Harry Schmidt (September 25, 1886 – February 10, 1968) 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 of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
. During World War II, he served as the commanding general of the
Fourth Marine Division during the battles of
Kwajalein in the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
and
Saipan in the
Mariana Islands, and as commanding general of the
Fifth Amphibious Corps during the battles of
Tinian
Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...
in the Marianas and
Iwo Jima in the
Volcano Islands.
Schmidt retired from the Marine Corps at age 61 in 1948 with 39 years of service. A contemporary described Schmidt as "a Buddha, a typical old-time Marine: he had been in China; he was regulation Old Establishment; a regular Marine."
U.S. Marine Corps career
Schmidt was born in
Holdrege, Nebraska
Holdrege is a city in Phelps County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,495 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Phelps County. The Nebraska Prairie Museum is located in Holdrege.
History
Holdrege was established in 1883 whe ...
, on 25 September 1886. He attended
Nebraska State Normal College for two years before accepting a commission as a second lieutenant in the 2nd Nebraska Infantry which he resigned from on 16 August 1909 in order to enter the
U.S. Marine Corps as a
second lieutenant on 17 August 1909.
Following instruction at the Marine Officers' School at
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,220 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort metropolitan area. Port Royal is home to Marine Cor ...
, he reported in January 1911, at the Marine Barracks,
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 ...
,
Mariana Islands. While attached to this station, he accompanied an expeditionary force to
Chefoo
Yantai, formerly known as Chefoo, is a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula in northeastern Shandong province of People's Republic of China. Lying on the southern coast of the Bohai Strait, Yantai borders Qingdao on the ...
,
China. In October 1912, he was ordered to duty in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
where he remained until detached to the United States in April 1913. Following an assignment with the Recruiting Service in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, a tour of duty at the Marine Barracks,
, and temporary duty at
Veracruz
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 ...
aboard
USS ''Kearsarge'' (BB-5) in 1915, he was ordered to sea duty aboard
USS ''Oklahoma'' (BB-37) in May 1916 and was promoted to captain in August.
In January 1917, he went aboard the
USS ''Montana'' (ACR-13) and from 25 February to 22 March 1917, was ashore with the ship's landing force at
Guantanamo,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. Leaving the USS ''Montana'' in September 1918, he spent most of the next two years at the Marine Barracks,
Norfolk, Virginia.
He again went to sea in June 1920, as commanding officer of the
Marine Detachment aboard (BB-43). From August 1922 (was promoted to major in January 1923) to May 1926, Schmidt was a member of the
Marine Corps Schools at
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east ...
, first as a student, then as an instructor. Then followed a year in recruiting at
St. Paul, Minnesota, and a six-month tour of foreign service with the
Sixth Regiment in China. From February 1928 to June 1929, Schmidt was with the
Second Brigade of Marines in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
as brigade intelligence and operations officer.
He returned to the United States to attend the
Command and General Staff School,
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, and graduated on 18 June 1932. In addition to Command and General Staff School, he is a graduate of the Field Officers' Course, Marine Corps Schools,
MCB Quantico,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May 1934.
Following graduation, he was assigned to duty with the Paymaster Department and served variously at
Headquarters, Marine Corps,
Washington, D.C.
)
, 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, ...
; with the
Department of the Pacific
The Department of the Pacific or Pacific Department was a major command (Department) of the United States Army from 1853 to 1858. It replaced the Pacific Division, and was itself replaced by the Department of California and the Department of Or ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
; the
Fourth Marine Regiment,
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, China; and again with the Department of the Pacific. In June 1937, he was assigned to the Second Marine Brigade. He sailed for Shanghai, China, in August with the brigade as
chief of staff. In December 1937, he was promoted to colonel. He was detached to the United States in February 1938.
Schmidt was assigned to
Headquarters, Marine Corps as executive and personnel officer of the Paymaster Department in July 1938, in which capacity he was found upon the country's entry into
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 opposing ...
.
World War II
In December 1941, Schmidt was promoted to brigadier general and in January 1942, he was appointed assistant to the
commandant of the Marine Corps.
In September, he was promoted to major general.
On 18 August 1943, he became the commanding general of the
Fourth Marine Division. He commanded the Fourth Division in the seizure of
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur ( ) is an island in the north part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Today it is a major part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, hosting several radar systems used for tracking and characterizing missi ...
in the
Battle of Kwajalein
The Battle of Kwajalein was fought as part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place from 31 January – 3 February 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the Battle of Tarawa, the Un ...
and in the battle for
Saipan.
On 12 July 1944, he assumed command of the
Fifth Amphibious Corps and led that command in the assault and capture of
Tinian Island. He was awarded a
Distinguished Service Medal and a
Gold Star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal for exceptional meritorious service in the seizure and occupation of the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
and in the assault and capture of Saipan and Tinian. Schmidt commanded the Fifth Amphibious Corps through the
Iwo Jima operation and was awarded a second Gold Star in lieu of a third
Distinguished Service Medal for his part in this operation. His citation reads in part, "Against determined enemy resistance and incomparable natural defenses, Major General Schmidt skillfully directed the attack of his troops to capture and occupy this strategic island. He handled the various units under his command with brilliant tactical skill. His sound judgment, distinctive administrative ability and unfailing devotion to duty were vital factors in the success of the entire operation." Following the conclusion of hostilities, he led the Fifth Amphibious Corps in the occupation of the
Japanese Home Islands
The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...
.
Post-war
On 15 February 1946, he was ordered back to the United States to assume command of the Marine Training and Replacement Command, San Diego, California. In March 1946, he was promoted to lieutenant general.
He retired from the Marine Corps with a
tombstone promotion (an officer promotion based on having received a combat citation before 1947) to
general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
on the retired list, on 1 July 1948.
Death
Schmidt died on February 10, 1968, and was buried in
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.
Military awards
Schmidt's military decorations and awards include:
Navy Cross citation
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Major Harry Schmidt (MCSN: 0-865), United States Marine Corps, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Brigade Intelligence Officer, Second Brigade, U.S. Marine Crops, and in charge of civil relations between the Brigade and the Nicaraguan Government, from 5 February to 9 December 1928, and as Brigade Operations Officer from 10 December 1928 until 6 June 1929. during this entire time the Second Brigade operated in the Republic of Nicaragua for the purpose of protecting life and property and in restoring law and order to the strife-torn country. Despite great obstacles in the way of its successful accomplishment, Major Schmidt built up an effective intelligence service, the work of which was of the greatest value to the Brigade in the planning and execution of its operations. As operations officer his advice to the Brigade Commander as to military operations was marked by initiative, sound judgment and a thorough knowledge of tactics. His performance of duty as Civil Relations Officer was of a high order.
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Harry
1886 births
1968 deaths
Military personnel from Nebraska
Wayne State College alumni
United States Marine Corps World War II generals
American military personnel of the Banana Wars
People from Holdrege, Nebraska
Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Battle of Iwo Jima
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I
United States Marine Corps generals
Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery