With only two hours and forty minutes of training, First Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham courageously embarked on the Marine Corps’ first solo training flight.

Cunningham reported to the nation’s first aviation camp in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 22, 1912, but was immediately ordered away on military duty. After a three-month delay, Cunningham received instruction on August 20 and began the rich legacy of Marine Corps aviation.

Cunningham’s flight was the seed of future Marine Corps aviation operations, which grew to successfully perform missions during World War I and beyond.