On 21 May 1944, Fellers was transferred back to 5th Marine Regiment and succeeded temporary commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Buse. Colonel Fellers supervised the training and preparation of the regiment for Peleliu operation; however, the division assistant commander, Brigadier General Oliver P. Smith (who personally served as 5th Marines Commander until 9 April 1944), was not satisfied with the way Fellers led the training of the regiment and how he treated the junior officers. Everything escalated after the complaint made by 5th Marines executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis William Walt, to Colonel John T. Selden. Selden, who served as 1st Marine Division Chief of Staff and was Walt's close friend, got a report that officers within the regiment were losing confidence in Colonel Fellers. The unofficial complaint was forwarded to General Smith, who decided to focus more on Fellers.[3]
General Smith later came to conclusion that it would be in the best interest of the 5th Marine regiment to relieve Colonel Fellers. Smith asked for that division commander, Major General Rupertus, who relieved Fellers under rotation policy on 17 August 1944. Fellers was finally relieved by Colonel Harold D. Harris and sent home.[3]
Upon his return to the United States, Colonel Fellers was assigned to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., and appointed officer in charge of the Rehabilitation Division, Personnel Department. He was later appointed officer in charge of the Procurement Division and served in this capacity for the duration of the War.[4]
Later service
Fellers served in this capacity until April 1946, when he was transferred to Okinawa, where he was appointed commanding officer of Marine barracks within Naval Base Okinawa. His tour of duty ended in May 1947, when he was appointed commander of Marine barracks within United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
He returned to the United States at the beginning of July 1948, when he was appointed chief of staff, troop training unit at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado under Major General John T. Walker. Fellers has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general in July 1949 and relieved Walker at the same time.[2]
In January 1950, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, General Douglas MacArthur, requested amphibious training for occupation troops in Japan under his command. Fellers sent Colonel Edward H. Forney and Mobile Training Team Able from his troop training unit to Japan at MacArthur's request. During the following months, Fellers traveled to Japan for inspection tours of his unit and later participated in the planning of the Inchon landing on the staff of Commander of the Naval Amphibious Command, Vice admiral James H. Doyle.[5]
Fellers returned to the United States in August 1950 and was succeeded by Major General John T. Selden.[6] He was subsequently assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as deputy commander. Fellers served in this capacity until June 1953, when he was appointed Director of the Staff of the Inter-American Defense Board. He finally retired from the Marine Corps on June 30, 1954, and was advanced to the rank of major general on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.[7]
Life in retirement
Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, Fellers resided in Rome, Georgia, where he was active in Rome Rotary Club and also as communicant of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Fellers died on November 24, 1973, and is buried at Sunset Hills Memorial Gardens Cemetery together with his wife Ellison Bedell Fellers (1893–1972).[8] They had together one daughter, Peggy Fellers (1923–1968), and one son, William S. Fellers Jr. (1927–2001), who also served with the Marine Corps and retired as master sergeant.
Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Major General William S. Fellers:[1]
