Frank Maxwell Andrews

Frank Maxwell Andrews
Nickname(s)	"Andy"
Born	(1884-02-03)February 3, 1884 Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Died	May 3, 1943(1943-05-03) (aged 59) Mount Fagradalsfjall, Iceland
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1906–1943
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	European Theater of Operations U.S. Army Forces in the Middle East Caribbean Defense Command Panama Air Force General Headquarters Air Force 1st Pursuit Group
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (2)
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Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884^[1] – May 3, 1943) was a senior officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Force. In leadership positions within the Army Air Corps, he succeeded in advancing progress toward a separate and independent Air Force where predecessors and allies such as Billy Mitchell had failed. Andrews was the first head of a centralized American air force and the first air officer to serve on the Army's general staff. In early 1943, he took the place of General Dwight D. Eisenhower as commander of all U.S. troops in the European Theater of Operations.

Andrews was killed in an airplane accident during an inspection tour in Iceland in 1943. He was the first of four lieutenant generals in the U.S. Army to die during the war, the others being Lesley J. McNair, Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. and Millard Harmon. Joint Base Andrews in Maryland (formerly Andrews Air Force Base) is named after him, as well as Andrews Barracks (a kaserne in Berlin, Germany), Frank Andrews Boulevard at Alexandria International Airport (the former England Air Force Base), in Louisiana, General Andrews Airport (demolished) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Andrews Engineering Building Eglin Air Force Base, Andrews Avenue in Pasay, Philippines and Andrews Theater at Keflavík Naval Base, Iceland, among others.