George Croghan Reid (December 9, 1876 – February 19, 1961) was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

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 ...

and a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient for his role in the

United States occupation of Veracruz The United States occupation of Veracruz (April 21 to November 23, 1914) began with the Battle of Veracruz and lasted for seven months. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was re ...

Biography

Reid was born in Lorain, Ohio, the son of Conrad Cornelius Reid and his wife Helen Charlotte Crandall. George was named after his father's brother George Croghan Reid, a Marine Corps veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on May 20, 1898. His early assignments included duty with the China Relief Expedition and in the Philippines. In 1912 he was sent to Nicaragua during the insurrection in that country. He took part in the assault and capture of Coyotepe and Barranca on November 19, 1912, for which he received a letter of commendation for gallantry and conspicuous service in action. In April 1914 he took part in the occupation of

Vera Cruz, Mexico Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

and was awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action. From 1919 to 1921 he was assigned to the Dominican Republic and commanded the Dominican National Guard. In 1921 to 1922 he attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and then served as commander of the Marine barracks at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from 1922 to 1924. He then attended the Army War College, then at Washington Barracks (now Fort McNair) in the District of Columbia, and graduated in 1925. His last overseas assignment was in command of Marines at

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 ...

. His last posting was officer in charge, USMC Recruiting Division, Chicago. He retired from the Marine Corps September 1, 1930, and was advanced to the rank of brigadier general from the retired list in February 1942 in recognition of having been commended for heroism in combat. Reid GC 0

He died February 19, 1961, at the U.S. Air Force hospital, Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas. Reid and his wife Mary Calhoun (1878–1960) are buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

.Burial Detail: Reid, George C (Section 2, Grave 1096-A-LH)
– ANC Explorer He was a hereditary member of the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

(MOLLUS).

Family

Reid's parents were Conrad Cornelius Reid, a mariner on the Great Lakes and son of Conrad Reid and Abigail Murdock, and his wife Helen Charlotte Crandall. He is often mistakenly identified as the son of George Croghan Reid, for whom he was named, but the elder Reid, who died in 1914, was actually Conrad Cornelius Reid's brother. The younger Reid was a pallbearer at his uncle's funeral in 1914. The elder Reid was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in July 1864 and rose through the ranks to colonel in March 1899. He was later promoted to brigadier general. He was a veteran companion of MOLLUS. It is interesting that both the elder and younger George Croghan Reids were in the Marine Corps and both attained the rank of Brigadier General.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 9 December 1876, Lorain, Ohio. Appointed from: Ohio. G.O. No.: 177, 4 December 1915. Citation:

For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914; was eminent and conspicuous in command of his battalion; was in the fighting on both days and exhibited courage and skill in leading his men through action. His cool judgment and courage and his skill in handling his men in encountering and overcoming the machinegun and rifle fire down Cinco de Mayo and parallel streets account for the small percentage of the losses of marines under his command.

Awards

References

Official Marine Corps Biography
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External links