John R. Massaro (born May 22, 1930) is a retired
United States Marine
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 served as the 8th
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 1977 to 1979.
Early life
Massaro was born in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
on May 22, 1930. He graduated from
Orrville High School
Orrville High School is a public high school in Orrville, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Orrville City School District. The school nickname is the Red Riders.
Orrville's football rivalry with the Wooster High School Generals is the olde ...
in
Orrville, Ohio
Orrville is a city in Wayne County, Ohio, United States. It is about 9 miles east of Wooster and 20 miles southwest of Akron. The population was 8,380 at the 2010 census.
The J.M. Smucker Co., owner of the Smucker's brand, is headquartered in ...
, in 1948 and enlisted 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 ...
on August 6, 1948. He underwent recruit training at
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 = ...
. He is a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
.
Military career
Following
recruit training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
, Massaro was assigned to the
1st Battalion 6th Marines
The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It consists of approximately 1,100 marines and sailors. They fall under the command of the 6th Marine Regiment ...
as a rifleman, before transferring to
Marine Corps Base 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 ...
. He remained there until March 1950. From Camp Pendleton, he was assigned to the Marine Barracks, U.S. Navy Supply Depot,
Clearfield, Utah
Clearfield is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. The population was 31,364 at the 2020 census. The city grew rapidly during the 1940s, with the formation of Hill Air Force Base, and in the 1950s with the nationwide increase in suburb a ...
, as a security guard. That was followed by the first of three tours as a
drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
Australia
Austr ...
at the
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot (commonly referred to as MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and t ...
. He served on the drill field until April 1952, when he rejoined the
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
It is the ...
in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. He was decorated for actions in combat during that tour.
From Korea, Massaro returned to San Diego for duty as a drill instructor and later as an instructor at the Drill Instructor School. In August 1955, he was a company gunnery sergeant with the 1st Marine Division's Reconnaissance Company and later the
1st Force Reconnaissance Company
1st Force Reconnaissance Company conducts deep reconnaissance and direct action raids in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force requirements across the range of military operations to include crisis response, expeditionary operations and ma ...
, remaining there until November 1959. While serving as the company Gunnery Sergeant, he acquired the now famous spirited cry, "
Oorah
''Oorah'' is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to Hooah in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force, or Hooyah in the United States Na ...
!". He there passed it on to the drill instructor students and they, in turn, passed it on to their recruits.
Massaro was then transferred to
Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron A Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, abbreviated as HHS or HQHQSQDN, is the headquarters entity for a United States Marine Corps aviation facility.
Organization
A H&HS usually consists of the headquarters group (the station commanding general ...
,
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Activ ...
at
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
History
The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCAS I ...
,
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 ...
. He returned to the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company for duty as company
Gunnery Sergeant and later as Company
First Sergeant. In June 1963, he returned to San Diego for a third tour as a drill instructor, serving as Chief Drill Instructor.
Massaro then transferred to the Inspector-Instructor Staff of the
4th Force Reconnaissance Company
4th Force Reconnaissance Company (4th Force Recon) is a United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, force reconnaissance unit of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The company is located in Alameda, California, Alameda, California, wi ...
in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...
. In 1967, the Sergeant Major joined the
3rd Engineer Battalion in
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
. He was initially assigned as a company First Sergeant and later became the battalion
sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...
.
Massaro next reported to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, 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 List of Ca ...
, California, and served as Recruiting Station Sergeant Major until August 1972. He then returned overseas and served as group Sergeant Major of
Marine Aircraft Group 36
Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), itself an integral part of the III Marine ...
on
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. Following that tour, he reported to
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, ...
where he served as Sergeant Major to the Inspector General of the Marine Corps.
In May 1976, Massaro became Sergeant Major of the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California, and remained in that billet until his selection as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Sergeant Major John R. Massaro assumed the post of 8th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on 1 April 1977.
Awards and honors
Massaro's military decorations include:
References
:
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massaro, John
1930 births
Living people
Military personnel from Cleveland
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
United States Marines
Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps
Latter Day Saints from Ohio