 
Burial - - Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia = Link to Google Earth
-
Documents 
Christian F. Schilt
-
Sources - [S13586] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Schilt, Christian Franklin and Elizabeth Weber, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7865231/christian-franklin-schilt), none. (Reliability: 2).
- [S13586] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Schilt, Christian Franklin and Elizabeth Weber, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7865231/christian-franklin-schilt), none. (Reliability: 2).