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{{Short description|United States Marine Corps general (1884–1947)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Ross Erastus Rowell
| image         =Rowell RE.jpg
| caption       =
|alt=A black-and-white photo of Ross E. Rowell, a white male, in his Marine Corps uniform. There is a map in the background behind him, his ribbons are on the left breast side of his uniform directly above the pocket and he is wearing 2 star general rank insignia on each shoulder of his uniform. Directly above his ribbons he is wearing his Naval Aviator wings.
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1884|09|22}}
| death_date          = {{Death date and age| 1947|09|06|1884|09|22}}
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| placeofburial = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
| birth_place  = [[Ruthven, Iowa]], U.S.
| death_place  = [[San Diego]], California, U.S.
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      = "Rusty"<ref name=Simmons2003_p114>[[#Simmons|Simmons]] (2003), p. 114.</ref>
| allegiance= {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|United States of America]]
| branch= [[File:USMC logo.svg|25px]]&nbsp;[[United States Marine Corps]]
| serviceyears  = 1906–1946
| rank          = [[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|35px]] [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant general]]
| unit          =
| commands      = [[VO-1M]]<br />[[2nd Marine Aircraft Wing]]<br />Marine Corps Aviation
| battles       = [[Banana Wars]]
* [[History of Cuba#Cuba in the early 20th century|Occupation of Cuba]]
* [[United States occupation of Nicaragua|Occupation of Nicaragua]]
* [[Battle of Ocotal]]
[[World War II]]
| awards        = [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal|Distinguished Service Medal]]<br />[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br />[[Legion of Merit]]
| relations     =
| laterwork     =
}}
'''Ross Erastus Rowell''' (September 22, 1884 – September 6, 1947) was a highly decorated [[United States Marine Corps]] [[Naval aviator|aviator]] who achieved the rank of [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]] by the end of his 40 years of service. He served as the Marine Corps' [[Deputy Commandant for Aviation|Director of Aviation]] from May 30, 1935, until March 10, 1939, and was one of the three senior officers of [[Marine Corps Aviation]] during World War II.<ref name="Sherrod31"/>

==Biography==

===Early years===
Ross Rowell was born on September 22, 1884, in Ruthven, Iowa, attending  grade and high school in Ruthven. He was graduated from [[Iowa State College]] and then studied electrical engineering for two years at the [[University of Idaho]]. He then worked for two years as topographer and draftsman for the [[U.S. Geological Survey]] at [[Snake River Plain|Snake River Valley, Idaho]].

===Early military career===
He was appointed as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in August 1906. He served in [[Cuba]] from 1906 until 1909.<ref name="Sherrod24"/> Rowell was designated a student naval aviator in 1923, taking his fight training at [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]], [[Florida]] and at [[Kelly Field Annex|Kelly Field]] in [[San Antonio, Texas]]. General Rowell was commended by the [[Secretary of the Navy]] for making the highest bombing score during the gunnery year 1924–25, and in 1926 he was praised by the [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]] for the high state of efficiency prevailing at [[Naval Air Station San Diego]], [[California]], where he then was group commander.

In early 1927, Rowell as commander of the squadron [[VO-1M]], deployed to [[Nicaragua]] as part of the United States [[United States occupation of Nicaragua|occupation]] during this time referred to as the [[Banana Wars]]. They arrived at the port of [[Corinto, Nicaragua|Corinto]] on February 25 and proceeded to [[Managua]] where they began training and flying in support of their fellow Marines on the ground.<ref name="Sherrod24">[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 24.</ref>  On [[July 1927|July 16, 1927]], a 37-man Marine garrison in [[Ocotal]] was surrounded by several hundred [[sandinistas]] led by [[Augusto César Sandino]]. Upon getting news of the attack, then Major Rowell, flew a 5 plane detachment of [[Airco DH.4|DHs]] to help relieve the garrison. The [[Dive bomber|dive-bombing]] runs from low altitude made by Rowell and his men marked one of the first coordinated dive-bombing attacks in aviation history.<ref name=Sherrod1952_p25>[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 25.</ref> Rowell was awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and the [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] for his extraordinary heroism and exceptionally meritorious service in action against hostile Nicaraguan bandits during this time.<ref name=Time>{{cite magazine
|access-date=19 March 2009
|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,730807-2,00.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102220728/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,730807-2,00.html

|archive-date=November 2, 2012
|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]
|title=Marines Rescued |date=August 1, 1927}}</ref>

On May 30, 1932, Rowell took command of the ''East Coast Expeditionary Force'' at [[Marine Corps Air Station Quantico]], [[Virginia]].<ref name=Barrow_p67>[[#Barrow|Barrow]] (1981), p. 67.</ref>  His air command won the Schiff Trophy in 1926, 1932, and again in 1933. He led the Marine Air Detachment at the International Air Races at Chicago in September, 1933, and in the All-American Air Races at Miami, Florida, in January 1935, achieving commendable performances on both occasions.

He served as director of Marine Corps Aviation from May 30, 1935, through March 10, 1939.<ref name=Aces>
{{cite web
 |access-date  = 19 March 2009
 |url         = http://www.acepilots.com/usmc/main.html
 |title       = Directors of Marine Corps Aviation, 1919–1962
 |work        = History of Marine Corps Aviation
 |publisher   = AcePilots.com
 
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205053912/http://www.acepilots.com/usmc/main.html
 |archive-date = 5 February 2007
}}</ref>  In this role he was the senior advisor to the commandant on all aviation matters and the Marine Corps' liaison with the Navy's [[Bureau of Aeronautics]].<ref name="Sherrod31">[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 31.</ref>

In addition to duty at various posts in the United States and extensive sea duty, Rowell served abroad in the Philippine Islands, France, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

===World War II===
Early in World War II, Rowell was sent to London as an Air [[military attaché|Attaché]] for duty in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]]. It was in the [[Western Desert Campaign|desert]] and in the skies over Great Britain that he was able to see the advent of fighters equipped to operate at night. He also traveled and learned all he could about [[RAF Coastal Command]] in [[Scotland]] and [[RAF Bomber Command]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], England.<ref name=Doll_p4>[[#Doll|Doll]] (2000), p. 4.</ref>  Upon his return in November 1941, Rowell made a recommendation for the Marine Corps to acquire a medium-sized, long range, high-speed bomber to be used for night harassing missions. This coupled with the work of other Marines grew into the Marine [[List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons#Marine Bombing Squadrons|PBJ night bomber program]].<ref name=DeChant_p48>[[#DeChant|De Chant]] (1947), p. 48.</ref>  Following these tours, Rowell served as commanding general, Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific (MAWP), from the opening of the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]] in August 1942 until Japanese air power was driven from the Bismarck-Solomons in 1944. MAWP was based at [[Marine Corps Air Station Ewa]], [[Hawaii]] and its mission was to organize, administrate and distribute personnel and supplies for Marine Air Wings in the Pacific.<ref name=Shettle_p90>[[#Shettle|Shettle]] (2000), p. 90.</ref>  On December 27, 1942, Rowell read a dispatch from [[William Halsey, Jr.|Admiral Halsey]] on [[Guadalcanal]] speaking to the negative effects that night time raids from Japanese bombers were having on the ground troops. Based on his earlier travels and observations, Rowell immediately recommended that a night fighter unit be made "available immediately for overseas duty". This message to Marine Headquarters in Washington would be the catalyst for kicking the development of Marine Night Fighters into high gear.<ref name=Sherrod1952_p160>[[#Sherod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 160.</ref>

It was during this time that [[Ernest King|Admiral Ernest King]] convinced Rowell that there was no longer a need for Marines to get carrier qualifications since all of their aircraft were currently based out of land based strips. This lack of foresight led to Marine pilots not being able to fly from [[escort carriers]] which were providing the [[close air support]] during amphibious landings. This would return to haunt the Marine Corps during the [[Mariana and Palau Islands campaign]] in which it was generally felt that close air support provided by pilots from the [[United States Navy]] left much to be desired.<ref name=Lawing>{{cite web
  | last =Lawing
  | first =Rhett B.
  | title =American Armed Forces' Service Culture Impact on Close Air Support
  | work =Air & Space Power Journal
  | date =2006-12-18
  | url =http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/lawing.html
  | access-date =2009-03-19
  | archive-date =2007-11-16
  | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071116133922/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/cc/lawing.html
  
  }}</ref>  The lack of adequate air support was coupled with the feeling amongst other senior Marine aviators such as [[Roy Geiger]] and then Commandant [[Alexander Vandegrift]] that Marine aviation was not paying attention to its primary purpose of providing close air support and was too concerned with shooting down enemy aircraft.<ref name=Sherrod1952_p325>[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 325.</ref> In August 1944, General Vandegrift flew to Hawaii to meet with [[Chester W. Nimitz|Admiral Nimitz]] and his staff and came up with the solution that Marine squadrons would be assigned to escort carriers, Marine aviation would take control of aircraft directly supporting ground troops during amphibious operations and ''Marine Air Wing Pacific'' would be renamed ''Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific''(AirFMFPac). This new role was not welcomed by Rowell and he became so negative that he was quickly replaced by MajGen [[Francis P. Mulcahy]] in October 1944 and reassigned as the Chief of the Naval Aviation Mission to [[Peru]], a post he held until his retirement in November 1946.<ref name=Sherrod1952_p98>[[#Sherrod|Sherrod]] (1952), p. 327.</ref><ref name=Mersky1983_p98>[[#Mersky|Mersky]] (1983), p. 98.</ref> In September 1944, he was awarded the [[Legion of Merit]] for outstanding service as commanding general, Marine Aircraft Wings Pacific from August 1942 to September 1944.

Rowell retired from the Marine Corps after 40 years of service on November 1, 1946. He died at the [[Bob Wilson Naval Hospital|Naval Hospital in San Diego]] on September 6, 1947. He is buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgZyb3dlbGwSBHJvc3M-/ Burial Detail: Rowell, Ross E] – ANC Explorer</ref>

==Dates of rank==
Rowell's dates of rank are:
{| class="wikitable"
!date
!rank
!image
|-
|1906 August
|[[2nd lieutenant]]
|[[File:US-OF1B.svg|center|22px]]
|-
|1908 November
|[[First Lieutenant#United States|First Lieutenant]]
|[[File:US-OF1A.svg|center|22px]]
|-
|1914 September
|[[Captain (United States)|Captain]]
|[[File:US-O3 insignia.svg|center|60px]]
|-
|1917 October
|[[Major (United States)|Major]]
|[[File:US-O4 insignia.svg|center|60px]]
|-
|1932 August
|[[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant colonel]]
|[[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|center|60px]]
|-
|1935 June
|[[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]]
|[[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|center|70px]]
|-
|1939 December
|[[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier general]]
|[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|center|40px]]
|-
|1942 January
|[[Major general (United States)|Major general]]
|[[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|center|80px]]
|}

==Decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|[[File:Naval Aviator Badge.jpg|200px]]
|-
|colspan="4"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Marine Corps Expeditionary ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Cuban Pacification service ribbon.png|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaraguan Campaign ribbon 1933.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaraguan Medal of Military Merit.png|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaragua Medal of Distinction ribbon.png|width=106}}
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="17"|[[United States Aviator Badge|Naval Aviator Badge]]
|-
!1st Row
|colspan="17"|[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
|-
!2nd Row
|colspan="4"|[[Legion of Merit]]
|colspan="4"|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
|colspan="4"|[[Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal]] w/ 2 [[service star]]s <!-- Panama, 1909, Nicaragua, 1914, and Haiti, 1921 -->
|colspan="4"|[[Cuban Pacification Medal]]
|-
!3rd Row
|colspan="4"|[[World War I Victory Medal (United States)|World War I Victory Medal]] w/ West Indies [[medal bar|clasp]]
|colspan="4"|[[Nicaraguan Campaign Medal|Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933)]]
|colspan="4"|[[American Defense Service Medal]] w/ 1 service star
|colspan="4"|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
!4th Row
|colspan="4"|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with three service stars
|colspan="4"|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]
|colspan="4"|Nicaraguan Medal of Merit
|colspan="4"|Nicaraguan Medal of Distinction w/ Diploma
|-
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [[Alfred Austell Cunningham|Alfred A. Cunningham]], first Marine Corps aviator and first director of Marine Corps Aviation
{{Clear}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Deputy Commandant for Aviation|Director of Aviation]]
| before = [[Roy S. Geiger]]
| years = May 30, 1935 – March 10, 1939
| after = [[Ralph J. Mitchell]]
}}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{Marine Corps}}

;Specific
{{Reflist|2}}

;Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |ref=Barrow
  | last = Barrow
  | first = Jess C.
  | title = WW II: Marine Fighting Squadron Nine (VF-9M)
  | publisher = TAB Books Inc.
  | year = 1981
  | location = Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania
  | isbn = 0-8306-2289-6
}}
* {{cite book |ref=DeChant
 | last = De Chant
 | first = John A.
 | title = Devilbirds – The Story of United States Marine Aviation in World War II
 | publisher = Harper & Brothers
 | year = 1947
 | location = New York |isbn=0-89201-050-9
 }}
* {{cite book |ref=Doll
  | last = Doll
  | first = Thomas E.
  | title = Night Wings: USMC Night Fighters, 1942–1953
  | publisher = Squadron/Signal Publications
  | year = 2000
  | location = Carrollton, Texas
  | isbn = 0-89747-419-8}}
* {{cite book |ref=Mersky
 | last = Mersky
 | first = Peter B.
 | year = 1983
 | title = U.S. Marine Corps Aviation – 1912 to the Present
 | publisher = Nautical and Aviation Publishing Company of America
 | isbn = 0-933852-39-8
}}
* {{cite book |ref=Sherrod
 | last = Sherrod
 | first = Robert
 | author-link = Robert Sherrod
 | year = 1952
 | title = History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II
 | publisher = Combat Forces Press
 | location = Washington, D.C.
 | oclc = 1261876 |isbn=0-89201-048-7
}}
* {{cite book |ref=Shettle
 | last = Shettle
 | first = M. L. Jr.
 | title = United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II
 | publisher = Schaertel Publishing Co.
 | year = 2001
 | location = Bowersville, Georgia
 | isbn = 0-9643388-2-3
}}
* {{cite book |access-date=19 March 2009
  |url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesmari0000simm_r8b9
  |url-access=registration
  |page=[https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesmari0000simm_r8b9/page/114 114]
  |quote=Ross E. Rowell.
  |title=The United States Marines: A History
  |first= Edwin H. |last=Simmons |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2003
  |isbn=978-1-55750-868-3}}
{{Refend}}

;Web
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web|ref=WWMCH |access-date=19 March 2009 |url=http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Rowell_RE.htm |title=Lieutenant General Ross E. Rowell, USMC |work=Who's Who in Marine Corps History |publisher=History Division, United States Marine Corps  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615092820/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Rowell_RE.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2011 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rerowell.htm
|title=Ross E. Rowell, Lieutenant General, United States Marine Corps
|date=16 October 2022
|publisher=ArlingtonCemetery.net |id=An unofficial website}}{{Unreliable source?|date=December 2020|reason=[[WP:SPS]] with poor attribution to sources}}
* {{cite book|access-date=19 March 2009
|url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/aviation.txt
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000619101032/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/aviation.txt
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=June 19, 2000
|title= Brief History of Marine Corps Aviation
|publisher=Historical Branch, United States Marine Corps |location=Washington, D.C.
|year=1962}}
{{Refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowell, Ross E.}}
[[Category:1884 births]]
[[Category:1947 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps generals]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps World War II generals]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Air Corps Tactical School alumni]]
[[Category:University of Idaho alumni]]
[[Category:Iowa State University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Palo Alto County, Iowa]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Banana Wars]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Iowa]]