MCRD PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- John Archer Lejeune, born 136 years ago, spent most of his life becoming known as "the greatest of all Leathernecks."
Often referred to as such during his more than 40 years of service in the Marine Corps, Major Gen. Lejeune's height of leadership would come in 1920 when he became the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He would lead the Corps for nine years.
Before the Corps
Born Jan. 10, 1867 in Pointee Coupee, La., Lejeune was educated at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La., where he graduated with a bachelor's degree and subsequently secured an appointment as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated in 1888.
His appointment to the Marine Corps was somewhat of a struggle, requiring Congressional intervention, since the Navy was hesitant to be relieved of such a bright Naval officer.
Banana Wars to Barracks duty
After a two-year cruise as a cadet, he was commissioned a second lieutenant July 1, 1890, and in the following years saw action in the Spanish-American War aboard the USS Cincinnati.
In 1903, then a major, Lejeune was dispatched to Panama in the revolution against Columbia. He would return there again three years later after a brief tour at Marine Barracks 8th&I in Washington, D.C.
Orders to the Philippines would arrive in 1907. For the next two years, he would lead the Marine Barracks, at Navy Yard, Cavite, Philippines, and later the First Marine Brigade.
The globe trotting Marine would bounce from duty in the U.S., to a short duty in Cuba as a lieutenant colonel with the Second Provisional Brigade before ending up as commander of the Second Brigade in Guantanamo Bay.
Lejeune would only spend 10 months leading the brigade before orders drew him to New York, from which he would sail with the Second Advanced Base Regiment to their ultimate destination, Vera Cruz, Mexico, where they would land five months later.
Remaining in constant motion, Lejeune's orders would bring him back to the U.S. by December 1914 where he reported to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington to become assistant commandant to Maj. Gen. George Barnett. Lejeune excelled in the position and attracted the attention of Navy Secretary Joseph Daniels. Lejeune would plan most of the Marines' mobilization in the coming war.
World War I
In the outbreak of World War I, he assumed command of the newly constructed Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va., but his leadership, in light of the growing conflict in Europe, would not be overlooked and by mid-1918, he arrived in Brest, France.
Upon reporting to the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, he would first lead a brigade of the 32nd Division, then the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division following the attack of the division in the Soissons Offensive.
Less than a month after arriving in France, Lejeune assumed command of the 2nd Division, leading the Division through St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont and the Meuse-Argonne. He remained in command until after the war when the division was demobilized. He was the first Marine officer to hold an Army division command and following the Armistice, led his division in the march into Germany.
He was recognized as a brilliant strategist and leader and would be bestowed with the Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre by the French government. General John Pershing recognized Lejeune with the Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal was awarded to him after returning from the occupation of Germany.
Commandant
Upon returning stateside in Oct. 1919, he was given command of Marine Barracks, Quantico, but orders would come quickly when less than nine months later, he was nominated major general and Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Retirement was not in his plans. After more than eight years as Commandant, he wanted to continue on as a Marine, but was relieved as Commandant in March 1929.
Begrudgingly, he would accept retirement Nov. 10 of that year to become superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute.
Retirement
At 70 years old, after a lifetime of leading and teaching Marines around the world, poor health made it necessary for Lejeune to resign from VMI in October, 1937. In February 1942, he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant general on the Marine Corps retired list, but he would not see his 76th birthday. On Nov. 20, he would succumb at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, and was interred in the Arlington National Cemetery.
He is buried in Section 6 of the national cemetery. His wife Ellie Murdaugh Lejeune, and his daughter, Maj. Eugenia D. Lejeune, are buried with him. Today, Camp Lejeune, N.C. bears his namesake.