General David Monroe Shoup, USMC (December
30, 1904 – January 13, 1983):
General David Monroe Shoup served as the twenty-second Commandant of the
Marine Corps from January 1, 1960 until his retirement from active service,
December 31, 1963. The General was born December 30, 1904, at Battle Ground,
Indiana. A 1926 graduate of DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, he was a
member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the University. He served
for a month as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Infantry Reserve before he was
commissioned a Marine Second Lieutenant on July 20, 1926.
After serving in China during most of 1927, he completed Basic School in
1928. He then served at Quantico, Virginia; Pensacola, Florida; and San
Diego, California. From June 1929 to September 1931, Lieutenant Shoup was
assigned to the Marine detachment aboard the USS MARYLAND. By coincidence,
the USS MARYLAND was the flagship for the assault on Tarawa 12 years later --
providing emergency Naval gunfire support with her 16-inch guns early on
D-Day. On his return from sea duty, he served as a company officer at the
Marine Corps Base (later Marine Corps Recruit Depot), San Diego, until May
1932 when he was ordered to the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington.
He was promoted to First Lieutenant in June 1932. Lieutenant Shoup served on
temporary duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho and New Jersey
form June 1933 to May 1934. Following duty in Seattle, Washington, he was
again ordered to China in November 1934, serving briefly with the Fourth
Marines in Shanghai, and, subsequently, at the American Legation in Peiping.
He returned to the United States, via Japan, early in June 1936 and was again
stationed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. He was promoted to Captain in October
1936. Captain Shoup entered the Junior Course, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico,
in July 1937. Upon completing the course in May 1938, he served as an
instructor for two years. In June 1940, he joined the Sixth Marines in San
Diego. He was promoted to Major in April 1941. One month later, Major Shoup
was ordered to Iceland with the Sixth Marines and, after serving as
Regimental Operations Officer, became Operations Officer of the 1st Marine
Brigade in Iceland in October 1941. For his service in Iceland during the
first three months after the United States entered World War II, he was
awarded the Letter of Commendation with Commendation Ribbon.
He assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, Sixth Marines, in February 1942.
Upon returning to the United States in March, the 1st Marine Brigade was
disbanded and Major Shoup returned with this battalion to San Diego. In July
1942, he became Assistant Operations and Training Officer of the 2d Marine
Division. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in August 1942. As a Colonel,
Shoup earned the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor, while commanding
the Second Marines, 2d Marine Division, at Betio, a bitterly contested island
of Tarawa Atoll. The British Distinguished Service Order was also awarded to
him for this action.
General Shoup was the 25th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War
II. The late James V. Forrestal, then Secretary of the Navy, presented it to
him on January 22, 1945.
Sailing from San Diego aboard the USS MATSONIA in September 1942, Lieutenant
Colonel Shoup arrived later that month at Wellington, New Zealand. From then
until November 1943, he served as G-3, Operations and Training Officer of the
2d Marine Division during its training period in New Zealand. His service in
this capacity during the planning of the assault on Tarawa earned him his
first Legion of Merit with Combat "V". During this period he
briefly served as an observer with the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal in
October 1942 and with the 43d Army Division on Rendova, New Georgia, in the
summer of 1943, earning a Purple Heart in the latter operation. Promoted to
Colonel November 9, 1943, Colonel Shoup was placed in command of the Second
Marines (Reinforced), the spearhead of the assault on Tarawa. During this
action he earned the Medal of Honor as well as a second Purple Heart. In
December 1943, he became Chief of Staff of the 2d Marine Division. For
outstanding service in this capacity from June to August 1944, during the
battles for Saipan and Tinian, he was again awarded the Legion of Merit with
Combat "V". He returned to the United States in October 1944.
Upon his return to the United States, Colonel Shoup served as Logistics
Officer, Division of Plans and Policies, Headquarters Marine Corps. He was
again ordered overseas in June 1947. Two months later he became Commanding
Officer, Service Command, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. In June 1949, he
joined the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton as Division Chief of Staff.
A year later, Colonel Shoup was transferred to Quantico where he served as
Commanding Officer of the Basic School from July 1950 until April 1952. He
was then assigned to the Office of the Fiscal Director, Headquarters Marine
Corps, and served as Assistant Fiscal Director. He was promoted Brigadier
General in April 1953. In July 1953, General Shoup was named Fiscal Director
of the Marine Corps. While serving in this capacity, he was promoted to Major
General in September 1955. Subsequently, in May 1956, he began a brief
assignment as Inspector General for Recruit Training. Following this
assignment, he served as Inspector General of the Marine Corps from September
1956 until May 1957. He returned to Camp Pendleton in June 1957 to become
Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division. General Shoup joined the 3rd
Marine Division on Okinawa in March 1958 as Commanding General. Following his
return to the United States, he served as Commanding General of the Marine
Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, from May to October 1959. On November 2,
1959, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned duties as Chief of
Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps.
General Shoup was nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 12,
1959 to be the 22d Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Senate confirmed
his nomination for a four-year term. Upon assuming his post as Commandant of
the Marine Corps on January 1, 1960, he was promoted to four-star rank.
On January 21, 1964, shortly after his retirement, General Shoup was awarded
the Distinguished Service Medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson for
exceptionally meritorious service as Commandant of the Marine Corps. The
complete list of the General's medals and decorations includes: the Medal of
Honor, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Combat
"V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Letter of
Commendation with Commendation Ribbon, the Purple Heart with Gold Star in
lieu of a second award, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Yangtze Service
Medal, the Expeditionary Medal, the American Defense Service Medal with Base
clasp, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars, the American Campaign
Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal,
and the British Distinguished Service Order. General David Monroe Shoup died
13 January 1983, and was buried in Section 7-A of Arlington National
Cemetery.
Medal of Honor citation:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life
above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of all Marine Corps
troops in action against enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll,
Gilbert Islands, from November 20 to 22, 1943." Although severely
shocked by an exploding shell soon after landing at the pier, and suffering
from a serious painful leg wound which had become infected, Colonel Shoup
fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific relentless artillery, and rallying
his hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism, gallantly led them across
the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforced our
hard-pressed thinly-held lines. Upon arrival at the shore, he assumed command
of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant withering enemy
fire during the next two days conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably
strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions despite innumerable
obstacles and heavy casualties. Colonel Shoup's battle report from Tarawa
stated simply: "Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat
efficiency; we are winning." (Colonel David M. Shoup, USMC, Tarawa, 21
November 1943.) By his brilliant leadership, daring tactics, and selfless
devotion to duty, Colonel Shoup was largely responsible for the final,
decisive defeat of the enemy and his indomitable fighting spirit reflects
great credit upon the United States Naval Service."
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