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General Wallace M. Greene, Jr., 23rd Commandant of
the Marine Corps, was born 27 December 1907, in Waterbury,
Vermont. In 1925, he graduated from high school in
Burlington, Vermont, then attended the University
of Vermont for a year before entering the U.S. Naval
Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Upon graduation from
the Naval Academy, 5 June 1930, he was commissioned
a Marine second lieutenant and ordered to Marine Officers’
Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
After
completing Basic School in June 1931, 2dLt Greene
served for a year at the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard,
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. During July 1932, he completed
the Sea School at San Diego, California, and joined
the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Tennessee.
Returning from sea duty in March 1934, he served briefly
at Pensacola, Florida, and Quantico, Virginia, before
reporting to the Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station,
Lakehurst, New Jersey, that November. He was promoted
to first lieutenant the same month.
Except
for a temporary assignment at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland,
where he completed a course in the Chemical Warfare
School, he remained stationed at Lakehurst until March
1936. After that, he served at the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot, San Diego, until he sailed for Guam in October
1936. He was stationed there until June 1937, when
he embarked for Shanghai, China, to join the 4th Marine
Regiment. During September 1937, the 4th Marines became
a part of the 2d Marine Brigade and he was promoted
to captain.
Along
with his unit, Capt Greene was commended for performance
of duty while attached to the defense forces of the
International Settlement during the Sino-Japanese
hostilities of 1937 and 1938. Upon his return from
China in August 1939, he entered the Junior Course,
Marine Corps Schools, Quantico. He completed the course
in May 1940, then took command of the 1st Chemical
Company, 1st Marine Brigade, sailing with it that
October for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While there, the
brigade was redesignated the 1st Marine Division.
Returning
with his unit in April 1941, Capt Greene served at
Quantico and New River (later Camp Lejeune), North
Carolina, as Assistant Operations Officer, 1st Marine
Division. In November 1941, he was ordered to London,
England, as a Special Naval Observer. During that
assignment, he attended the British Amphibious Warfare
School in Inverary, Scotland, and the Royal Engineer
Demolitions School in Ripon, York, England. He was
promoted to major in January 1942 and returned to
the United States the following month.
Named
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 3d Marine Brigade,
in March 1942, Maj Greene sailed with the brigade
for Upolu, Western Samoa, the following month. He
was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1942
and remained on Samoa until November 1943 when he
joined the V Amphibious Corps in Hawaii.
For
outstanding service as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3,
Tactical Group One, during the planning and execution
of the Marshall Islands invasion, LtCol Greene was
awarded his first Legion of Merit with Combat “V”.
Following the disbanding of the group in March 1944,
he joined the 2d Marine Division as G-3, earning a
second Legion of Merit for outstanding service in
this capacity prior to and during combat on Saipan
and Tinian. He remained with the 2d Division until
his return to the United States in September 1944.
In
October 1944, LtCol Greene was appointed Officer in
Charge, G-3, Operations, Division of Plans and Policies,
Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC). He held that post
until July 1945, then served as Executive Officer,
Special Services Branch, Personnel Department. In
April 1946, he was ordered to Little Creek, Virginia,
as G-3, Troop Training Unit, Amphibious Training Command,
U.S. Atlantic Fleet. While there, he was promoted
to colonel in February 1948, with rank from August
1947.
Detached
from Little Creek in June 1948, Col Greene reported
to Pearl Harbor that August as G-3, Fleet Marine Force
(FMF), Pacific. He returned from that assignment in
June 1950 and for the next two years was Chief of
the Combined Arms Section, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico.
He also served briefly as Chief of the Coordination
and Evaluation Section there, before entering the
National War College, Washington, in August 1952.
He graduated in June 1953 and the following month
became Staff Special Assistant to the Joint Chiefs
of Staff for National Security Council Affairs. Prior
to his departure from Washington, he was promoted
to brigadier general on 1 September 1955.
Later
that September, BGen Greene assumed duty as Assistant
Commander, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. In May
1956, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, where he served
as Commanding General, Recruit Training Command, until
March 1957, when he became Commanding General of the
Recruit Depot. That July he became Commanding General
of the Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune.
In
January 1958, BGen Greene reported to HQMC as Assistant
Chief of Staff, G-3. While serving in this capacity,
he was promoted to major general in August 1958. Following
this assignment, he served from March through December
1959 as Deputy Chief of Staff (Plans). On 1 January
1960, he was designated as Chief of Staff, with the
rank of lieutenant general.
Lieutenant
General Greene was nominated by President John F.
Kennedy on 24 September 1963 to become the 23rd Commandant
of the Marine Corps for a four-year term. Upon assuming
his post as Commandant on 1 January 1964, he was promoted
to four-star rank. During his tenure, there was a
proliferation of troops in Southeast Asia. In 1964,
there were fewer than a thousand Marines in Vietnam
but by 1968, the III Marine Amphibious Force in Vietnam
numbered more than 100,000 Marines and sailors.
General
Greene retired on 31 December 1967. He died
8 March
2003 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington
National Cemetery.
In
addition to the Distinguished Service Medal with one
Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the general’s
medals and decorations include: the Legion of Merit
with Combat “V” and Gold Star in lieu
of a second award, the Navy Unit Commendation, the
China Service Medal, the American Defense Service
Medal with base clasp, the European-African-Middle
Eastern Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Medal with three bronze stars, the American Campaign
Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the National
Defense Service Medal with one bronze star.
He
also has been awarded the Order of the Cloud and Banner,
Grand Cordon, by the Republic of China; The Order
of Service Merit, First Class, by the Republic of
Korea; the Brazilian Order of Naval Merit, Grand Official,
from Brazil; and the National Order of Vietnam, 3d
Class, from the Republic of Vietnam. |
UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS
