Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr. (USMC) (March 2, 1932 – August 25, 2015) was a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general.

Petersen retired from the Marine Corps in 1988 after 38 years of service. "At the time of his retirement he was by date of aviator designation the senior ranking aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps and the United States Navy with respective titles of 'Silver Hawk' and 'Gray Eagle'. His date of designation as an aviator also precedes all other aviators in the U.S. Air Force and Army."

In 2010, President Obama appointed Petersen to the Board of Visitors to the United States Naval Academy

Frank E. Petersen was born on March 2, 1932 in Topeka, Kansas. He married Eleanor "Ellie" Burton in 1955 while he was a pilot on rotation for test flights in dropping an atomic bomb and was called for a flight on the night of his wedding. He died on August 25, 2015 from lung cancer.

Military career

Petersen enlisted in the United States Navy in 1950 as a seaman apprentice. He served as an electronics technician. In 1951, he entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. In 1952, after completing flight training he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

Petersen served two combat tours in two wars, Korea (1953) and Vietnam (1968). His first tactical assignment was with Marine Fighter Squadron 212 during the Korean War. He flew over 350 combat missions and over 4,000 hours in various fighter/attack aircraft.

He held command positions at all levels of Marine Corps aviation, commanding a Marine Fighter Squadron, a Marine Aircraft Group and a Marine Aircraft Wing. He was also the first African-American to command a fighter squadron, a fighter air group, an air wing and a major base.

On February 23, 1979, he was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African-American general in the Marine Corps. Petersen relinquished duties as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia on July 8, 1988. He served as the Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff from July 8-31 and retired from the Marine Corps on August 1, 1988. Upon his retirement, he was presented the Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia from June 1986 to July 1988.