Avery Raymond Kier (February 11, 1905 – August 7, 1987) was a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

and general officer. During World War II he served as the commanding officer of VMSB-234 and towards the end of the war was a pioneer in the development of

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

for ground combat operations serving at both

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...

and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. Following WW II, Kier served as the commanding officer of numerous Marine aircraft groups, air stations and air wings, with his last assignment being that of deputy commander for

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M ...

. He retired from the Marine Corps on 1 March 1967.

Biography

Early years

Avery Kier was born in Gentry, Missouri, on February 11, 1905. He attended the University of Kansas City from 1923 through 1927, graduating with a

Bachelor of Law Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

. He followed this with two more years of schooling at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

, where he attained a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

aeronautical engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: Aeronautics, aeronautical engineering and Astronautics, astronautical engineering. A ...

Aviation reserves; 1930s

Kier enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on June 4, 1929, at

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, and was immediately assigned to flight school at Naval Air Station Pensacola,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Upon graduation, in June 1930, he was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

and served six months with Aircraft Squadrons, West Coast Expeditionary Forces at

Naval Air Station North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He was released from active duty in January 1931 and proceeded to find employment with the administrative staff of his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. He remained in the reserves and continued to fly during this time through May 1938. He was promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in August 1937. In the summer of 1938, Captain Kier served on active duty as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Minneapolis in connection with the Naval Aviation Cadet Training Program. Following a brief tour at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base in Kansas City, Kier reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola in March 1939, this time as an active duty flight instructor.

World War II; 1940s

Upon his detachment from Pensacola in May 1940, Captain Kier returned to the Naval Reserve Aviation Base in Minneapolis for duty as the inspector-instructor and commanding officer of the station. He was integrated into the regular Marine Corps in February 1941 and that month he joined Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 2 at

Naval Air Station San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (NBC ...

as the squadron gunnery officer. With the rest of Marine Air Group Two, the squadron deployed to

Marine Corps Air Station Ewa Marine Corps Air Station Ewa (MCAS Ewa) was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located west of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The base was hit during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and later served as the hub for all Mar ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, in January 1941. On July 1, 1941, the squadron was re-designated as Marine Scout-Bombing Squadron 231 (VMSB-231). With the prospect of war growing, the squadron was embarked upon the aircraft carrier during the first week of December 1941 and was on its way to

Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...

when word of the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

reached the carrier. The Lexington returned to Pearl Harbor on December 10. On December 17 Captain Kier was one of 17 pilots from VMSB-231 who flew their Vought SB2U Vindicator aircraft 1137 miles from Oahu to Midway to bolster the island's defenses. At the time this was the longest mass overwater, single-engine flight on record. In May 1942 he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. He remained on Midway until February 9, 1942, when he was rotated back to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa to serve as the operations officer for

Marine Aircraft Group 21 Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 21 (MATSG-21) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training Group (air force unit), group that was originally established in 1922 as the 2nd Aviation Group. During World War II the unit was known as ...

(MAG-21). He remained in that role until May 1, 1942, when he was named the commanding officer of VMSB-234, where he served until September 6, 1942. On December 1, 1942, he returned to the States to serve as the assistant chief of staff G-3 for the commanding general, Marine Air West Coast, at Naval Air Station San Diego. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in April 1943. LtCol Kier was again ordered overseas in May 1944 to serve as the operations officer and executive officer for Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) in the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...

. He detached from MAG-13 on 15 September 1944 in order to serve as an observer with the Amphibious Group 3 Air Support Control Unit during the Battle of Leyte. On November 1, 1944, he joined Colonel Vernon Megee as a member of the newly formed Provisional Air Support Command, whose role was to organize, train and equip Marine units to duplicate the air control function of the navy but do it ashore. He served with Landing Force Air Support Control Unit 1 (LFASCU-1) at both

and

. During the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

, he was the commanding officer of LFASCU-1. For meritorious service on Okinawa from May 15 to June 21, 1945, he was awarded the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with Combat "V". He remained with LFASCU-1 through the end of the war and rotated back to the States in August 1945. Over the course of the next year he would serve as the commanding officer of

Marine Aircraft Group 51 Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

(MAG-51),

Marine Aircraft Group 46 Marine Aircraft Group 46 (MAG-46) was a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with subordinate units spread throughout California. It previously composed of one adversary squadron e ...

(MAG-46), and

Marine Aircraft Group 33 Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 33 (MATSG-33) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group that was originally established during World War II as Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). Fighter squadrons from MAG-33 fought most ...

(MAG-33) during a period of great transition for Marine Aviation as post-war downsizing and reorganization was taking place. In September 1946 he was sent to Marine Corps Base Quantico,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, to attend the Amphibious Warfare School (Senior Course). Upon graduation in June 1947 he was assigned to

Naval Air Station Norfolk A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

, Virginia, to serve as the force air officer and assistant chief of staff, G-2, Fleet Marine Forces, Atlantic. In July 1948 he joined the staff of Admiral

William H. P. Blandy William Henry Purnell Blandy (28 June 1890 – 12 January 1954), known to close associates as "Spike", was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Biography Born in New York City 28 June 1890, Blandy graduated first in his cla ...

, the

Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...

as the fleet Marine officer.

Commands; 1950s

Transferred to the

American Embassy in London The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. It is located in Nine Elms and is the largest American embassy in Western Europe and the focal point for events relating ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, in August 1950, Colonel Kier began a two-year tour as the assistant naval attache for air. He returned to the United States in August 1952 to serve as the chief of staff for the

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (abbreviated as 3rd MAW) is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, California and provides the aviation combat el ...

Marine Corps Air Station Miami Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

. In August 1954 he returned to Quantico, Virginia, to become the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Quantico. He served for two years in Quantico before being sent to

Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast ...

, California, where he served as the assistant chief of staff, G-3, aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, prior to his detachment to the Far East in December 1956. In January 1957 he assumed duties as the assistant commander of the

1st Marine Aircraft Wing The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Activ ...

(1st MAW). While serving in this capacity in April 1957 he was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. That same month he was sent to

Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station (NAS) ...

, Hawaii, and for the next 25 months served as the commanding general (CG) of the 1st Marine Brigade. In July 1959 he would move again, this time to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he was assigned as the director of information at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC).

Leader amongst Marine Aviators; 1960s

BGen Kier returned to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in April 1960 as the commanding general of 1st MAW. He was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in July 1960 and remained as CG until June 1961. For the next four years Kier would remain at MCAS El Toro, CA in various capacities. He would serve as the CG of the

(3rd MAW) until June 1962 and then spend the next three years as commanding general, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force Pacific with the additional duty of commander, Marine Corps Air Bases, Western Area. During his time as CG, Air, FMF PAC Kier oversaw the training and operations of 49 tactical fixed-wing and rotary-wing squadrons dispersed between California, Hawaii, Japan and Okinawa. He also oversaw the fielding of the Short Airfield for Tactical Support (SATS) system and the Marine Tactical Data System (MTDS). SATS allowed Marine A-4s to take off and land on the short expeditionary runway built at

Chu Lai Air Base Chu Lai Air Base was a military airport in Chu Lai, Vietnam, operated by the United States Marine Corps between 1965 and 1970. It was located near Tam Kỳ city, the largest city in Quảng Nam Province. Abandoned after the end of the Vietnam Wa ...

in 1965 when the Marines first entered

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. For his last two years on active duty, MajGen Kier was stationed at

Camp H. M. Smith Camp H. M. Smith is a United States Marine Corps installation in the Hawaiian town of Aiea on the island of Oahu, near the community of Halawa (ha-LA-va) Heights. It is the headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Spec ...

, Hawaii, serving as the deputy commander, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. MajGen Kier retired from the Marine Corps on 1 March 1967.

In retirement

Kier died in Laguna Hills, California, on August 7, 1987, at age 82 and was buried with

full military honors A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

in the Pacific View Memorial Park in

Corona del Mar, California Corona del Mar (Spanish for "Crown of the Sea") is a seaside neighborhood in the city of Newport Beach, California. It generally consists of all the land on the seaward face of the San Joaquin Hills south of Avocado Avenue to the city limits, as ...

Notes

References

;Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kier, Avery 1905 births 1987 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Battle of Iwo Jima University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering alumni University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni United States Marine Corps generals Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal