- Alan Shapley
Infobox Military Person
name=Alan Shapley
born= birth date|1903|2|9
died= death date and age|1973|5|13|1903|2|9
placeofbirth=New York City ,New York
placeofdeath=Bethesda, Maryland
placeofburial=
caption=LtGen Alan Shapley
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
serviceyears=1927-1962
rank= Lieutenant General
branch=United States Marine Corps
commands=2nd Marine Raider Battalion 4th Marine Regiment FMF, Pacific
unit=USS "Arizona"
battles=World War II *Attack on Pearl Harbor *Battle of Bougainville *Battle of Guam *Battle of Okinawa Korean War
awards=Navy Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star
relations=
laterwork=Lieutenant General Alan Shapley (February 9, 1903 - May 13, 1973) was aUnited States Marine Corps officer who survived the sinking of the USS "Arizona" during theWorld War II Attack on Pearl Harbor , and went on to serve with distinction in the Pacific Theater and later in theKorean War . He was awarded theSilver Star for his gallantry on December 7, 1941, and later theNavy Cross for his extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Guam. His last command was as the commanding general of theFleet Marine Force , Pacific.The general, who competed in football,
basketball and track at the U.S. Naval Academy, was active in athletics throughout his career. He coached and played on the All-Marine Corps football teams of 1927 and 1928, refereed U.S. Fleetboxing events for three years, and coached or participated in football, basketball,baseball and boxing at most of his duty stations before World War II.Early years
Alan Shapley was born on February 9, 1903 in
New York City . His early schooling was received atVallejo, California , and he was graduated fromThe Peddie School atHightstown, New Jersey in 1922.He then entered the U.S. Naval Academy where he was a star football player. He graduated from the Academy on June 2, 1927, receiving his commission as a Marine second lieutenant.
Marine Corps career
After further training at the Academy, duty at Quantico, Virginia, and completion of the Marine officers' Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Lieutenant Shapley sailed for
Hawaii in January 1929 to begin almost three years of duty at the Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor. He returned to the United States in October 1931, and served in various capacities atSan Diego, California before taking command of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS "San Francisco" in January 1934. He was promoted to first lieutenant that same month. Detached from the "San Francisco" in June 1936, he returned to Quantico where he served as aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of the Marine Barracks. He was promoted to captain in July 1936.In June 1937, Captain Shapley entered the Junior Course of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico. He completed the course in May 1938, and was ordered to
San Francisco, California as aide-de-camp to the Commanding General, Department of the Pacific. After serving in that capacity until July 1939, he served as Operations, Training and Intelligence Officer of the Department of the Pacific until May 1940. A month later he departed for Hawaii where he took command of the Marine Detachment on the USS "Arizona". He was promoted to major in August 1941.World War II
On December 7, 1941, Major Shapley was the senior Marine onboard the "Arizona" in
Pearl Harbor . The previous day, he had been relieved as detachment commander, but had stayed on the ship to play on the ship's baseball team's scheduled game against the "Enterprise" team.Camp (2006),"And the Band Played On", "Leatherneck".] [Cressman and Wenger, page 4.] When atorpedo hit the port bow of the "Arizona", Shapley was thrown from the foremast at least 100 feet through the air into the water; he was able to swim to Ford Island and to rescue two shipmates along the way.Camp (2006), "Battleship Arizona's Marines At War: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice, December 7, 1941".] He was one of eight Marine Corps survivors from the "Arizona", becoming the ranking Marine Corps officer in the Pacific at the time.cite journal|accessdate=2007-01-06
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,910662,00.html
title=Milestones
journal=TIME magazine
date=May 28, 1973
pages=1] For his gallantry on that day, he was awarded theSilver Star .Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he sailed for San Diego to become personnel officer to the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1942.
Lieutenant Colonel Shapley assumed a similar post with the 1st Amphibious Corps in October 1942, and that same month he sailed with the 1st Corps for the Pacific area. Shapley was the commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, 1st Marine Raider Regiment from March 22, 1943 to August 30, 1943.cite web|accessdate=2007-01-06
url=http://www.usmarineraiders.org/cos.html
title=Commanding Officers
work=World War II U.S. Marine Raiders|publisher=U.S. Marine Raiders, Official Website] Later, he led the Second Marine Raider Regiment in the fighting at Bougainville, earning theLegion of Merit with Combat "V" for outstanding service at Bougainville in November 1943.After the Bougainville campaign, Lieutenant Colonel Shapley was given command of the First and Second Marine Raider Regiments from which he organized the Fourth Marines, which he commanded at Emirau, Guam, and Okinawa.
He was awarded the
Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism as a lieutenant colonel, commanding the Fourth Marines (Reinforced) on Guam from July, 21 to August 10, 1944. His Navy Cross citation states in part:During the
Battle of Okinawa , Colonel Shapley lead the 4th Marines in the capture of Naha airfield. [cite journal|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,775911,00.html
accessdate=2007-01-06
title=To the Last Line
date=June 18, 1945
journal=TIME magazine] He was awarded a second Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for outstanding service at Okinawa from April to June 1945. He was promoted to colonel in November 1944.After World War II
Following the Okinawa campaign, Colonel Shapley returned to the United States in July 1945 to become Assistant Inspector in the Inspection Division at Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he accompanied Admiral
William F. Halsey on an official goodwill tour of Central andSouth America from June to August 1946, receiving decorations fromChile andPeru during that assignment. In September he entered theNational War College in Washington.After graduation from the War College in June 1947, Colonel Shapley served for two years at
Norfolk, Virginia as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 (Operations and Training), of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. Subsequently, he was ordered to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego in June 1949, and after serving as personnel officer of the depot, became its chief of staff in September 1949.In January 1951, Colonel Shapley was ordered again to Washington where he served on the International Planning Staff of the Standing Group, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, until June 1953.
Korean War
In 1953 Shapley was ordered to Korea; he served as Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Division, earning the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for meritorious achievement during this period. For subsequent service as Senior Advisor to the Korean Marine Corps, he was awarded the Republic of Korea's Ulchi Medal with Silver Star.
1954 to retirement
From Korea, Colonel Shapley was ordered to Japan in May 1954. He served there as Commanding Officer and, subsequently, Commanding General, Troop Training Team, Amphibious Group, Western Pacific. He was promoted to brigadier general in July 1954.
In July 1955, on his return to the United States, General Shapley became Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division,
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California. Following his detachment from the 1st Division in May 1956, he commanded the Recruit Training Command at theMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for a brief time prior to being ordered to the Far East. Upon his promotion to major general in September 1956, he assumed duties on Okinawa as Commanding General, 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.General Shapley returned to the United States in July 1957, reporting to
Headquarters Marine Corps , Washington, as Director of the Marine Corps Reserve. After holding this post for over two years, he returned to the West Coast in November 1959, and served as Commanding General, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, until March 1961. He was promoted to his final rank of lieutenant general in April 1961 upon assuming duties as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, with headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, and served in this capacity until his retirement on July 1, 1962.Medals and decorations
A complete list of the general's medals and decorations included: the
Navy Cross , theSilver Star , theLegion of Merit with Combat "V" and Gold Star in lieu of second award, the Bronze Star with Combat "V", the Presidential Unit Citation, theNavy Unit Commendation with two bronze stars indicative of second and third awards, theAmerican Defense Service Medal with Fleet clasp, theAmerican Campaign Medal , theAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver star, theWorld War II Victory Medal , theNational Defense Service Medal , theKorean Service Medal with one bronze star, theUnited Nations Service Medal , theKorean Presidential Unit Citation , theUlchi Medal with Silver Star (Republic of Korea), the Chilian "Al Merito" in the grade of "Comendador", and the Peruvian "Orden Militar de Ayacucho (de Comendador)."Final days
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