Allen Hal Turnage (January 3, 1891 – October 22, 1971) was a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

who earned the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

and the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

while leading the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...

on Bougainville and

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Biography

General Turnage was born on January 3, 1891, in

Farmville, North Carolina Farmville is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States, eight miles to the west of Greenville. At the 2010 Census, the population was 4,654. Farmville is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner ...

. He attended the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

before entering the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant on November 17, 1913. Following instruction for 17 months at the Marine Officers' School, Norfolk, Virginia, he joined the First Brigade in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

in 1915 and participated in expeditions against hostile Cacos in Northern Haiti, then was assigned to duty with the Haitian Constabulary until August 1918. Almost immediately, he was sent to France where he served as commanding officer, Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Marine Brigade. Following World War I, he was an instructor at the Marine Officers' School, Quantico; served with the Gendarmerie d'Haiti again from 1922 to 1925; and completed the Field Officers' Course at Quantico. Later, between two tours of duty at

Headquarters Marine Corps Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...

, he was assigned sea duty on the staff of Battleship Divisions Four and Three. In 1935, General Turnage was appointed director of the Marine Officers'

Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Vir ...

at the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...

, following which he served with the

1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the ...

, as battalion commander and regimental executive officer, respectively. Ordered overseas in 1939, he served as commanding officer of Marine Forces in North China, and commanding officer of the Marine detachment, American embassy,

Peiping "Beijing" is from pinyin ''Běijīng,'' which is romanized from , the Chinese name for this city. The pinyin system of transliteration was approved by the Chinese government in 1958, but little used until 1979. It was gradually adopted by various ...

. He returned to

in April 1941, and was serving as director of the Division of Plans and Policies when World War II broke out. In June 1942, General Turnage was ordered to

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States Armed Forces, United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for Amphibious warfare, amphibious assault training, and its ...

, North Carolina, to take command of the Base and its Training Center, which included organization and training of two regimental combat teams for the 3rd Marine Division. That October, he joined the newly formed 3rd Marine Division as assistant division commander, becoming commanding general on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

in September 1943. He then led the division in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, 1943, and in the recapture of Guam, 1944. After two years with the 3rd Division, in September 1944 General Turnage was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as director of personnel, and, later, as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. In May 1946, his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. His final assignment was as commanding general,

Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet ...

, Pacific. General Turnage retired from active duty on January 1, 1948, and was advanced to four-star rank on retirement by reason of having been specially commended for heroism in combat. General Turnage died at Bethesda Naval Hospital on October 22, 1971, and was interred with full military honors in Section 5 of Arlington National Cemetery. His Wife, Hannah Pyke Torrey Turnage (October 23, 1895 – March 20, 1982), whom he married on July 21, 1920, is buried with him.

Awards and decorations

General Turnage's awards include:

Navy Cross citation

TURNAGE, ALLEN H.
Major General, U.S. Marine Corps
Commanding General, 3d Marine Division
Date of Action: November 1–27, 1943 Citation: :The Navy Cross is presented to Allen H. Turnage, Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as Commanding General of the Landing Force of the Third Marine Division (Reinforced), during the establishment of a beachhead in the Solomon Islands Area from November 1 to November 27, 1943. Leading his command with intrepidity and daring aggressiveness, major General Turnage frequently exposed himself to heavy enemy gunfire throughout the landing and operations essential to the attainment and consolidation of the final beachhead line at Empress August Bay, Bougainville Island. His conspicuous courage, distinguished leadership and resolute devotion to duty throughout this period were an inspiration to the officers and men in his command and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. SPOT AWARD, Serial 0049 (SofN Signed September 5, 1944)

References

:
General Allen H. Turnage, USMC
''Who's Who in Marine Corps History'', History Division, United States Marine Corps. Official Marine Corps biography. Retrieved on 2007-12-28. *

O'Brien, Cyril J

Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, History Division, United States Marine Corps, 1994. Retrieved on 2006-07-29. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turnage, Allen H. 1891 births 1971 deaths Military personnel from North Carolina Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People from Farmville, North Carolina University of North Carolina alumni United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps World War II generals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Biography

Awards and decorations

Navy Cross citation

See also

References