William P. Biddle | |
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11th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1910-1914)
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Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
December 15, 1853
Died | February 24, 1923 Nice, France |
(aged 69)
Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 1875–1914, 1917–1919 |
Rank | Major General |
Commands held | Commandant of the Marine Corps |
Battles/wars |
Spanish–American War *Battle of Manila Bay Boxer Rebellion *China Relief Expedition Philippine–American War World War I |
Major General William Phillips Biddle (December 15, 1853 – February 24, 1923) was the 11th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
William Phillip Biddle was born on December 15, 1853 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family was a part of the prominent Biddle family. He was educated in private schools in the Philadelphia area, by touring and at the University of Pennsylvania, where he joined the prestigious fraternity Delta Psi AKA St. Anthony Hall as did a number of Biddle family men.
Biddle was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 22 June 1875 and after short tours of duty in Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia, made the first of his many tours of sea duty on which he passed nearly half of his active service. After three years on the USS Hartford and USS Powhatan, Biddle again went ashore for duty at Philadelphia and New York. He returned to sea duty on the USS Kearsarge in March 1882, and was promoted to first lieutenant in February 1884. With a break of less than three years at the same stations as his previous shore duty, he again went to sea for three years on the USS Swarta. He returned to Philadelphia for duty in February 1891, where he was promoted to captain in February 1894. He resumed sea duty on board the USS Baltimore in April 1895, and was shortly afterwards transferred to the USS Olympia on which he served during the Spanish–American War and participated in the Battle of Manila Bay.