Victor H. Krulak
| Victor H. Krulak | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Victor Harold Krulak |
| Nickname(s) | "Brute" |
| Born |
January 7, 1913 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 2008 (aged 95) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Buried at | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1934–1968 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General
|
| Commands held |
2nd Parachute Battalion 5th Marine Regiment Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Fleet Marine Force, Pacific |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star (with "V") Purple Heart |
| Spouse(s) | Amy Chandler (1936-2004; her death; 3 children) |
| Relations | GEN Charles C. Krulak, son |
| Other work | Newspaper columnist |
Victor Harold Krulak (January 7, 1913 – December 29, 2008) was a decorated United States Marine Corps officer who saw action in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Krulak, considered a visionary by fellow Marines, was the author of First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps and the father of the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, Charles C. Krulak.
Krulak was born in Denver, Colorado, to Jewish parents, Bessie (Zall) and Morris Krulak. He later denied Jewish ancestry and claimed to have been raised Episcopalian. He was married to Amy Chandler from 1936 until her death in 2004. The couple had three children.
Krulak was commissioned a U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenant upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy on May 31, 1934. His early Marine Corps service included: sea duty aboard USS Arizona, an assignment at the U.S. Naval Academy; duty with the 6th Marines in San Diego and the 4th Marines in China (1937–39); completion of the Junior School, Quantico, Virginia (1940); and an assignment with the 1st Marine Brigade, FMF, later the 1st Marine Division.
While stationed as an observer in Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Krulak took photographs with a telephoto lens of a ramp-bowed landing boat that the Japanese had been using. Recognizing the potential use of such a craft by the U.S. armed forces, Krulak sent details and photographs back to Washington, but discovered years later that they had been filed away as having come from "some nut out in China". Krulak built a model of the Japanese boat design and discussed the retractable ramp approach with boat builder Andrew Higgins who incorporated elements of Krulak's input into the Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or "Higgins boat", which played critical roles in the Normandy Landings and amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
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Wikipedia