Joseph O. Butcher
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Joseph Orville Butcher (September 16, 1912 – February 15, 1988) was 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
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
. He spent his career mostly in Quartermaster Department of the Marine Corps beginning in the field assignments 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 opposing ...
. Butcher later served as commanding general, Marine Corps Supply Center Albany and also Assistant Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps and deputy to Major General
Chester R. Allen Chester Robinson Allen (February 6, 1905 – April 10, 1972) was decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He spent his career mostly in Quartermaster Department of the Marine Corps beginning in the fiel ...
.


Early years

Joseph O. Butcher was born on September 16, 1912, in
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
, as the son of Orville and Ella Butcher. Upon the graduation from the high school, he enrolled the
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...
in Bloomington and graduated with
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in June 1936. While at the university, Butcher completed the advanced training with the Army
Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...
unit and was commissioned Reserve Second lieutenant in June 1935. However Butcher resigned his reserve commission in order to accept appointment as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on July 7, 1936, and was subsequently 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, Vi ...
at
Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...
for further officer training. He completed the school in April 1937 and was attached to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship USS ''Arkansas'' which participated in the midshipmen training cruises in the Western Atlantic. His tour of sea duty ended in September 1938 and Butcher was transferred to
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, ...
, for duties with local Marine Barracks. During his time there, he also served as editor and publisher for Leatherneck Magazine. Butcher spent almost three years there and served also as Post Exchange officer and commanding officer of the Marine Corps Institute. He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in July 1939 and took part in the temporary duty with the Marine Guard Detachment at
Little White House The Little White House was the personal retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, located in the Historic District of Warm Springs, Georgia. He first came to Warm Springs (formerly known as Bullochville) in 19 ...
in
Warm Springs, Georgia Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 425 at the 2010 census. History Warm Springs, originally named Bullochville (after the Bulloch family, which began after Stephen Bullock moved to Meriwethe ...
– the personal retreat of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
.


World War II

In June 1941, Butcher was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station, Quantico for duty as station quartermaster. While in this capacity, he was promoted to the rank of captain in June 1942 and to major in August of that year. Butcher was transferred to
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...
,
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 ...
in October 1942 and appointed adjutant and executive officer of Quartermaster School, Fleet Marine Force Training Center. He received promotion to lieutenant colonel in March 1944 and subsequently was ordered overseas in October of that year. He was ordered to
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
,
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 state ...
and appointed officer in charge of General Supply Section, Supply Division of Service Command, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific under Major General
Earl C. Long Earl Cecil Long (November 4, 1883 – August 19, 1983) was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps who reached the rank of Major general (United States), major general. During World War II, he served as commanding general of Service ...
. In this capacity, he was co-responsible for the supply, salvage, evacuation, construction, personnel management, quartering and sanitation needs of all FMFPac units and others marine units in its area. While in this capacity, Butcher took part in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa operations and received
Navy Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...
for his service. He was transferred to the staff of United States Army Forces, Western Pacific under General Douglas MacArthur and assumed duty as Marine logistics officer of the Provisional Marine detachment. His unit participated in the preparation for the Invasion to Japan, but it was cancelled following the surrender of Japan in August 1945.


Later service

Butcher then returned to Pearl Harbor for service with Service Command and served as assistant operations officer until February 1946. He subsequently assumed duty as
editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of '' Leatherneck Magazine'' in
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 remained in this capacity until August of that year. He was then appointed executive officer, Division of Public Information at
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, ...
and served under Brigadier General William E. Riley until August 1947, when he was ordered for the instruction at
Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University. It was renamed on September 6, 20 ...
. Butcher graduated in June 1948 and served as supply officer and assistant head, Material Section, Division of Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps. In July 1951, Butcher was transferred to
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and assumed duty as depot supply officer,
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 th ...
under Major General William T. Clement. For his new assignment, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in November of that year. However, due to his previous experiences with supplying of Marine Aviation units, Butcher was transferred to
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 ...
in May 1954 and served as wing supply officer,
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. A ...
under Major General Verne J. McCaul. The truce was already in effect and Butcher saw no combat while in Far East. He returned to the United States in May 1955 and following a brief leave at home, he assumed duty as director, Material Division within Marine Corps Supply Center, Barstow,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. In August 1957, Butcher served as chief of staff of the center under Brigadier General Ralph B. DeWitt until he was ordered to Camp Lejeune in September 1958 as commanding officer, Marine Corps Supply Schools. After two years there, Butcher was transferred to
the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a meton ...
and served in the Office of Supply Management Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Supply and Logistics). Upon his promotion to the rank of brigadier general in July 1961, he was appointed assistant to Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps,
Chester R. Allen Chester Robinson Allen (February 6, 1905 – April 10, 1972) was decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He spent his career mostly in Quartermaster Department of the Marine Corps beginning in the fiel ...
. In this capacity, Butcher was co-responsible for the support of development, production, acquisition, and sustainment of general supply, Mortuary Affairs,
subsistence A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as supporting oneself at a minimum level. Often, the subsistence econo ...
s,
petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
and
water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
, material and distribution management during peace and war to provide combat power to the U.S. Marine Corps units. He left Washington in September 1962 and assumed command of Marine Corps Supply Center Albany,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. In January 1964, Butcher assumed command of Marine Corps Supply Activity in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
and served in this capacity until his promotion to the rank of
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
on February 28, 1966. He was then ordered back to Korea and participated in the peace negotiations with Chinese and North Koreans at
Panmunjom Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea or Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, was a village just north of the ''de facto'' border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korea ...
as senior member,
Military Armistice Commission The United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) was established in July 1953 at the end of the Korean War to supervise the Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전 ...
. For his service during the supervision of
Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전협정; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United Sta ...
and other duties, Butcher was decorated with
Joint Service Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...
. Butcher returned to the United States in November 1966 and assumed his final duties as commanding general,
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...
,
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 ...
. He commanded the base during the early phase of
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and was responsible for the training of new marine recruits and other units, which was later deployed in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. Butcher served in this capacity until September 30, 1968, when he was relieved by Major General Rathvon M. Tompkins and subsequently retired from active service. He was decorated with the Legion of Merit for his service at Camp Lejeune.


Retirement

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps after 33 years of commissioned service, Butcher settled in
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
and worked in executive position within Indiana University Foundation. He served as director of Indiana University Sesquicentennial Campaign and received the university's Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Butcher later served as special projects coordinator and president of alumni association and remained in this capacities until his death on February 15, 1988, in Indianapolis. He was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
, together with his wife, former Jane Bayer of Indianapolis. They had one son, John O. Butcher who served in the Marine Corps as Reserve Officer. In 1992, Joseph O. Butcher was inducted to the Monroe County Hall of fame.


Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Joseph O. Butcher:


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butcher, Joseph O. 1912 births 1988 deaths People from Bloomington, Indiana Indiana University Bloomington alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni United States Marine Corps Quartermaster Officers United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Legion of Merit