Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune

Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, born in Pointe Coupee Parish on 10 January 1867, served the United States Marine Corps for more than forty years and took part in campaigns in Panama, Cuba, Mexico, France, and Germany. After attending Louisiana State University, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, graduated in 1888, and began his Marine career aboard the USS Vandalia. Commissioned a second lieutenant in 1890, he excelled at sea during the Spanish-American War, helped quell uprisings in Panama in 1903, graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1910 after service in the Philippines, commanded the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment at Vera Cruz in 1914, and in 1917 became a brigadier general and the first commander of Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia. During World War I he commanded a brigade of the 32nd Division at Brest, then the 4th Marine Brigade after the Soissons offensive, was promoted to major general, and became commander of the 2nd Division, American Expeditionary Force, the first Marine officer to command a division in combat. He led his Marines in the assault on the Marbeche sector during the drive on St. Mihiel, where his leadership earned the French Legion of Honor, stormed Blanc Mont Ridge during the Champagne offensive, and led the 2nd Division into Germany after its surrender. In 1919 he again commanded Marine Barracks at Quantico, and in 1920 he became Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps. In that role he developed the Fleet Marine Force concept, established formal Marine officers schools at Quantico, founded the Marine Corps Association, Marine Corps Institute, and Marine Corps League, and gave the Corps leadership and direction when efforts were underway to dissolve it, preserving its future through a distinctive mission in amphibious expeditionary operations. He retired from active duty in 1929, then served as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute until 1937. Promoted to lieutenant general on the retired list in 1942 as the first Marine to hold that rank, he died in Baltimore on November 20 at age 75 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Quantico Base, Virginia · United States