James Profit Riseley (May 7, 1898 – March 2, 1992) was a decorated officer of 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 ...

, who reached the rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. He is most noted as commanding officer of the

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division (Unite ...

during

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 ...

. He later commanded

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 ...

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 ...

Early career

James P. Riseley was born on May 7, 1898, in

Shandaken, New York Shandaken is a town on the northern border of Ulster County, New York, United States, northwest of Kingston, New York. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,866.2020 US Census, Shandaken, Ulster County, New York https://www. ...

, and following the high school, he attended the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

. During his time at the academy, he was active in soccer team and graduated in June 1922 with

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

. Many of his classmates became general officers later:

Hyman G. Rickover Hyman G. Rickover (January 27, 1900 – July 8, 1986) was an admiral in the U.S. Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors offic ...

Robert E. Blick Jr. The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, Herbert S. Duckworth,

Clayton C. Jerome Clayton Charles Jerome CBE (22 September 1901 – 13 February 1978) was an aviator who served in the United States Marine Corps from to 1922 to 1952. He distinguished himself in combat during World War II and the Korean War, earning the Distingu ...

, James A. Stuart,

Frank Peak Akers Frank Peak Akers (March 28, 1901 – March 22, 1988) was an American naval rear admiral who was the first aviator to make an instrument landing aboard an aircraft carrier. Military career Frank Akers graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1922 an ...

, Sherman Clark, Raymond P. Coffman, Delbert S. Cornwell, Frederick J. Eckhoff,

Ralph B. DeWitt Ralph Birchard DeWitt (June 8, 1901 – January 2, 1974) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. The United States Naval Academy graduate, he spent his career mostly in Quartermaster Department and co ...

Milton E. Miles Milton Edward Miles (April 6, 1900 – March 25, 1961) was a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, who served in World War II as head of Naval Intelligence operations in China, and later, second-in-command of the Sino-American Special Techni ...

, Hugh H. Goodwin,

John Higgins John Higgins, (born 18 May 1975) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He has won 31 career ranking titles, placing him in third position on the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind Ronnie O'Sullivan (39) and Stephen Hendry ( ...

Vernon Huber Vernon Huber (August 28, 1899 – June 17, 1967) was a United States Navy rear admiral, and the 36th governor of American Samoa from April 22, 1947, to June 15, 1949. He was born in Philadelphia, Illinois, and was appointed to the United Sta ...

Albert K. Morehouse Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

, Harold F. Pullen, Harold R. Stevens, John P. Whitney, Michael J. Malanaphy,

William S. Parsons Rear Admiral William Sterling "Deak" Parsons (26 November 1901 – 5 December 1953) was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the ''En ...

, Lyman G. Miller and George J. O'Shea. Following his graduation, he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and ordered to

The 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 ...

Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeaster ...

for basic officer training. His first combat assignment was when Riseley was assigned to the

8th Marine Regiment The 8th Marine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. When last active, it was based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and fell under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Exped ...

and sailed within 1st Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Ben H. Fuller to

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 ...

. He was stationed at

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

until October 1925, when he was ordered back to the United States. Assigned back to the Naval Academy, Riseley was appointed quartermaster of the local marine barracks and served in that capacity until February 1927. He was subsequently transferred to the

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (often abbreviated as MCRD PI) is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and appointed Aide-de-camp to commanding general of the 2nd Brigade of Marines, Brigadier General

Logan Feland Major General Logan Feland (18 August 1869 – 17 July 1936) was a United States Marine Corps general who last served as commanding general of the Department of the Pacific. Feland served during the Spanish–American War (3rd Kentucky Volunte ...

. The 2nd Brigade was sent to

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 cou ...

in January 1928, but Riseley has been transferred back to

in April of that year. He was subsequently appointed captain within

Garde d'Haïti The Armed Forces of Haiti (french: Forces Armées d'Haïti—FAd'H), consisted of the Haitian Army, Haitian Navy (at times), the Haitian Air Force, Haitian Coast Guard, (ANI) and some police forces (Port-au-Prince Police). The Army was always ...

and commanded constabulary unit of the

Pétion-Ville Pétion-Ville ( ht, Petyonvil) is a commune and a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the hills east and separate from the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. Founded in 1831 by president Jean-Pierre Boyer, it was named af ...

district. Riseley spent next five years in that capacity and was decorated with Haitian Distinguished Service Medal with Diploma for his service there. Riseley has returned to the United States in May 1933 and was ordered to the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico Base, where he attended Company Officers Course. He later attended Army Cavalry School at

Fort Riley, Kansas Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

. Upon the graduation in June 1937, Riseley returned to Quantico and was appointed an instructor in the Marine Corps Schools. In August 1939, he was appointed Senior Marine Officer on the staff of the Battleship Division Three.

World War II

Riseley has been appointed commanding officer of the

3rd Battalion, 8th Marines 3rd Battalion 8th Marines (3/8) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, consisting of approximately 1,100 Marines and Sailors. The battalion fell under the command ...

in August 1941 and following the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, he was appointed 8th Marine Regiment's executive officer to Colonel

Richard H. Jeschke Richard Hall Jeschke (December 22, 1894 – December 15, 1957) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general, who commanded 8th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He later served i ...

. His unit was subsequently attached to the

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

under Major General John Marston and sailed for

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

during October 1942. After the brief tour of garrison duty at

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

, his regiment participated in the

Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the ...

and Riseley had been decorated with the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

for his service during the campaign. He also received his first

Navy Presidential Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

. Riseley followed his regiment back to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, where they prepared for their next combat assignment –

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

, now under Major General

Julian C. Smith Julian Constable Smith (September 11, 1885 – November 5, 1975) was a United States Marine Corps general who served for 37 years, including service in Nicaragua (Navy Cross) and during World War II's Battle of Tarawa (Distinguished Service Med ...

and was tasked with the special assignment to experiment with the landing of tanks, amphibious tractors, and rubber boats on coral reefs under various surf conditions. Information gained in these tests was applied at Tarawa and later landings. He has been decorated with second

for Tarawa campaign. Riseley remained in this capacity until December 17, 1943, when he relieved Colonel Maurice G. Holmes as commanding officer of the

. During the summer of 1944, Colonel Riseley led his regiment ashore during the combats at

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

and

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 th ...

. He was subsequently decorated with the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with

and third

for his leadership during the campaign. However, at the beginning of September 1944, Riseley relinquished his command to Colonel

Gregon A. Williams Major General Gregon Albert Williams (January 8, 1896 – September 8, 1968) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps who served in World War II and the Korean War. He commanded the 6th Marine Regiment during the Battl ...

and returned to the United States the following month. Following his return, Riseley reported to the

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, ...

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, ...

, and subsequently was appointed commanding officer of the Marine barracks at

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by Oc ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in November 1944. He remained in this capacity until March 1945, when he attended the Army and Navy Staff College. Upon the graduation in September 1945, Riseley was assigned to the staff of

Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and headq ...

under admiral Raymond A. Spruance as Marine Fleet Officer. He subsequently participated in the Occupation duties in the Japanese waters until April 1946.

Later career

He was subsequently assigned as the operations and training officer of the Troop Training Unit, Amphibious Training Command,

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population was 24,697 at the ...

, under the command of Major General John T. Walker. Riseley was appointed Professor of Naval Science and Commander of

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...

unit at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in June 1949. While serving in this capacity, Riseley was promoted to the rank of

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 January 1951 and subsequently assigned the duties of chief of staff of the Marine Corps School at Quantico base in July 1951. Riseley was transferred to

Kāneʻohe Bay Kāneohe Bay, at , is the largest sheltered body of water in the main Hawaiian Islands. This reef-dominated embayment constitutes a significant scenic and recreational feature along the northeast coast of the Island of Oahu. The largest populatio ...

, where he took command of First Provisional Marine Air-Ground Task Force at

Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County ...

. While in Hawaii, he was promoted to the rank of Major General in September 1953. His next assignment came in October 1953, when he has been assigned duties as the deputy commander of the Marine Corps Base at

. Riseley relieved Major General Robert H. Pepper as commanding general of the

, which was located in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in May 1954. The 3rd Division served as defense force of the Far Eastern area. He was finally relieved by Major General

Thomas A. Wornham Thomas Andrews Wornham (December 12, 1903 – December 17, 1984) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. He is most noted for his service as com ...

at the end of June 1955 and returned to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. Riseley was assigned to duty

Naval Base Pearl Harbor A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

as deputy commander,

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M ...

. Another important assignment came in July 1956, when he was transferred to

, and appointed director of personnel at

under

Commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

, General

Randolph M. Pate Randolph McCall Pate (February 11, 1898 – July 31, 1961) was a United States Marine Corps General (United States), general who served as the 21st Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959. Pate was a veteran of World War II, seeing acti ...

. He served in this capacity until August 1958, when he was appointed commanding general of the

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. Major General James P. Riseley was succeeded by Brigadier General

Sidney S. Wade Sidney Scott Wade (September 30, 1909 – November 24, 2002) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps who attained the rank of major general. He is most noted as commanding general of all Marine forces during 1958 Lebanon ...

on June 30, 1959, and finally retired from the Marine Corps the next day after 41 years of service. He was advanced to the rank of

on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat. He was first married to Catharine Hohne and had 3 children (Claudette, Cynthia, and James P. jr.) and later divorced in 1937 and remarried in 1941. He and his second wife, Marry Mossman, resided in

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the County seat, seat of, Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the List of micropolitan areas in New Mexico, Roswell micropolitan area. As of ...

, where he worked on his autobiography ''Uncle Jim, USMC: Recollections of Lt. Gen. James P. Riseley, United States Marine Corps (Ret.)''. Riseley died on March 2, 1992, and is buried at

Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. It encompasses , and as of 2021, had 68,000 interments. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it ...

with his second wife, Mary Mossman Riseley. They had two daughters, Mary Burton and Margaret Cobourn.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Lieutenant General James P. Riseley:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riseley, James P. 1898 births 1992 deaths People from Shandaken, New York Military personnel from New York (state) United States Naval Academy alumni Naval War College alumni Princeton University faculty United States Marine Corps generals American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Merit Guadalcanal Campaign Burials at Santa Fe National Cemetery