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David M. Shoup

David M. Shoup
A stocky Caucasian man with brown hair and thick glasses in military uniform in front of a flag
A signature of a name, "David Shoup"
David Monroe Shoup
Birth name David Monroe Shoup
Born (1904-12-30)30 December 1904
Battle Ground, Indiana, U.S.
Died 13 January 1983(1983-01-13) (aged 78)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch  United States Marine Corps
Years of service 1926–1963
Rank US-O10 insignia.svg General
Commands held 2nd Marines
Service Command, FMF, Pacific
Basic School
USMC Inspector General
1st Marine Division
3rd Marine Division
MCRD Parris Island
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Medal of Honor
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Purple Heart (2)
Other work Anti-war activist

World War II

David Monroe Shoup (30 December 1904 – 13 January 1983) was a decorated general of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, became the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and, after retiring, became one of the most prominent critics of the Vietnam War.

Born in Indiana to an impoverished family, Shoup joined the military for financial reasons. Rising through the ranks in the interwar era, he was twice deployed to China during the Chinese Civil War. He served in Iceland at the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II, and as a staff officer during the Pacific War. He was unexpectedly given command of the 2nd Marines, and led the initial invasion of Tarawa, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Order. He served in the Marianas campaign, and later became a high-level military logistics officer.

Solidifying his reputation as a hard-driving and assertive leader, Shoup rose through the senior leadership of the Marine Corps, overhauling fiscal affairs, logistics, and recruit training. He was selected as commandant by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and later served in the administration of John F. Kennedy. He reformed the Corps, emphasizing combat readiness and fiscal efficiency, against what was perceived as politicking among its officers.

Shoup opposed the military escalation in response to events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion, but his strongest opposition was to U.S. involvement in South Vietnam. His opposition grew in strength after he retired from the military in 1963; he was hostile to both the strategy of the conflict and the excessive influence of corporations and military officials upon foreign policy. His high-profile criticism later spread to include the military industrial complex and what he saw as a pervasive militarism in American culture. Historians consider Shoup's statements opposing the war to be among the most pointed and high-profile leveled by a veteran against the Vietnam War.


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