ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 142227Z MAR 03 ZYB MIN PSN 936635J32
 
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
 
TO ALNAV
 
UNCLAS
ALNAV 024/03
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR//
 
SUBJ/DEATH OF GENERAL WALLACE M. GREENE, JR., FORMER COMMANDANT//
 
RMKS/1.  IT IS WITH DEEP REGRET THAT I ANNOUNCE THE DEATH ON 8 MARCH
2003 OF GENERAL WALLACE M. GREENE, JR., U.S. MARINE CORPS, RETIRED,
WHO SERVED AS THE 23RD COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.
 
2.  GENERAL GREENE WAS BORN DECEMBER 27, 1907, IN WATERBURY,
VERMONT.  UPON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, HE ATTENDED A YEAR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT, BEFORE ENTERING THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY,
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.  UPON GRADUATION FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN JUNE
1930, HE WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND ORDERED TO MARINE
OFFICER'S BASIC SCHOOL AT THE PHILADELPHIA NAVY YARD.  AFTER BASIC
SCHOOL HE WAS ASSIGNED TO MARINE BARRACKS, NAVY YARD, PORTSMOUTH,
NEW HAMPSHIRE.  DURING JULY 1932, HE COMPLETED SEA SCHOOL AT SAN
DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, AND JOINED THE MARINE DETACHMENT ABOARD THE USS
TENNESSEE.  IN MARCH 1936, HE SERVED AT MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT,
SAN DIEGO, UNTIL LEAVING FOR GUAM IN OCTOBER 1936. GENERAL GREENE
THEN EMBARKED FOR SHANGHAI, CHINA IN JUNE 1937 AND JOINED THE 4TH
MARINE REGIMENT.  RETURNING TO THE STATES IN 1939, HE ATTENDED THE
JUNIOR COURSE AT QUANTICO, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED WITH THE 1ST
MARINE DIVISION AT GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA.  IN 1941, HE ATTENDED THE
BRITISH AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE SCHOOL AT INVERARY, SCOTLAND, AND THE
ROYAL ENGINEER DEMOLITIONS SCHOOL AT RIPON, YORK, ENGLAND.  IN 1943
HE TOOK PART IN PLANNING THE EXECUTION FOR THE INVASION OF THE
MARSHALL ISLANDS.  IN 1944, HE WAS G-3, 2D MARINE DIVISION DURING
THE SAIPAN AND TINIAN OPERATIONS.  STAFF DUTY FOLLOWED AT
HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, FLEET MARINE FORCE PACIFIC, AND MARINE
CORPS SCHOOLS QUANTICO.  AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE NATIONAL WAR
COLLEGE, WASHINGTON, JUNE 1953, HE BECAME SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF FOR NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AFFAIRS.  IN
1955 HE SERVED AS ASSISTANT DIVISION COMMANDER, 2D MARINE DIVISION,
AND IN 1956, HE TRANSFERRED TO MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, PARRIS
ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE HE SERVED AS COMMANDING GENERAL,
RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND.  IN MARCH 1957 HE BECAME COMMANDING
GENERAL OF THE RECRUIT DEPOT.  IN JULY HE BECAME COMMANDING GENERAL
OF MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP LEJEUNE.  RETURNING TO HEADQUARTERS IN
1958 HE BECAME G-3, AND LATER WAS APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF
FOR PLANS.  IN JANURARY 1960, HE WAS PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL
AND NAMED CHIEF OF STAFF.  ON JANUARY 1, 1964 HE BECAME THE
TWENTY-THIRD COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.  HE RETIRED ON DECEMBER
31, 1967.
 
3.  A COMPLETE LIST OF GENERAL GREENE'S MEDALS AND DECORATIONS
INCLUDE: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL WITH ONE GOLD STAR IN LIEU OF
SECOND AWARD, THE LEGION OF MERIT WITH COMBAT "V" AND GOLD STAR IN
LIEU OF SECOND AWARD, NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION, CHINA SERVICE MEDAL,
AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH BASE CLASP, EUROPEAN
AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN
MEDAL WITH THREE BRONZE STARS, THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE
WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL, AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL
WITH ONE BRONZE STAR.  HE WAS ALSO AWARDED THE ORDER OF THE CLOUD
AND BANNER, GRAND CORDON, BY THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE ORDER OF
SERVICE MERIT, FIRST CLASS BY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA; THE BRAZILIAN
ORDER OF NAVAL MERIT, GRAND OFFICIAL, FROM BRAZIL AND THE NATIONAL
ORDER OF VIETNAM, 3D CLASS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
 
4.  A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR GENERAL GREENE WILL BE HELD AT 1245 ON
APRIL 3, 2003, AT THE OLD POST CHAPEL, FT MYER, VIRGINIA.  BURIAL
WILL FOLLOW AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.
 
5.  RELEASED BY THE HONORABLE HANSFORD T. JOHNSON, ACTING SECRETARY
OF THE NAVY.//
 
BT
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