Namesake:
General David Monroe Shoup
General David Monroe Shoup
served as the twenty-second Commandant of the Marine Corps from
January 1, 1960 until his retirement from active service,
December 31, 1963. The General was born December 30, 1904, at
Battle Ground, Indiana. A 1926 graduate of DePauw University,
Greencastle, Indiana, he was a member of the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps at the University. He served for a month as a
Second Lieutenant in the Army Infantry Reserve before he was
commissioned a Marine Second Lieutenant on July 20, 1926.
Ordered to Marine Officers' Basic School at the Philadelphia
Navy Yard, Lieutenant Shoup's instruction was interrupted twice
by temporary duty elsewhere in the United States and by
expeditionary duty with the Sixth Marines in Tientsin, China.
After serving in China during most of 1927, he completed Basic
School in 1928. He then served at Quantico, Virginia; Pensacola,
Florida; and San Diego, California. From June 1929 to September
1931, Lieutenant Shoup was assigned to the Marine detachment
aboard the USS MARYLAND. By coincidence, the USS MARYLAND was
the flagship for the assault on Tarawa 12 years later
--providing emergency Naval gunfire support with her 16-inch
guns early on D-Day.
On his return from sea duty, he served as a company
officer at the Marine Corps Base (later Marine Corps Recruit
Depot), San Diego, until May 1932 when he was ordered to the
Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. He was promoted to
First Lieutenant in June 1932. Lieutenant Shoup served on
temporary duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho and
New Jersey form June 1933 to May 1934. Following duty in
Seattle, Washington, he was again ordered to China in November
1934, serving briefly with the Fourth Marines in Shanghai, and,
subsequently, at the American Legation in Peiping.
He returned to the United States, via Japan, early in June
1936 and was again stationed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. He
was promoted to Captain in October 1936. Captain Shoup entered
the Junior Course, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, in July 1937.
Upon completing the course in May 1938, he served as an
instructor for two years. In June 1940, he joined the Sixth
Marines in San Diego. He was promoted to Major in April 1941.
One month later, Major Shoup was ordered to Iceland with the
Sixth Marines and, after serving as Regimental Operations
Officer, became Operations Officer of the 1st Marine Brigade in
Iceland in October 1941. For his service in Iceland during the
first three months after the United States entered World War II,
he was awarded the Letter of Commendation with Commendation
Ribbon. He assumed command of the 2d Battalion, Sixth Marines,
in February 1942.
Upon returning to the United States in March, the 1st
Marine Brigade was disbanded and Major Shoup returned with this
battalion to San Diego. In July 1942, he became Assistant
Operations and Training Officer of the 2d Marine Division. He
was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in August 1942. As a Colonel,
Shoup earned the nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor,
while commanding the Second Marines, 2d Marine Division, at
Betio, a bitterly contested island of Tarawa Atoll. The British
Distinguished Service Order was also awarded to him for this
action. The following citation accompanied his award of the
Medal of Honor: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty as
commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops in action against
enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert
Islands, from November 20 to 22, 1943.
Although severely shocked by an exploding shell soon after
landing at the pier, and suffering from a serious painful leg
wound which had become infected, Colonel Shoup fearlessly
exposed himself to the terrific relentless artillery, and
rallying his hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism,
gallantly led them across the fringing reefs to charge the
heavily fortified island and reinforced our hard-pressed
thinly-held lines. Upon arrival at the shore, he assumed command
of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant
withering enemy fire during the next two days conducted smashing
attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended
Japanese positions despite innumerable obstacles and heavy
casualties. Colonel Shoup’s battle report from Tarawa
stated simply: "Casualties many; Percentage of dead not
known; Combat efficiency; we are winning." (Colonel David
M. Shoup, USMC, Tarawa, 21 November 1943.)
By his brilliant leadership, daring tactics, and selfless
devotion to duty, Colonel Shoup was largely responsible for the
final, decisive defeat of the enemy and his indomitable fighting
spirit reflects great credit upon the United States Naval
Service." General Shoup was the 25th Marine to receive the
Medal of Honor in World War II. The late James V. Forrestal,
then Secretary of the Navy, presented it to him on January 22,
1945. Sailing from San Diego aboard the USS MATSONIA in
September 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Shoup arrived later that
month at Wellington, New Zealand. From then until November 1943,
he served as G-3, Operations and Training Officer of the 2d
Marine Division during its training period in New Zealand. His
service in this capacity during the planning of the assault on
Tarawa earned him his first Legion of Merit with Combat "V".
During this period he briefly served as an observer with the 1st
Marine Division on Guadalcanal in October 1942 and with the 43d
Army Division on Rendova, New Georgia, in the summer of 1943,
earning a Purple Heart in the latter operation. Promoted to
Colonel November 9, 1943, Colonel Shoup was placed in command of
the Second Marines (Reinforced), the spearhead of the assault on
Tarawa. During this action he earned the Medal of Honor as well
as a second Purple Heart. In December 1943, he became Chief of
Staff of the 2d Marine Division. For outstanding service in this
capacity from June to August 1944, during the battles for Saipan
and Tinian, he was again awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat
"V".
He returned to the United States in October 1944. Upon his
return to the United States, Colonel Shoup served as Logistics
Officer, Division of Plans and Policies, Headquarters Marine
Corps. He was again ordered overseas in June 1947. Two months
later he became Commanding Officer, Service Command, Fleet
Marine Force, Pacific. In June 1949, he joined the 1st Marine
Division at Camp Pendleton as Division Chief of Staff. A year
later, Colonel Shoup was transferred to Quantico where he served
as Commanding Officer of the Basic School from July 1950 until
April 1952. He was then assigned to the Office of the Fiscal
Director, Headquarters Marine Corps, and served as Assistant
Fiscal Director.
He was promoted Brigadier General in April 1953. In July
1953, General Shoup was named Fiscal Director of the Marine
Corps. While serving in this capacity, he was promoted to Major
General in September 1955. Subsequently, in May 1956, he began a
brief assignment as Inspector General for Recruit Training.
Following this assignment, he served as Inspector General of the
Marine Corps from September 1956 until May 1957. He returned to
Camp Pendleton in June 1957 to become Commanding General of the
1st Marine Division. General Shoup joined the 3d Marine Division
on Okinawa in March 1958 as Commanding General. Following his
return to the United States, he served as Commanding General of
the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, from May to
October 1959.
On November 2, 1959, he was promoted to Lieutenant General
and assigned duties as Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine
Corps. General Shoup was nominated by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower on August 12, 1959 to be the 22d Commandant of the
Marine Corps, and the Senate confirmed his nomination for a
four-year term. Upon assuming his post as Commandant of the
Marine Corps on January 1, 1960, he was promoted to four-star
rank. On January 21, 1964, shortly after his retirement, General
Shoup was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by President
Lyndon B. Johnson for exceptionally meritorious service as
Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The complete list of the General's medals and decorations
includes: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Medal,
the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and Gold Star in
lieu of a second award, the Letter of Commendation with
Commendation Ribbon, the Purple Heart with Gold Star in lieu of
a second award, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Yangtze
Service Medal, the Expeditionary Medal, the American Defense
Service Medal with Base clasp, the European-African-Middle
Eastern Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with
four bronze stars, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II
Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the
British Distinguished Service Order. General David Monroe Shoup
died 13 January 1983, and was buried in Section 7-A of Arlington
National Cemetery. |
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