Alexander Vandegrift
| Alexander Vandegrift | |
|---|---|
18th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1944–1947)
|
|
| Birth name | Alexander Archer Vandegrift |
| Nickname(s) | Archie |
| Born |
March 13, 1887 Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 1973 (aged 86) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1909–1949 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Commands held |
1st Marine Division I Marine Amphibious Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom) Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands) Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) |
World War II
General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, USMC (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a General in the United States Marine Corps. He commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of World War II, the Battle of Guadalcanal. For his actions during the Solomon Islands campaign, he received the Medal of Honor. Vandegrift later served as the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and was the first U.S. Marine to hold the rank of four-star general while on active duty.
Alexander Archer Vandegrift was born on March 13, 1887 in the small town of Charlottesville, Virginia where his father of Dutch descent was an architect and contractor. Young Vandegrift, known as "Archer" in his boyhood, had an interest in the military – both from reading military history novels and from stories of ancestors who fought in various wars.
He attended the University of Virginia for three years; then received his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps through a week-long competitive examination in 1908, becoming a second lieutenant on January 22, 1909.
While at the Marine Corps Schools in 1909 he wrote a prophetic article entitled "Aviation, the Cavalry of the Future". As Commandant, he appointed the Hogaboom Board, named for Major General Hogaboom, the chairman, that began the USMC's development of vertical envelopment, the use of helicopters for air assault. During his early years as a Second Lieutenant, General Vandegrift was also very nearly dismissed from the Marine Corps due to disciplinary infractions and negative evaluations. In his first Marine Corps evaluation, dated June 30, 1909, Vandegrift received an overall rating of "Not Good" with these remarks from the Commander of the Marine Officers School.
In Vandegrift's next evaluation, dated December 1909, he received a "Good and Tolerable" rating and next was rated as "Excellent" upon reporting to the Marine Corps Barracks, Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1910.
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