Lt. Christian F. Schilt, USMC, Medal of Honor Recepient

A Photograph of the first Medal of Honor ever awarded, next to the recepient, Pvt Jacob Parrott. President Abraham Lincoln awarded the medal to Parrott on 3-25-1863.

 

 

Many of the aviation history stories I write about include stories in which many of them won the Medal of Honor for heroism. Do you know when the Medal of Honor was first awarded? The very first recepiant was Pvt. Jacob Wilson Parrott, during the civil war, and who was an American soldier and carpenter. He was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, a new military award first presented by the United States Department of War to six Union Army soldiers, all of whom participated in the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862 during the Civil War.

 

 

Christian Frank Schilt

 

 

On March 18, 1895, Christian Frank Schilt was born in Olney, Richland County, Illinois. Christian was the second of five children born to his farmer father, Frederick Wilhelm Schilt, and his mother, Ann Cornelia Jorris Schilt. Christian graduated from Olney High School where he excelled in sports and academics. Following graduation he went on to attend Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana, a school known for it's excellence in training engineers.

 

 

After graduation from Rose Polytechnic Institute, Christian worked for Congressman and Democratic Representative Martin David Foster from Terre Haute, Indiana, in Washington, DC. By this time Schilt had received his draft card, which described him as tall, medium build, brown hair and hazel eyes. On January 23, 1917, Schilt enlisted as a private in the United States Marine Corps, and he subsequently was trained as an aircraft mechanic. 

 

 

His first duty assignement in the Marines was to the 1st Marine Aeronatic Company Advanced Base Force, Headquarters Marine Corps, in Washington, D.C. The 1st Marine Aeronautic Company was established in 1917, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, as part of the Advanced Base Force to conduct seaplane operations, becoming the first permanent Marine aviation unit. Commanded by Capt. Francis T. Evans, the unit deployed to Ponta Delgada in the Azores during WW I in 1918, where they conducted anti-submarine patrols using Curtiss F-6 and HS-2L seaplanes.

 

 

A photograph of a Curtiss F-6 Hawk like the ones used for anti-submarine patrols in WW I.

 

 

Specifications:

 

 

• Crew: One Pilot
• Length: 22 feet 7 7/16 inches
• Wingspan: 31 feet, 6 inches
• Height: 8 feet, 10 inches
• Empty weight: 2,177 pounds
• Gross weight:  2,920 pounds
• Max speed: 164 mph
• Ceiling: 22,700 feet
• Range: 350 miles
• Armament: 2 fixed .30 inch guns, forward firing.

 

 

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company's famous Hawk-series fighters were a mainstay in Army Air Corps and naval squadrons during the late-1920s and early-1930s. Four versions of the aircraft appeared during its production run, the configurations including the installation of tail hooks for carrier operations, floats for service as seaplanes, and conversion from the water cooled Curtiss D-12 engine to the more easily maintained Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine. The F6C was the last Navy aircraft to employ liquid cooled engines.

 

 

The 1st Marine Aeronautic Company had been established in 1917, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, as part of the Advanced Base Force, to conduct seaplane operations, also becoming the first permanent Marine aviation unit. Schilt was then assigned to the first American military aviation unit sent overseas during World War I. During his time, Schilt rose to the rank of gunnery sergeant. The unit was commanded by Capt. Francis T. Evans,  and which was assigned to anti-submarine patrols using Curtiss F-6 and HS-2L seaplanes.

 

 

Upon Schilts return to the United States on August 17, 1918, he was sent to Miami, Florida, and from there he was transferred to the 1st Company, Marine Aviation Cadets, Philidelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 19, 1918. This was then followed by Schilt being transfered to the Marine Aviation Detachment in Miami, Florida, on December 2nd, a9a8, for flight training.

 

 

Upon completion of his flight training he was discharged as a gunnery sergeant on May 29, 1919, and then on June 10, 1919, was commissioned as a 2nd Lt  Second Lieutenant Schilt then served for several years flying in the Caribbean and Central American campaigns, before receiving an assignment as the chief test pilot at the Naval Aircraft Factory.

 

 

Over the next 8 years 2nd Lt. Schilt had flying assignements in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and throughout the continental United States. In May of 1924, he was promoted to 1st. Lieutenant, and upon completion of his assignment to the Marine Officer's Training School his commission was made permanent. During the mid-1902s, while stationed at Quanitco, Virginia, he became a member of the Navy-Marine Corps air racing team.

 

 

1st Lt Christian Frank Schilt, USMC, in the cockpit of the Curtiss R3C-2 racer, A.7054, race number 6.

 

 

An image of an Curtiss R3C-2 racer seaplane.

 

 

Curtiss R3C-2 Specifications:

 

 

• Crew: Pilot
• Length: 19 feet, 8 1/2 inches
• Wingspan: 22 feet
• Height: 8 feet 1 inch
• Empty weight: 2,150 ounds
• Gross weight: 2,539 pounds
• Engine: Curtiss V-1400, 610 hp

 

 

In November of 1926, Schilt flew a Curtiss Racer at a speed of 231.3 mph, over seven laps of a triangular 50 km race course, placing second place behind Italian Air Force Major Mario de Bernardi, at the Schneider International Seaplane Race at Norfolk, Virginia. 

 

 

On September 11, 1929, Lt. Schilt married his sweatheart, Miss Katherine Elizabeth Josephine Weber in the Caholic parsonage in Olney, Illinois. Miss Weber was also a grauate of Olney High School, and upon graduation from the University of Illinois became a teacher at Olney High School. During their marriage they had a total of six children.

 

 

The Second Nicaraguan Campaign

 

In 1926, a civil war broke out in Nicaragua, and U.S. Marines were sent in to protect American citizens living in the country. 1st Lt. Schilt was assigned to an observation Squadron at Managua, Nicaragua, in November of 1927. But, on January 6, 1928, rebel soldiers ambushed a U.S. Marine patrol at the village of Quilali. The Marines were cut off, and were unable to be re-supplied, and had a number of wonded men who needed to be evacuated.

 

 

Lt. Schilt volunteered to fly into the village, land on a road carrying supplies, and then fly the wounded Marines out. The flying was difficult that day, as the area had low clouds, surrounding mountains, as well as hostile gunfire as he landed and took off.

 

 

1st Lt. Christian F. Schilt, USMC, with his Chance Vought O2U-1 Corsair, Bu. No. A7529.

 

Chance Vought O2U-1 Corsair Specifications:

 

 

• Crew: 2
• Length: 24.67 feet
• Wingspan: 35.50 feet
• Height: 10.04 feet
• Empty weight: 2,342 pounds
• Gross weight:  3,635 pounds
• Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" R-1340-88, 9 cylinder, radial engine, 425 hp
• Maximum speed: 151 mph
• Range: 580 miles
• Service ceiling: 24,500 feet
• Armament:
  • 2 fixed Browning machine guns mounted on the top center section
  • 2 Lewis guns flex-mounted over the rear cockpit
  • Bomb rack supports

 

 

Over a period of three days, Schilt managed ten flights, brought out 18 wounded Marines, flew in a replacement commander, and much needed medical supplies. In order for Schilt to land in the village, the Marines on the ground burned and leveled much of the town, and because the Corsair had no brakes, the Marines had to grab the wings as soon as it landed to bring  it to a stop within the space available.

 

 

The Medal of Honor Action Date: January 6-8, 1928

 

Citation:

 

"For extraordinary heroism while serving with Marine Observation Squadron 7/M (VO-7M) in action during the progress of an insurrection at Quilali, Nicaragua, 6, 7, and 8 January 1928, 1st Lt. Schilt, then a member of a Marine expedition which had suffered severe losses in killed and wounded, volunteered under almost impossible conditions to evacuate the wounded by air and to transport a relief commanding officer to assume charge of a very serious situation. First Lt. Schilt bravely undertook this dangerous and important task and, by taking off a total of ten times in the rough, rolling street of a partially burning village, under hostile infantry fire on each occasion, succeeded in accomplishing his mission, thereby actually saving three lives and bringing supplies and aid to others in desperate need."

 

 

President Coolidge awards Medal of Honor to 1st Lt Christian Frank Schilt, USMC, at the White House, Washington, D.C., on June 9, 1928.

 

 

1st Lt. Schilt was one of the first Marine Corps pilots, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions while under fire in Nicaragua.

 

 

Postscript;

 

Over the ensuing years Schilt had a long and successful career in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during World War II, the Korean War in 1952, and in 1953 became the commanding general, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. This was followed as a Lieutenant General  at Director of Aviation ath Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, until retirement on April 1, 1957, as a four-star general.

 

 

A photograph of Lt. General Christian Frank Schilt, Medal of Honor recepient.

 

 

Christian Frank Schilt died on January 8, 1987, in Norfolk, Virginia, and was burried at Arlington National Cemetary in Arlington, Virginia.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this trip through some of the history of aviation. If you enjoyed this trip, and if you are new to this blog, sign up to receive your own weekly blog post here: Subscribe here!

 

Until next time, keep your eyes safe and focused on what's ahead of you, Hersch!