Ross E. Rowell

In early 1927, Rowell as commander of the squadron VO-1M, deployed to Nicaragua as part of the United States occupation during this time referred to as the Banana Wars.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] On December 27, 1942, Rowell read a dispatch from Admiral Halsey on Guadalcanal speaking to the negative effects that night time raids from Japanese bombers were having on the ground troops.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.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.