Joseph John Went (born September 16, 1930) is a retired
United States Marine Corps four-star general. His final assignment was as
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and Chief of Staff. He retired in 1990 after 38 years of service.
Biography
Joseph J. Went was born in
New Milford, Connecticut on 16 September 1930. In 1953, he received a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
Chemistry from the
University of Connecticut. He received a
master's degree in Business Administration from
George Washington University in 1963, and graduated with distinction from the
Naval War College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...
in June 1972.
Marine Corps career
Went entered the Marine Corps in July 1952 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1952. Following completion of
The Basic School in June 1953, he underwent flight training at the
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
. Second lieutenant Went was promoted to first lieutenant on 18 August 1954, and was designated a
naval aviator a month later.
He was promoted to captain on 1 July 1956, major on 1 November 1963, lieutenant colonel on 1 October 1967, and colonel on 1 July 1974. During these years, he served with Marine attack, reconnaissance, transport and fighter squadrons. He commanded
Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 12,
Marine Attack Squadron 214
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) is a United States Marine Corps attack squadron consisting of Lockheed Martin F-35B STOVL jets. It is currently in the process of transitioning from its fleet of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. The sq ...
,
Marine Aircraft Group 24
Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. MAG-24 is subordinate to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF).
Mission
Pr ...
, the
3rd Force Service Support Group, and the
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 ...
. He also had extensive experience in operational and joint planning, financial management and logistics.
Colonel Went assumed duty as Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Brigade, Hawaii, in April 1976. While serving in this capacity, he was selected in February 1978 for promotion to
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 to ...
. He assumed duty as Deputy Fiscal Director of the Marine Corps on 1 April 1978 and was advanced to brigadier general on 1 August 1978. In June 1980, he was assigned duty as Commanding General,
3rd Force Service Support Group (Rein),
FMF, Pacific,
Okinawa, Japan
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 o ...
. He was advanced to
major general on 2 June 1982 and assigned duty as Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, FMF, Pacific, Okinawa, Japan. MajGen Went served in this capacity until May 1983. On 6 June 1983, he was assigned duty as the Deputy Commander, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific,
Camp H. M. Smith
Camp H. M. Smith is a United States Marine Corps installation in the Hawaiian town of Aiea on the island of Oahu, near the community of Halawa (ha-LA-va) Heights. It is the headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Sp ...
, Hawaii. During June 1984, MajGen Went 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 was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs. On 6 June 1985, he became Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics and was promoted to
lieutenant general on 1 August 1985.
Lieutenant General Went was appointed to the grade of general and reassigned as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on 1 July 1988. He assumed additional duties as the Chief of Staff on 6 October 1988. He served in both these capacities until 31 July 1990. Gen Went retired from the Marine Corps on 1 August 1990 after 38 years of military service.
In retirement
General Went is on the board of directors of the Armed Services
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
(ASYMCA) which provides support services to military service members and their families.
Awards and decorations
General Went's decorations include:
See also
*
List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals
Notes
References
:''This article incorporates text in the
public domain from the
United States Marine Corps.''
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Went, Joseph J.
1930 births
Living people
Assistant Commandants of the United States Marine Corps
George Washington University School of Business alumni
People from New Milford, Connecticut
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
United States Marine Corps generals
United States Naval Aviators
University of Connecticut alumni
Recipients of the Air Medal
YMCA leaders