Oliver P. Smith

Oliver P. Smith
Oliver Prince Smith
Oliver P. Smith.jpg
Nickname "O.P.", "the professor", "student general"
Born October 26, 1893(1893-10-26)
Menard, Texas
Died December 25, 1977(1977-12-25) (aged 84)
Los Altos, California
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch USMC logo.svg United States Marine Corps
Years of service 1917–1955
Rank US-O10 insignia.svg General
Commands held 1st Battalion 6th Marines
5th Marine Regiment
1st Marine Division
Marine Corps Schools
Asst Commandant of the Marine Corps
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic
Battles/wars

Banana Wars

World War II

Korean War

Awards Distinguished Service Cross
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star
Air Medal

Oliver Prince Smith (October 26, 1893 – December 25, 1977) was a General in the United States Marine Corps and a highly decorated combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is most noted for commanding the 1st Marine Division during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, where he said "Retreat, hell! We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction."[1] He retired at the rank of four-star general, being advanced in rank for having been specially commended for heroism in combat.

Contents

Military career

Early years

Smith was born in Menard, Texas but grew up in Northern California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, working his way through college doing odd jobs but mostly gardening and was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity[2] He graduated in 1916 and reported for active duty as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on May 14, 1917.

The following month he was assigned his first overseas tour at Guam, Marianas Islands, where he served with the Marine Barracks, Naval Station. In May 1919, he returned to the United States for duty with the Marine Barracks at Mare Island, California.

Ordered to sea duty in October 1921, General Smith served as Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Texas (BB-35) until May 1924. At that time he was ordered to Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C., for duty with the personnel section.

Returning overseas in June 1928, he joined the Gendarmerie d'Haiti, Port-au-Prince, as Assistant Chief of Staff. Following his return from foreign shore duty in June 1931, he became a student at the Field Officer's Course, U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. Graduating in June 1932, he was ordered to duty at the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia, as an instructor in the Company Officers' Course. In September 1933, he was named Assistant Operations Officer of the 7th Marine Regiment at Quantico.

Smith sailed for France in January 1934, where he joined the staff of the American Embassy in Paris for duty with the Office of the U.S. Naval Attaché. From November 1934 to July 1936, while in Paris, he became the first Marine Corps officer to matriculate at the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre.

He returned to the United States in August 1936, and joined the staff of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico, as an instructor in the S-3 Section, (Operations and Training). He acquired the nickname “the professor,” gained a reputation as an intellectual during these years and was recognized as an expert on amphibious warfare.

Smith was transferred to the West Coast in July 1939, where he joined the Fleet Marine Force as Operations Officer at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California.

In June of the following year, he became Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and in May 1941, sailed with the 6th Marine Regiment for Iceland where he remained until returning to the United States in March 1942.

World War II

In May 1942, Smith was ordered to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., where he became Executive Officer of the Division of Plans and Policies. He remained in this capacity until January 1944, when he joined the 1st Marine Division on New Britain. There he took command of the 5th Marine Regiment and subsequently led the regiment in the Talasea phase of the Cape Gloucester operation.

In April 1944, he was named Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Marine Division and participated in operations against the Japanese in the Peleliu operation during September and October 1944.

Smith became Marine Deputy Chief of Staff of the Tenth Army in November 1944, and participated in the Battle of Okinawa from April through June 1945.

In July 1945, he returned to the United States and became Commandant of the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, and in January 1948, was named Commanding General, Marine Barracks, Quantico, in addition to his duties at the school. Three months later, he became Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. While there he served as Editor-in-Chief of the professional journal of U.S. Marines, the Marine Corps Gazette.

Korean War

MajGen O.P. Smith (left) and VAdm Doyle, USN, confer on board USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), immediately prior to the Inchon Invasion.

Named Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division in June 1950, Major General Smith led his division through the bitter campaigns of the Korean War — from the late summer assault at Inchon, to the sub-zero winter drive north to the Chosin Reservoir.

In October 1950, the 1st Marine Division landed at Wonsan on the eastern side of Korea under the command of the Army's X Corps commanded by Edward Almond. Almond and Smith shared a mutual loathing of each other that dated back to a meeting between the two in Japan before the landing at Inchon.[3] During the meeting Almond had spoken of how easy amphibious landings were although he had never planned or taken part in one and then referred to Smith as Son although he was only 10 months older than he was. Smith and the Marine command also felt Almond was overly aggressive and were sure that there were large numbers of Chinese Forces in North Korea when higher headquarters in Tokyo was telling them it was not the case.[4] Although ordered to go north to the Yalu River as fast as he could, Smith continuously slowed the division's march to the point of near insubordination.[5] Also along the way he established supply points and an airfield.

In November 1950, with the 1st Marine Division surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir, he directed the breakout and subsequent 70-mile march to the seaport of Hungnam. In the end his careful march north and ability to keep the division together saved it from total destruction and quite possibly the entire X Corps.[6]

General Smith returned to the United States, in May 1951, and was assigned duties as Commanding General, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

In July 1953, he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant general and assumed his final duties as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and served in this capacity until his retirement, with the rank of general, on September 1, 1955.

Smith died in Los Altos, California on December 25, 1977.

Awards

V
Gold star
V
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Silver star
Silver star
1st Row Distinguished Service Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal
2nd Row Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit w/ valor device & 1 gold award star Bronze Star w/ valor device
3rd Row Air Medal Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 3 service stars Navy Unit Commendation Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
4th Row World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal w/ Base clasp European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 3 service stars
5th Row World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal w/ silver service star Haitian Distinguished Service Medal w/ diploma
6th Row Order of Orange-Nassau, Commander Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal w/ silver star Korean Presidential Unit Citation United Nations Korea Medal

See also

  • List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star

Notes

  1. ^ "Retreat of the 20,000". Time Magazine. 1950-12-18. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,858986,00.html. 
  2. ^ Russ, Breakout, p.51.
  3. ^ Hammel Chosin, p. 214.
  4. ^ Halberstam The Coldest Winter p. 428.
  5. ^ Halberstam The Coldest Winter pp. 429.
  6. ^ Halberstam The Coldest Winter pp. 430.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.


Books

  • Fehrenbach, T.R. (1963). This Kind of War. Dulles, Virginia: Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-259-7. 
  • Halberstam, David (2007). The Coldest WInter - America and the Korean War. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-140130-052-4. 
  • Hastings, Max (2007). Retribution - The Battle for Japan, 1944-45. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-030726-351-3. 
  • Russ, Martin (1999). "Breakout" – The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea, 1950. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14029-259-4. 

Web

Further reading


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Oliver Perry-Smith — (right), 1907 Oliver Perry Smith (October 11, 1884 in Philadelphia – 13 May 1969[1]) was an American rock climber, mountaineer and skier who moved to Dresden in 1902 to attend a technical university …   Wikipedia

  • Oliver H. Smith — Oliver Hampton Smith Oliver Hampton Smith from Who When What Book, 1900 Indiana House of Representatives In office 1822–1824 …   Wikipedia

  • Oliver H. Smith — Oliver Hampton Smith (* 23. Oktober 1794 bei Trenton, New Jersey; † 19. März 1859 in Indianapolis, Indiana) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker der Whig Party. Er vertrat den …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Oliver Perry-Smith — ganz rechts, Aufnahme von 1907 Oliver Perry Smith (* 11. Oktober 1884 in Philadelphia; † 13. Mai 1969) war ein US amerikanischer Bergsteiger. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Oliver Smith — may refer to: Oliver Smith (actor) (born 1952), English actor, known for the Hellraiser series Oliver Smith (designer) (1918–1994), American scenic designer, one of the founders of American Ballet Theatre Oliver Smith (UK politician) (born 1993) …   Wikipedia

  • Smith & Pledger — ist ein Trance Projekt aus London, bestehend aus Oliver Jack Smith und Mark Pledger. Das Duo ist auch unter dem Pseudonym Aspekt bekannt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Karriere 2 Diskographie 2.1 Singles 2.2 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Smith (Familienname) — Smith [smɪθ] (englisch smith „Schmied“) ist ein englischsprachiger Familienname. Zur Herkunft siehe Schmidt. Smith ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Bekannte Namensträger Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Oliver Sound — Coordinates 72°15′04″N 77°43′52″W /  …   Wikipedia

  • Oliver Cromwell — Cromwell redirects here. For other uses, see Cromwell (disambiguation). For other people named Oliver Cromwell, see Oliver Cromwell (disambiguation). Oliver Cromwell Portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper …   Wikipedia

  • Smith, Bessie — orig. Elizabeth Smith born April 15, 1898?, Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S. died Sept. 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Miss. U.S. blues and jazz singer. Smith sang popular songs as well as blues on the minstrel and vaudeville stage. She began recording in 1923… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”