Lieutenant General Philip D. Shutler, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
General Alexander Vandegrift (1944–47). Before World War II he described advance-base battalions as “unsinkable carriers” and commanded the creation of an unsinkable carrier at Guadalcanal. To this day, in addition to providing amphibious insertions, Marines create moveable and unsinkable carriers ashore that give the fleet and naval aviation great flexibility to meet every contingency.
Serina N. Vandegrift
While I may seem biased considering he was my great grandfather, General Alexander Archer Vandegrift (1944–47) has had the most lasting impact on the service. His “Bended Knee” testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in 1947, opposing President Harry S. Truman's plan to unify the U.S. armed forces, was instrumental in maintaining the Marine Corps.
Midshipman Joseph Smith, NROTC, University of Arizona
Combined arms. Expeditionary warfare. Island hopping. These terms, strongly associated with the Marine Corps, are products of Major General John A. Lejeune (1920–29). As the service transforms to align with Force Design 2030, every prospective Marine Corps officer should study General Lejeune as the United States confronts emerging threats in the Pacific.
Major General Ted Hopgood, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
General Louis H. Wilson (1975–79). A World War II Medal of Honor recipient, his crowning achievement came in 1978 when the Commandant became a permanent member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His excellent reputation on Capitol Hill and the incredible achievements of the Marine Corps helped attain this position.
David W. Long, Marine Corps Veteran
In the modern era, General Charles C. Krulak (1995–99) for his innovation of The Crucible as part of recruit training. His father inspected me in boot camp as commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in 1959.
Lieutenant Commander Will Arnest, U.S. Navy
General Alfred M. Gray Jr. (1987–91), who embraced maneuver warfare and oversaw the publication of Fleet Marine Force Manual 1, Warfighting, a must read for any warrior, especially in the Information Age. That he is the only Commandant to have taken his official photo in camouflage utilities is another testament to his warrior spirit.
Midshipman Jacob J. Van Nostrand, U.S. Naval Academy
Major General George F. Ellicott (1903–10). He successfully resisted attempts to remove Marines from ships and to merge the Marine Corps with the Army, an argument we see presented still today.
Major Brian Kerg, U.S. Marine Corps
Major General John H. Russell Jr. (1934–36) is responsible for the publication of The Tentative Landing Operations Manual, The Tentative Manual for Defense of Advanced Bases, and The Small Wars Manual. Each document focused the Marine Corps on the roles it would play for decades to come. One can draw a straight line from Russell to Force Design 2030.
James W. E. Smith, King’s College London
General Alexander Vandegrift (1944–47). Without his leadership and close working relationship with Secretary of the Navy Forrestal and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King and his staff, it is doubtful the Marine Corps would have survived the unification battles in the 1940s. His legacy as Commandant is clear: the continued existence of the Marine Corps that bolstered the wider survival of the U.S. Navy and American maritime power.
Captain Woody Sanford, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired)
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune (1920–29) brought the Marine Corps into the modern era. He planned, budgeted, encouraged, cajoled, and created many policies that are now core Marine Doctrine. No other Marine leader \did more to establish the Marine Corps as a unique and valuable military service.
Mark Folse, Marine Corps Veteran and Professor of Military History,
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune (1920–29). He consolidated Marine Corps schools in Quantico, Virginia, oriented Marines toward their advanced-base seizure and defense missions with the Navy and helped solidify the Marine Corps’ public reputation as an elite, faithful, and efficient military and naval service. He did more than any Commandant to prepare Marines for the challenges of the twentieth century and beyond.
Bill Strupczewski
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune (1920–29) had the most lasting impact of any Marine Corps commandant. His efforts between the wars focused on amphibious Warfare. He guaranteed that there would be a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years.
William C. Bell, Marine Corps Veteran
Lieutenant General John A. Lejeune (1920–29)—"The Greatest of all Leathernecks." I am sure my corporal grandfather (1914–1920) and my “mustang” major father (1939–1962) would concur. Happy 245th Birthday!
Robert C. Lowerre, Director, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
General Alfred Gray Jr. (1987–91) had the greatest impact on the Marine Corps. His mantra of “every Marine is a rifleman” pushed the service back to its fighting roots, even when advancing technology was pulling Marines out of the field. His hands-on leadership style set the tone for years to come.
Lieutenant Colonel Herb Bowsher, U.S. Marine Corps
General Carl Mundy Jr. (1991–95) championed values and captured our ethos in FMFM 1-0 Leading Marines. General Mundy’s lasting impact is honor, courage, and commitment, the Navy and Marine Corps core values that he developed, implemented, and lived.
Michael J. McLeod, Professor, Belmont Abbey College
General Alexander Vandegrift (1944–47). After World War II the Army, under the influence of Generals Eisenhower and Marshall, and with the support of President Truman, attacked the Marine Corps. Vandergrift worked to counter the attack, testifying in Congress with the “no bended knee” speech and then helped push Congress to safeguard the Marine Corps.
Lieutenant Commander John C. Gordy III, U.S. Navy (Retired)
General Charles C. Krulak (1995–99) brought the primary mission of the Marine Corps back into focus—making Marines and winning battles. The crucible of boot camp, designed to instill greater leadership, teamwork, and capability in war has continued to fortify confidence, strength, and esprit de corps in the Marine Corps. He possessed a unique command presence that inspired Marines to be selfless and eager to reflect the best traits of legendary Marines.
Captain Shep Stahel, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
General Robert H. Barrow (1979–83). He proposed reducing manpower by 10,000 billets to pay for repair and updating of worn-out equipment, and raising enlistment standards, arguing that better-educated Marines would better operate modernized machines. He courageously argued his case in a groundbreaking cover story in Newsweek in November 1979.
Rear Admiral Charles A. Williams Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired), Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy
The current Commandant, General David H. Berger, saw the world threat changing and the need for a corresponding change in the Marine Corps. It would be easy to carry on from predecessors, but he brought real change recognizing budget constraints. Change brings critics but I will take the guy who creates a vision with purpose, executes his vision, and perseveres against the naysayers for the common good of the organization and its constituents.