Alexander Archer Vandegrift was born on March 13, 1887, in Charlottesville, Virginia, where his father was an architect and contractor.[4] Vandegrift was of Dutch ancestry, all of which had been in North America since the 1600s. It was once facetiously remarked that he "never had a Catholic ancestor."[5] The young Vandegrift, known as "Archer" in his boyhood,[4] had an interest in the military both from reading military history novels and from stories of ancestors who fought in various wars.[6] He graduated from Charlottesville High School.[7] During his childhood, he was a big fan of G.A. Henty novels and history. In particular, he read a lot about the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo and described himself as a "big fan" of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and Horatio Nelson.[5]
He then received his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps through a week-long competitive examination in 1908.[9][10]
He became a second lieutenant on January 22, 1909.
At the Marine Corps Schools in 1909, he wrote a prophetic article, "Aviation, the Cavalry of the Future."[5] As commandant, he was appointed to the Hogaboom Board, named for Major General Hogaboom, the chairman, which began the Martine' development of vertical envelopment, the use of helicopters for air assault. During his early years, as a second lieutenant, General Vandegrift was also very nearly dismissed from the Marine Corps for disciplinary infractions and negative evaluations.[11] In his first Marine Corps evaluation, dated June 30, 1909, Vandegrift received an overall rating of "Not Good" with these remarks from the Commander of the Marine Officers School:
This officer has not shown that he appreciates the responsibilities of his position as an officer, and unless there is a decisive improvement, his relations will not be to the advantage of the service.
In Vandegrift's next evaluation, in December 1909, he received a "Good and Tolerable" rating. The next was rated as "Excellent" upon reporting to the Marine Corps Barracks, Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1910.[12]
In December 1914, after his promotion to first lieutenant, he attended the Advance Base Course at the Marine Barracks, Philadelphia.[10] Upon completion of training, he sailed for Haiti with the 1st Marines Regiment and participated in action against Cacos bandits at Le Trou and Fort Capois, Haiti.
In August 1916, he was promoted to captain and became a member of the Haitian Constabulary at Port-au-Prince, where he remained until he was 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.
Major Vandegrift returned to the U.S. in April 1923 and was assigned to the Marine Barracks, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. He completed the Field Officers' Course, Marine Corps Schools, in May 1926. He was then 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 3rd Marines with headquarters at Tianjin. He was ordered to Washington, D.C., in September 1928, where he became assistant chief coordinator, Bureau of the Budget.
After his duty in Washington, he joined the Marine Barracks, Quantico, where he became assistant chief of staff, G-1 Section, Fleet Marine Force (FMF). During that assignment, in June 1934, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Ordered to China in June 1935, Lieutenant Colonel Vandegrift served successively as executive officer and commanding officer of the Marine detachment at the American embassy in Beiping. Promoted to colonel in September 1936, Vandegrift reported to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), 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, he was promoted to brigadier general.
World War II
MajGen Vandegrift, 1942, in his command tent on Guadalcanal
Brigadier General Vandegrift was ordered to the 1st Marine Division in November 1941. Shortly before the U.S. entered World War II, he had become on December 7, the assistant commander of the First Marine Division.
In March and April 1942, Vandegrift was promoted to major general and assumed command of the First Marine Division. In May, the First Marine Division and the South Pacific Amphibious Force sailed for the South Pacific Area. The First Marine Division was the first Marine Corps division that ever left the shores of the United States. On August 7, Vandegrift led the First Marine Division in the first large-scale operation against the Japanese, in the Solomon Islands.[13] He was awarded the Navy Cross "for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commanding General of the First Marine Division and all ground troops action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands 7 August 1942." (attack on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu);[14] He was later awarded the Medal of Honor "for outstanding and heroic accomplishment above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Division in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during the period 7 August to 9 December 1942." He had commanded the initial landings and the subsequent occupation ... that "resulted in securing a valuable base for further operations of our forces against the enemy."[15] Vandegrift was presented the Medal of Honor on February 5, 1943, from President Franklin Roosevelt during a ceremony in the White House.
In July 1943, Vandegrift commanded the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, in the 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 18th 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.
During his tenure as commandant, the Marine Corps faced institutional threats from U.S. Army efforts to absorb the mission of the Marines. The U.S. Navy was sympathetic to the Marine Corps's predicament but was ready to accept the diminishment of the Corps in exchange for keeping naval aviation from consolidation with the U.S. Air Force. The post-war discussions on the restructuring of the American defense establishment opened the door to diminishing the mission and role of the Marine Corps in the new defense structure. Proponents of such cuts included President Harry Truman and General Dwight Eisenhower. In that power struggle, the Marine Corps aligned itself with U.S. Congress in warning against the encroachment on civilian oversight within the Army proposals.[16]
To clinch the support of Congress, Commandant Vandegrift delivered the famous "Bended Knee Speech" on May 6, 1946, to the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs and ended it thus:
The Marine Corps, then, believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the legislative body which created it—nothing more. Sentiment is not a valid consideration in determining questions of national security. We have pride in ourselves and in our past, but we do not rest our case on any presumed ground of gratitude owing us from the Nation. The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps. If the Marine as a fighting man has not made a case for himself after 170 years of service, he must go. But I think you will agree with me that he has earned the right to depart with dignity and honor, not by subjugation to the status of uselessness and servility planned for him by the War Department.
— Alexander Vandegrift, "Bended Knee Speech", [17]
For outstanding service as Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1944, to June 30, 1946, General Vandegrift was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. He was relieved as Commandant on December 31, 1947, but was not formally retired and placed on the retired list until April 1, 1949.[18]
Later life
Together with Robert B. Asprey, General Vandegrift co-authored a book chronicling his experiences in World War II. The book is titled Once a Marine: The Memoirs of General A. A. Vandegrift Commandant of the U.S. Marines in WW II, and was published in 1964.
Vandegrift's Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:[21]
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER VANDEGRIFT UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For outstanding and heroic accomplishment above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during the period from 7 August to 9 December 1942. With the adverse factors of weather, terrain, and disease making his task a difficult and hazardous undertaking, and with his command eventually including sea, land, and air forces of Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Maj. Gen. Vandegrift achieved marked success in commanding the initial landings of the U. S. forces in the Solomon Islands and in their subsequent occupation. His tenacity, courage, and resourcefulness prevailed against a strong, determined, and experienced enemy, and the gallant fighting spirit of the men under his inspiring leadership enabled them to withstand aerial, land, and sea bombardment, to surmount all obstacles, and leave a disorganized and ravaged enemy. This dangerous but vital mission, accomplished at the constant risk of his life, resulted in securing a valuable base for further operations of our forces against the enemy, and its successful completion reflects great credit upon Maj. Gen. Vandegrift, his command, and the U.S. Naval Service.
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Major General Alexander Archer Vandegrift (MCSN: 0-1009), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commander of the FIRST Marine Division and all ground troops in action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands on 7 August 1942. Though subjected to intense enemy opposition, Major General Vandegrift led his command in superbly coordinated operations with the result that all objectives were captured and opposing enemy Japanese forces destroyed. His fine spirit of leadership and his courageous determination throughout the engagement were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[14]
The main street that runs through Camp Pendleton is named Vandegrift Boulevard in his honor.
A former military housing complex, now civilian housing, for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, has streets named for World War II commanders including General Vandegrift, General Eisenhower, and Admiral Nimitz.
Family
Vandegrift married Mildred Strode (1886–1952) on June 29, 1909.[22] They had one son, Alexander Archer Vandegrift, Jr. (1911–1969),[22] a Marine Corps colonel who fought in both World War II and in the Korean War.[13] After Mildred's death, he married Kathryn Henson (1903–1978).[19]
^Krulak (1984). "Chapter 7: The Marines' Push Button". First To Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps. pp. 113–119.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Alexander Vandegrift (May 6, 1946). "Bended Knee Speech". Historical Documents, Orders and Speeches. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
Shaw, Henry I. Jr. (1992). First Offensive: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal. Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
Ulbrich, David J. (2011). Preparing for Victory: Thomas Holcomb and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps, 1936–183. Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1591149033.
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