Roy Stanley Geiger | |
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Major General Roy S. Geiger, U.S. Marine Corps
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Nickname(s) | "Jiggs" |
Born |
Middleburg, Florida |
January 25, 1885
Died | January 23, 1947 Bethesda, Maryland |
(aged 61)
Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 1907–1947 |
Rank | General |
Commands held |
1st Marine Aircraft Wing I Amphibious Corps III Amphibious Corps Tenth Army Fleet Marine Force, Pacific |
Battles/wars | |
Awards |
Navy Cross (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3) Army Distinguished Service Medal |
General Roy Stanley Geiger (January 25, 1885 – January 23, 1947) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served in World War I and World War II where he became the first Marine Corps general to lead an army-sized force.
Geiger commanded the III Amphibious Corps in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 before assuming the command of the U.S. Tenth Army upon the combat death of its commander, Lt. General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.. Geiger successfully led the Tenth Army until relieved by General Joseph Stilwell. Marine Corps base Camp Geiger in North Carolina is named in his honor.
Geiger was born in Middleburg, Florida. He attended Florida State Normal and Industrial College and received a law degree, LLB, from Stetson University. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private on November 2, 1907 in St. Paul, Minnesota and was sent to Naval Station Norfolk for his initial training. Geiger spent most of his enlisted time at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. where he was also promoted to corporal on June 2, 1908. Following a series of professional examinations and the passing of a Naval Medical Board he accepted his commission as a Second Lieutenant on February 5, 1909.