David Ferguson O'Neill (December 27, 1904 – September 27, 1963) was a decorated Naval aviator and officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general.

[2] Upon graduation with Bachelor of Science degree on June 2, 1927, he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and ordered to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for officers' instruction.

O'Neill then joined as flight officer the Marine Scouting Squadron 1 at Quantico and later accompanied his unit to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Following the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, O'Neill participated in the intensive preparation for combat deployment and was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel in August 1942.

He was subsequently ordered to Washington, D.C., where he joined the Headquarters Marine Corps for duty as aviation operations officer in the Division of Plans and Policies under Major General Gerald C. Thomas.

O'Neill served in this capacity until December that year, when he was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, for duty as chief of staff of the base.

Following the surrender of Japan and cancellation of Invasion, the plans were adapted to the occupation of that country and O'Neill received the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

[12][1] O'Neill was sent to the National War College in Washington, D.C., and upon graduation in June 1948, he was appointed head of Personnel Branch, Division of Aviation at Marine Corps Headquarters and served again under General Wallace for two years.

[1] O'Neill was ordered to command of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, in October 1951 and remained in that capacity until April 1954, when he was promoted to brigadier general and ordered to Korea for duty as assistant commander, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing consecutively under major generals Verne J. McCaul and Marion L. Dawson.

[1] General Pate was appointed commandant on January 1, 1956, and two months later, he issued an order which said dependents should not "accompany or later join" marines assigned to the Far East.

[14][1] In October 1956, O'Neill was instructed by his direct superior, Lieutenant general Edwin A. Pollock, commander of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific to inform each affected marine by letter, that if his dependents stayed in Japan longer than sixty days they would lose their tourist status and be considered to be in the Far East in violation of Commandant Pate's order.

Major General David F. O'Neill died on September 27, 1963, aged 58, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.