First Marine Aviation Force Insignia

Commanding officer of the 1st Marine Aviation Force Maj Alfred A. Cunningham called for the design of a unique emblem for the unit shortly after its arrival in France. QmSgt John Engelhardt and Sgt James Nicholson created the winning design, which featured the red, white, and blue roundel (the national aircraft insignia then used on all U.S. aircraft) in lieu of the globe in this art-deco-inspired variant of the standard USMC emblem. Engelhardt and Nicholson’s emblem, which was used only on the aircraft flown by the four squadrons of the 1st Marine Aviation Force during World War I, was the earliest known officially approved unit insignia in U.S. naval aviation.

About the Artist: John J. Engelhardt, a commercial artist from Brooklyn, New York, enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on 7 March 1918 at the rank of quartermaster sergeant. Assigned to the 1st Marine Aviation Force at Miami Flying Field, Florida, Engelhardt’s skills earned him duty as the Force’s “camoufleur,” one who designed and implemented camouflage. After returning from France in December 1918, Engelhardt was placed on inactive service and remained in the New York area, working as a commercial artist at least through 1940.