Martin Francis Scanlon (11 August 1889 – 26 January 1980) was a general officer in the United States Air Force during World War II. After joining the United States Army in 1912, Scanlon served on the Mexican border, and participated in the United States occupation of Veracruz. He joined the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, and during World War I served with the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front as a pilot with the 91st Aero Squadron. Between the wars he was an assistant military attaché in Rome and London, and was the military attaché in London from 1939 to 1941, during the first part of World War II. He was an Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from July 1941 to March 1942 at Headquarters, United States Army Air Forces, and then went to Australia as commanding general, Air Command No. 2, based at Townsville, Queensland. As such he was in charge of the air forces in New Guinea during the Kokoda Track campaign. In September 1942, he returned to the United States where he commanded the 38th Flying Training Wing and the 36th Flying Training Wing. He retired from the United States Air Force in 1948, and was director of export and vice president of Republic Aviation until 1957. Early life Martin Francis Scanlon was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on 11 August 1889. He attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1908 to 1909, and Cornell University from 1910 to 1911, before being commissioned in the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the Infantry on 24 April 1912. He initially served with the 7th Infantry Regiment, but transferred to the 19th Infantry Regiment. This regiment patrolled the border with Mexico from Fort Crockett, Texas. He participated in the United States occupation of Veracruz from May to October 1914, when the 19th Infantry returned to Galveston, Texas. World War I Scanlon was at San Antonio, Texas, from September 1915 to March 1916, at which point he was assigned to the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps. He was promoted to first lieutenant in the infantry on 1 July 1916, and in the Aviation Section on 28 October 1916, when he received his wings as a junior aviator in San Diego, California. Scanlon assumed command of the 2d Aero Squadron, which was then flying seaplanes from Fort Mills on Corregidor Island in the Philippines. He was promoted to captain