Louis H. Wilson Jr.: Difference between revisions

| birth_place = [[Brandon, Mississippi]], U.S.

| death_place = [[Birmingham, Alabama]], U.S.

| allegiance = {{Flag|United States of America}}

| branch = {{Flag|[[United States Marine Corps}}]]

| rank = {{Dodseal|USMCO10|25}} [[General (United States)|General]]

| commands = [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]]<br/>[[I Marine Amphibious Force]]<br/>[[6th Marine Corps District]]<br/>[[The Basic School]]<br/>[[2nd Battalion, 5th Marines]]

| battles = '''[[World War II]]'''

'''[[Vietnam War]]'''

'''Louis Hugh Wilson Jr.''' (February 11, 1920 – June 21, 2005) was a [[United States Marine Corps]] [[General (United States)|four-star general]] and a [[World War II]] recipient of the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions during the [[Battle of Guam (1944)|Battle of Guam]]. He served as the 26th [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|commandant of the Marine Corps]] from 1975 until his retirement from the Marine Corps in 1979, after 38 years of service.

Wilson was born on February 11, 1920, in [[Brandon, Mississippi]], on February 11, 1920. He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1941 from [[Millsaps College]], in [[Jackson, Mississippi]], where he participated in football and track. Wilson was also an active member of the Alpha Iota chapter of [[Pi Kappa Alpha]] [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]], initiated on February 23, 1939.

He has many relatives residing in Mississippi to this day.

[[File:Marine general officers symposium group photo 1967.jpg|thumb|left|Wilson as a BGenbrigadier general at the 1967 General Officers Symposium (2nd from left, top row)]]

Wilson was promoted to [[General (United States)|general]] on July 1, 1975, when he assumed the office of [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]]. As commandant, Wilson repeatedly stressed modernization of the post-Vietnam Marine Corps. He insisted on force readiness, responsiveness, and mobility by maintaining fast-moving, hard-hitting expeditionary units, each consisting of a single integrated system of modern ground- and air-delivered firepower, tactical mobility, and electronic countermeasures. Wilson was the first Marine Corps commandant to serve full-time on the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]].<ref name=ANC>Arlington National Cemetery profile.</ref>

|colspan="4" align="center" |[[Medal of Honor]]

|colspan="4" align="center" |[[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]] w/ [[Oak leaf cluster|Bronze oak leaf cluster]]

|colspan="4" align="center" |[[Legion of Merit]] w/ [[valor device]] & 2 [[award star]]s

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Purple Heart]] w/ 2 award stars

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Commendation Medal|Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Navy Presidential Unit Citation]] w/ 1 [[service star]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Meritorious Unit Commendation|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[American Defense Service Medal]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[American Campaign Medal]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] w/ 3 service stars

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[World War II Victory Medal]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[National Defense Service Medal]] w/ 1 service star

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Vietnam Service Medal]] w/ 2 service stars

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[National Order of Vietnam]], Officer degree

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross]] w/ palm & gold star

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Order of National Security Merit (Korea)|Korean Order of National Security Merit]], Gugseon Medal

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Philippine Legion of Honor]], rank of Commander

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross|Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation]]

|colspan="3" align="center" |[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]]

{{quoteblockquote|For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Fonte Hill, Guam, Marianas Islands, 25 and July 26, 1944. Ordered to take that portion of the hill within his zone of action, Captain Wilson initiated his attack in midafternoon, pushed up the rugged, open terrain against terrific [[machine gun|machine-gun]] and [[rifle]] fire for 300 yards and successfully captured the objective. Promptly assuming command of other disorganized units and motorized equipment in addition to his own company and one reinforcing platoon, he organized his night defenses in the face of continuous hostile fire and, although wounded three times during this five-hour period, completed his disposition of men and guns before retiring to the company command post for medical attention. Shortly thereafter, when the enemy launched the first of a series of savage counterattacks lasting all night, he voluntarily rejoined his besieged units and repeatedly exposed himself to the merciless hail of [[Shrapnel shell|shrapnel]] and bullets, dashing fifty yards into the open on one occasion to rescue a wounded Marine lying helpless beyond the front lines. Fighting fiercely in [[hand-to-hand combat|hand-to-hand encounters]], he led his men in furiously waged battle for approximately ten hours, tenaciously holding his line and repelling the fanatically renewed counterthrusts until he succeeded in crushing the last efforts of the hard-pressed Japanese early the following morning. Then, organizing a seventeen-man patrol, he immediately advanced upon a strategic slope essential to the security of his position and, boldly defying intense [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]], machine-gun and rifle fire which struck down thirteen of his men, drove relentlessly forward with the remnants of his patrol to seize the vital ground. By his indomitable leadership, daring combat tactics and dauntless valor in the face of overwhelming odds, Captain Wilson succeeded in capturing and holding the strategic high ground in his regimental sector, thereby contributing essentially to the success of his regimental mission and to the annihilation of 350 Japanese troops. His inspiring conduct throughout the critical periods of this decisive action enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the [[United States Department of the Navy|United States Naval Service]].

*Wilson Boulevard and Wilson Gate in [[Camp Lejeune]], [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web|access-date=2014-11-20|url=http://www.jdnews.com/news/military/new-base-gate-will-offer-traffic-congestion-relief-1.348789|title=New base gate will offer traffic congestion relief |publisher=Jacksonville Daily News|archive-date=2014-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129112909/http://www.jdnews.com/news/military/new-base-gate-will-offer-traffic-congestion-relief-1.348789|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*Wilson Hall, the headquarters building for [[Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps)|Marine Corps Officer Candidates School]], in [[Quantico, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2014-11-20|url=http://themilitaryengineer.com/index.php/2012-nov-dec/item/173-achieving-aesthetics-and-functionality|title=Achieving Aesthetics and Functionality|publisher=The Military Engineer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317100626/http://themilitaryengineer.com/index.php/2012-nov-dec/item/173-achieving-aesthetics-and-functionality|archive-date=2018-03-17|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2014-11-20|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=67037|title=Marine Corps Dedicates OCS Battalion Command Post|publisher=United States Navy|archive-date=2014-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129051732/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=67037|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*[[USS Louis H. Wilson Jr.]] (DDG 126).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-17 |title=Secretary Mabus Names Two Destroyers for Medal of Honor Recipients |url=http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/947833/secretary-mabus-names-two-destroyers-for-medal-of-honor-recipients |titlearchive-url=Secretary Mabus Names Two Destroyers https://web.archive.org/web/20170113020006/https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/947833/secretary-mabus-names-two-destroyers-for Medal -medal-of-honor-recipients Honor Recipients|archive-date=20162017-0901-17|website=DOD13 Press Operations|access-date=2016-09-19 |website=DOD Press Operations}}</ref>

{{Portal|Biography|World War II}}

{{Succession box |before = [[Robert Everton Cushman Jr.]] |title = [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]] |years = 1975–1979 |after = [[Robert H. Barrow]]}}

[[Category:Recipients of the National Order of Vietnam|4 Wilson, Louis H., Jr.]]