Major General, U.S. Marine Corps
In World War I, Major General John Archer Lejeune’s 2nd Division crushed the Germans at the Battle of Saint Mihiel. Lejeune was the first American Marine commander to lead a division in combat, and his command was the first time the American Army fought in Europe under an American Commander in Chief. Recognized by the French government as a great strategist and leader, he was awarded the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre. He received the Distinguished Service Medal from General John J. Pershing and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal was conferred upon him when he returned to the United States following the occupation of Germany.
Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, thirteenth Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, was born in Pointe Coupee, Louisiana, in 1867. He attended LSU from 1881 to 1884 before earning an appointment as a Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1890.
Lejeune came from a Louisiana family that taught him tolerance and humanity and instilled in him a reverence for traditions. At LSU, he learned duty, honor and love of his country. In the Marine Corps, these lessons would prepare him to become a true leader of the men serving under him.
Entering World War I, Lejeune assumed command of the 2nd Division and remained in that capacity until August 1919. He was the first Marine officer to hold an Army divisional command, and following the Armistice, he led the 2nd Division in the march into Germany, to victory in the battle of Saint Mihiel and spearheaded the American First Army's drive through Meuse-Argonne. The 2nd Division earned one of the greatest combat records in American military history.
John Archer Lejeune was appointed the thirteenth Major General Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps on July 1, 1920. His goal was to reform the organization of the Corps and concentrate on education. Using lessons learned in war, he focused on strategy, planning and mission. Lejeune launched an education program that was the most imaginative self-improvement program ever designed in America's armed forces, a concept that developed into the Marine Corps Institute and the Marine Corps Schools.
Lejeune instituted changes in basic training that emphasized cooperation between the landing force and supporting ships. This was the genesis of what later became the Fleet Marine Force, and he devoted a large part of his time to translating theory into practice.
After his second term as Commandant, Lejeune retired in 1929 to accept the position of superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, serving there until his resignation in 1937.
He died November 20, 1942 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Today, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, bears his name. He is often referred to as “the greatest of all Leathernecks,” having served more than 40 years with the U.S. Marine Corps.