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Louisiana Memorial Plaza
Baton Rouge,
Louisiana
Lieutenant
General John Archer Lejeune
United States Marine Corps
1867 - 1942
Major General Commanding Second Division
American Expeditionary Force
France
World War I
1918 - 1919
Major General Commandant
United States Marine Corps
1920 - 1929
Commissioned and Donated by Patrick F. Taylor Cpl., UCMCE, New Orleans,
Louisiana.
Dedicated November 2001
During his more than forty years of service with the Marine Corps, John
A. Lejeune participated in campaigns in Panama, Cuba, Mexico, France and
Germany. He led the famed 2nd Division American Expeditionary Force,
during World War I with valor and distinction. His leadership of his
Marines in the critical action at St. Mihiel earned him the French
Legion of Honor.
As Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps, he foresaw a unique
mission for the Corps in amphibious expeditionary operations. By doing
so, he single-handedly saved the Corps from extinction and preserved it
for the service of our nation in war and peace.
He was born in Pointe Coupee Parish on 10 January 1867. After attending
Louisiana State University, he obtained an appointment to the United
States Naval Academy. Upon his graduation from the Academy in 1888, he
was assigned sea duty aboard the U.S.S. Vandalia and Midshipman Lejeune
began his exemplary career as a United States Marine.
1890: Commissioned Second Lieutenant while at sea.
1898: Captain Lejeune excels at sea during the Spanish-American War.
1903: Major Lejeune and his battalion quell uprisings in Panama.
1910: Graduates U.S. Army War College following tour in the Phillipines.
1912: Lieutenant Colonel Lejeune and his 2nd Provisional Brigade quell
uprisings in Cubs.
1914: Commands the 2nd Advanced Base Regiment in Vera Cruz, Mexico.
1917: Promoted to Brigadier General, first commander of Marine Barracks,
Quantico, Va.
1918: World war I, France
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Commanded a
brigade of the 32nd Division at Brest.
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Commanded 4th
Marine Brigade following Soissons offensive.
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Promoted to
Major General
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Commander of
2nd Division, American Expeditionary Force.
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Became the
first Marine officer to command a division in combat.
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Assualted
Marbeche sector during drive on St. Mihiel.
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Stormed Blanc
Mont Ridge during Champagne offensive.
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Led 2nd
Division triumphantly into Germany following its surrender.
1919: Commands
Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va. for second time.
1920: Named Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps
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Developed
Fleet Marine Force concept.
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Established
formal Marine Officers schools at Quantico, Va.
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Founded Marine
Corps Association, Marine Corps Institute and Marine Corps Legion.
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Provided sound
leadership and much needed vision for the Marine Corps at a time when
efforts were underway to dissolve the service.
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Carved a
unique path for the Marine Corps in amphibious operations thereby
ensuring its long term future.
1929: Major
General Lejeune retired from active duty.
1929: Became Superintendent for the Virginia Military Institute, a
position he held until poor health forced his resignation in 1937.
1942: Promoted to Lieutenant General while on retired list.
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Became first
Marine to hold that rank.
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The assault
against the Japanese on Guadalcanal proved his amphibious concepts and
substantiated his service.
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November 20,
at the age of 75, John A. Lejeune died in Baltimore, Md.
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Buried with
full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Presented by Patrick F. Taylor.
USCGC White
Alder/WLM-541
7 December 1968
In Memory and honor of those shipmates who loyally served the United
States Coast Guard on board the CGC White Alder. They gave the ultimate
sacrifice.
On December 7, 1968 the USCGC White Alder, a 132 foot buoy tender, had
finished a long hard day's work by successfully decommissioning 22 low
water buoys. At 6:29 p.m. bound for her homeport of New Orleans with a
mere 14 hours to go, the WHITE ALDER tragically collided with the up
bound Steam Ship Helena, a 455 foot Taiwanese freighter. With barely
enough time to sound her danger signal, the WHITE ALDER was hit
broadside to starboard sustaining such severe damage that she sank
immediately in 75 feet of water, sending 17 of her 20 crew members to an
early grave.
Coast Guard and Navy master divers attempted recovery operations, but
were only able to recover 2 members due to the immediate silting over of
the ship.
The Coast Guard elected to leave the remaining 15 crewmembers entombed
on the cutter which to this day remains buried at the bottom of the
Mississippi River at MM 195.3 near White Castle, Louisiana.
Latitude 30'12'01"N Longitude 091'10'02"W
Crew Members Who Lost Their Lives
CWO Samuel Brown, Jr. - Commanding Officer
ENC William Vitt
EN1 John Rollison
CS2 Charles Morrison
EM2 Michael Agnew
QM2 John Cooper
YN2 Joseph Morin
BM3 Guy Wood
EN3 Walton O'Quinn
SN Frank Campisano
SN Richard Duncan
SN Roger Jacks
SN Steven Lundquist
EN Maurice Cason
SA Walter Abbott
SA Larry Fregia
SA Ramon Gutierrez
Crewmembers That Survived:
BMC Richard Batista (on leave)
BM2 Richard Kraus
FN Bruce Kopowski
SA Lawrence Miller
"Mourn not for him, He sails with one more divine."
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