Fairfax Kirkwood Dillon – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force

Colonel Fairfax Kirkwood Dillon of Statesville, North Carolina was a participant in both world wars.

In World War I, as a Second Lieutenant, he was an aviator and in World War II, Dillon was a Combat Intelligence officer in the Army Air Force. He participated in the original landing at Casablanca in North Africa (1942). Later, Colonel Dillon was involved in the U. S. landings in Sicily and Italy, and he personally received the surrender of the enemy on the Isle of Capri in Italy. Dillon was next sent to the Pacific theater and was on Okinawa at the time of the Japanese surrender;after which he was ordered to Korea as the Military Mayor of Seoul.

Discharged in 1946, Colonel Dillon retired to Statesville where he died in 1957. Among the medals he received were the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, an Air Medal, World War I and World War II Victory Medals, and numerous campaign awards.

Colonel Dillon was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.  A relative (believed to be his brother), Randolph Dillon, Major, United States Army Air Corps (29 December 1899-16 July 1954) is buried next to him.

DILLON, FAIRFAX X
LT COL USAF

• DATE OF BIRTH: 04/16/1897
• DATE OF DEATH: 03/19/1957
• BURIED AT: SECTION 4  SITE 3298-A
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard