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Julian Smith was born in Maryland and graduated
from the University of Delaware in 1909. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps and participated in
the Vera Cruz occupation. He graduated from the Command and General
Staff School in 1928 and served in Nicaragua, where he injected a new sense of initiative into his command, before
being promoted to
brigadier general and sent as a
naval observer to London in
1938-1941.
"General Julian" was promoted to major general in
1942 and was given command of 2
Marine Division
on 1 May 1943. He led the
division at the bloody battle of Tarawa.
He subsequently became commander of the Pacific department of the Fleet
Marine Force and commanding general of Parris Island Marine Base
before
retiring as a lieutenant general in 1946.
Smith gave those who did not know
him well the impression of being a gentle, dreamy man who, when he
smiled, exuded warmth from his whole person. This impression was
deceiving. Smith was a capable Marine general who could impose iron
discipline when the situation called for it, as it did at times in the
Tarawa operation. However, his concern for his men was genuine, as was
his unassuming manner. He was a superb planner and inspiring leader.
| 1885-9-11
|
Born |
|
| 1909-1 |
Second lieutenant |
Graduates from University of
Delaware and is appointed a second lieutenant |
| 1912-9 |
First lieutenant |
|
| 1913-12 |
Panama |
|
| 1914-12 |
1 Marine Brigade |
|
| 1915-8 |
Expeditionary duty, Haiti |
|
| 1916-12 |
Advance Base Force, Philadelphia |
|
| 1917-3 |
Captain |
Attends Navy War College |
| 1917 |
Instructor, Marine Officers'
Training Camp (Quantico) |
|
| 1919 |
Cuba |
|
| 1920-8 |
Quantico |
|
| 1921-7 |
Staff, Commander, Scouting Force |
|
| 1923 |
Office of the Chief Coordinator,
Burea of the Budget |
|
| 1928 |
Graduates from Command and
General Staff School |
|
| 1930-8 |
Expeditionary duty, Nicaragua |
|
| 1933 |
Lieutenant
colonel |
Quantico |
| 1938-6 |
Colonel |
Commander, 5
Marine Regiment |
| 1938 |
Brigadier
general |
Naval observer, England |
| 1941-8 |
Quantico |
|
| 1942-10 |
Major general |
Commander, Fleet
Marine Force
Training Schools |
| 1943-5-1
|
Commander, 2 Marine Division | |
| 1944-4 |
Commander, Fleet Marine Forces, Pacific | |
| 1944-12 |
Commander, Department of the
Pacific |
|
| 1946-2 |
|
Commander, Marine Corps Recruit
Depot (Parris Island) |
| 1946-12 |
Lieutenant general |
Retires |
| 1975-11-5
|
Dies |
References
ArlingtonCemetary.net
(accessed 2007-12-5)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index
