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 ...

Dr. David Norvell Walker Grant (May 14, 1891 – August 15, 1964),

Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...

, U.S. Army Air Forces, is considered by most authorities as the "grandfather" of the present-day U.S. Air Force Medical Service. Born, raised, and educated in

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 ...

, Grant received his

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in 1915. He entered the Army Medical Service in 1916 as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

and various stations in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. From 1919 to 1922 he served with the Army of Occupation in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. After other medical tours of duty, he attended the School of Aviation Medicine Headquarters in 1931. He was stationed at

Randolph Field Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Un ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

for the following five years. He later attended the Air Force Tactical School and the

Chemical Warfare Chemical warfare (CW) involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up CBRN, the military acronym ...

School. In 1939, he became chief of the Medical Division, Office of the Chief of the Air Corps. Upon reorganization of the Army in 1941, he was appointed air surgeon of the Army Air Forces and visited all fronts during World War II. Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Grant recognized that the medical needs of a combat air force differed significantly from those of massed land armies. He successfully fought for the establishment of a separate medical service for the Army Air Forces. He became the first Air Surgeon for the United States Army Air Forces and served in that capacity throughout World War II. Grant was one of the first to recognize the potentialities of aeromedical evacuation and was directly responsible for its organization and operation in World War II. He was instrumental in the establishment of a convalescent rehabilitation program, which helped to restore many of the sick and wounded of World War II to maximum capacity for further service or return to civilian life. His encouragement of aeromedical research resulted in the development of many items of modern high altitude equipment used for the protection of flying personnel. He supervised and directed the forerunner of our present aircrew selection and classification systems and is credited with the establishment of the Physiological Training Program. After a thirty-three-year military career, Grant retired in 1946 and became medical director for the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

and national director of the Red Cross Blood Program. Grant was a recipient of the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

and held numerous military and civilian medical honors. Grant died August 15, 1964. Nearly two years later, on July 1, 1966, the USAF (United States Air Force) Hospital at

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...

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 ...

was officially renamed the

David Grant USAF Medical Center The David Grant USAF Medical Center (DGMC) at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, is the United States Air Force's largest medical center in the continental United States and serves military beneficiaries throughout eight western sta ...

during a dedication ceremony held in his honor.

References

* Official USAF Fact Sheet – 60th Medical Group Public Affairs Office, Travis AFB, California

External links

Air Force Medical Service Home PageAir Force Medical Service online history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, David Norvell Walker United States Army Medical Corps officers 1964 deaths Military personnel from Virginia 1891 births Air Corps Tactical School alumni United States Army Air Forces generals University of Virginia School of Medicine alumni United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II

See also

References

External links