World War II 1941-1945
Medal of Honor Recipient
Eighteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps

General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II, and served as the eighteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps, from January 1, 1944 to January 1, 1948, died May 8, 1973, at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, after a long illness. He was 86. Interment was May 10, 1973, at Arlington National Cemetery.

The General commanded the 1st Marine Division in the battle for Guadalcanal, and the I Marine Amphibious Corps in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, during World War II.

For outstanding service as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division during the attack on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu in the Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942, he was awarded the Navy Cross, and for the subsequent occupation and defense from August 7, to December 9, 1942, was awarded the Medal of Honor.

General Vandegrift was born on March 13, 1887, in Charlottsville, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia and was commissioned in the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant on January 22, 1909.

Following instruction at the Marine Officers' School, Port Royal, South Carolina, and a tour of duty at the Marine Barracks, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he went to foreign shore duty in the Caribbean area, where he participated in the bombardment, assault and capture of Coyotepe in Nicaragua. He further participated in the engagement and occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

In December 1914, following his promotion to first lieutenant, he attended the Advance Base Course at the Marine Barracks, Philadelphia. Upon completion of schooling, he sailed for Haiti with the 1st Brigade and participated in action against hostile Cacos bandits at LeTrou and Fort Capois.

In August 1916, he was promoted to captain and became a member of the Haitian Constabulary at Port Au Prince, where he remained until detached to the United States in December 1918. He returned to Haiti again in July 1919, to serve with the Gendarmerie d'Haiti as an Inspector of Constabulary. He was promoted to major in June 1920.

Vandegrift returned to this country in April 1923, and was assigned to the Marine Barracks at Quantico, Virginia. He completed the Field Officers' Course, Marine Corps Schools in May 1926, later being transferred to the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California, as Assistant Chief of Staff.

In February 1927, he sailed for China where he served as Operations and Training Officer of the 3d Marine Brigade with Headquarters at Tientsin. He was ordered to Washington, D.C., in September 1928, where he became Assistant Chief Coordinator, Bureau of the Budget.

Following duty in Washington, he joined the Marine Barracks, Quantico, where he became Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1 Section, Fleet Marine Force. During this assignment, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 1934.

Ordered to China in June 1935, Vandegrift served successively as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in Peiping. Promoted to colonel in September 1936, Vandegrift reported to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., in June 1937, where he became Military Secretary to the Major General Commandant. In March 1940, he was appointed Assistant to the Major General Commandant, and the following month was promoted to brigadier general.

General Vandegrift was detached to 1st Marine Division in November 1941 shortly before the outbreak of World War II. He was promoted to major general in March 1942, and in May sailed for the South Pacific area as commanding general of the first Marine Division to ever leave the shores of the United States. On August 7, 1942, in the Solomon Islands, he led ashore the 1st Marine Division, in the first large-scale offensive action against the Japanese.

In July 1943, he assumed command of the I Marine Amphibious Corps, and commanded this organization in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Northern Solomon Islands, on November 1, 1943. Upon establishing the initial beachhead, he relinquished command and returned to Washington, D.C., as Commandant-designate.

On January 1, 1944, as a lieutenant general, he was sworn in as the eighteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps. On April 4, 1945, he was appointed general, with date of rank from March 21, 1945, the first Marine officer on active duty to attain four-star rank.

For outstanding service as Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1944 to June 30, 1946, the General was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. He left active service on December 31, 1947, and was placed on the retired list, April 1, 1949.

General Vandegrift held an honorary degree of Doctor of Military Science from Pennsylvania Military College, and honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from Harvard, Colgate, Brown, Columbia, and Maryland Universities and John Marshall College.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, and Distinguished Service Medal, his decorations and medals included: the Presidential Unit Citiation with one bronze star, Solomon Island, 1942; Navy Unit Commendation with one bronze star, Solomon Islands, 1943, and Okinawa, 1945; Expeditionary Medal with three bronze stars, Cuba, 1912, Nicaragua, 1912, Haiti, 1915-24, Cina, 1927-28; Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, Nicaragua, 1912; Mexican Service Medal, Mexico, 1914; Haitian Campaign Medal with one star, Haiti, 1915 and 1919-20; Victory Medal with West Indies Clasp and one star, Haiti, 1918; Yangtze Service Medal, Shanghai, 1927; American Defense Service Medal, 1939-1941; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars; Solomon Islands, 1942-43; American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal.

He had received the following foreign decorations: Haitian Distinguished Service Medal, Haiti, 1919-20; Medaille Militaire with one silver star, Haiti, 1920-21; Honorary Knight Commander, Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Companion (Honorary) of the Military Division of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, British Solomon Islands, 1942; Cruz de Aviacion de Primera Clase, Peruvian Government, 1944; Abdon Calderon of the 1st Class, Equador, 1944, Knights Grand Cross in the Order of the Orange-Nassau with Swords, Netherlands, 1945; the Order of Pao-Tine (Precious Tripod) with Special clasp, China, 1947; and the Legion of Honor (Grand Officer), France.

The General was survived by his wife, the former Kathryn Henson McDaniel of Charlottesville, Virginia, one stepson, William G. McDaniel of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His first wife, the former Mildred Strode of Amherst County, Virginia, died in 1952 and their son, Alexander A. Vandegrift Jr., a retired Marine colonel, died November 20, 1969.

At the time of his death, the General and Mrs. Vandegrift were residing in Delray Beach, Florida.