National
Archives #80-G-422491. Cropped by author.
Lemuel Shepherd was born in Virginia and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1917, accepting a commission into the Marine Corps. He participated in the battles of Belleau Woods, Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne, and was wounded three times. He subsequently served as an aide to legendary Marine Corps commandant John Lejeune, on battleships, and with 4 Marine Regiment in China. He rose steadily through the ranks and graduated from the Navy War College in 1937.
Sheperd was in a training assignment when war broke out. In March 1942 he became commander of 9 Marine Regiment and in January 1943 he became assistant commander of 1 Marine Division on Guadalcanal. He was promoted to brigadier general in July. He participated in the Cape Gloucester landings and commanded 1 Provisional Marine Brigade from April 1944, leading that unit at Guam. Promoted to major general in September, he took command of 6 Marine Division and led it at Okinawa.
Postwar Sheperd served as assistant commandant of the Corps before becoming commander of Fleet Marine Force and observing the Inchon landings during the Korean War. He subsequently became commandant of the Corps and retired in January 1956. He resumed active duty briefly in 1956-1957 before retiring permanently.
| 1896-2-10 |
born | |
| 1917-4-11 |
Second
lieutenant |
Graduates from Virginia Military
Institute. Assigned to Marine Barracks, Port Royal, South Carolina |
| 1917-5 |
5 Marine Regiment, France |
|
| 1918 |
Army of Occupation, Germany |
|
| 1919-7 |
Captain |
|
| 1919-9 |
Mapping expedition, France |
|
| 1920-12 |
Aide-de-campe, Commandant of the
Corps |
|
| 1922-7 |
Brazilian Exposition, Rio de
Janeiro |
|
| 1923-6 |
BB Idaho |
|
| 1925 |
Commander, Marine Sea School |
|
| 1927-4 |
3 Marine Brigade, Tientsin and Shanghai |
|
| 1929 |
Field Officers' Course |
|
| 1930 |
Garde d'Haiti |
|
| 1934 |
Major |
Executive officer, Marine
Barracks, Washington, D.C. |
| 1936 |
Lieutenant
colonel |
Naval War College |
| 1937-5 |
Commander, 2 Battalion, 5
Marine
Regiment |
|
| 1939-6 |
Staff, Marine Corps Schools |
|
| 1942-3
|
Colonel |
Commander, 9
Marine Regiment, 3
Marine Division |
| 1943-7 |
Brigadier general | Assistant commander, 1 Marine Division |
| 1944-3-22 |
Commander, 1 Provisional Marine Brigade | |
| 1944-9 |
Major general |
Commander, 6
Marine Division,
Okinawa |
| 1946-3 |
Commander, Troop Training
Command, Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet |
|
| 1946-11-1 |
Chief of staff, Marine Corps |
|
| 1948-4 |
Commandant, Marine Corps Schools |
|
| 1950-6 |
Lieutenant
general |
Commander, Fleet Marine Force |
| 1952-1-1 |
Commandant of the Marine Corps |
|
| 1956-1-1 |
Retires |
|
| 1956-3 |
Recalled to active duty.
Chairman, Inter-American Defense Board |
|
| 1959-10-1
|
Retires |
|
| 1990-8-6 |
Dies at La Jolla, California |
References
Arlington Nationa; Cemetary Website (accessed 2008-6-30)
Naval Historical Center (accessed 2008-6-30)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index
