Admiral Marc Andrew Mitscher, A Sailor's Story
Admiral Marc Andrew Mitscher, A Sailor's Story
Marc Andrew Mitscher was born on January 26, 1887, in Hillsboro, Wisconsin. His family later relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he was raised.
Mitscher entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis but struggled academically, accumulating poor grades and 159 demerits. He was dismissed during his sophomore year. Undeterred, he reapplied, began again as a first-year plebe, and successfully graduated on June 3, 1910, a quiet early indication of the persistence that would define his career.
Following graduation, Mitscher served aboard the USS Colorado before transferring to the USS California on the West Coast. Drawn to emerging technologies, he volunteered for the Navy’s newly created aviation program. On June 2, 1916, he became Naval Aviator No. 33, placing him among the earliest generation of American naval aviators.
His early aviation assignments included service aboard the USS North Carolina and USS West Virginia, where he participated in catapult experiments and the foundational work of launching aircraft from ships. During World War I, naval aviation was still primarily used for scouting and spotting rather than direct combat.
In 1919, when the U.S. Navy made its first attempt to cross the Atlantic by air, Mitscher was selected as one of three pilots. His aircraft, the NC-1, was forced to set down near the Azores after heavy fog eliminated the visible horizon. Though unsuccessful, the mission marked a significant milestone in long-distance naval aviation.
Mitscher later served aboard the USS Aroostook and as commanding officer of Naval Air Station Anacostia before being assigned to the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics. There, he played a key role in preparing material for the Morrow Board, which shaped national aviation policy and secured Navy control over sea-based aviation.
His subsequent work focused almost entirely on the development of naval aviation systems. He served as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics before receiving command of the newly commissioned Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS Hornet. While overseeing the carrier’s early training, Mitscher supported Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle’s plan to launch Army Air Forces B-25 bombers from a carrier. Mitscher commanded USS Hornet during the Doolittle Raid, a bold strike that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
He later commanded Hornet at the Battle of Midway before being assigned to Guadalcanal as Commander, Air Solomons (COMAIRSOLS). Mitscher would go on to command Task Force 58, leading carrier operations against the Marshall Islands, Truk, Satawan, and Ponape, and playing a decisive role in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
After World War II, Mitscher briefly commanded the U.S. Eighth Fleet before being appointed Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in 1946.
Admiral Marc Andrew Mitscher died of coronary thrombosis on February 3, 1947. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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