Oscar Ray Cauldwell (August 24, 1892 – September 8, 1959) was an 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 ...

with 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 a ...

, who served as assistant division commander of

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 ...

and later as commanding general of the Training Command,

Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet ...

, San Diego, 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 ...

Early career

Cauldwell was born on 24 August 1892 in

Nyesville, Indiana Nyesville, also known as Nowlington, is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Washington Township, Parke County, Indiana, Washington Township, Parke County, Indiana, Parke County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. History Nyesville had ...

. He attended the

Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cur ...

Crawfordsville, Indiana Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central Indiana, United States, west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,306. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only cha ...

, and after graduation, 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 ...

. Cauldwell graduated on 2 June 1916 and was commissioned second lieutenant in the

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

on the same date. He was subsequently ordered to the Marine Corps Officers School at

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, where he graduated from the course in December 1916. Cauldwell was subsequently appointed aide-de-camp to the Commander of

Advanced Base Force The United States Marine Corps's Advanced Base Force (Advance Base Force in some references) was a coastal and naval base defense force that was designed to set up mobile and fixed bases in the event of major landing operations within, and beyond ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and served in this capacity until August 1917, when he was transferred to the newly formed

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 ...

at Quantico Base,

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 ...

. The 6th Marines sailed overseas in September 1917 and Cauldwell was now appointed commanding officer of the 95th Company, 1st Battalion. After its arrival in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Cauldwell commanded the 95th Company in the trenches within Toulon Sector near

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

. He was also promoted to the rank of captain on 6 October 1917. He commanded his unit during the

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisi ...

in June 1918, until he was wounded in leg by enemy fire on 5 June. Cauldwell stayed in hospital until October 1918, when he returned to his unit. He subsequently served with the Occupation forces in Germany until he was ordered back to the United States in August 1919.

Interwar period

After his return to the United States, Cauldwell attended the

Army Infantry School An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

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 ...

, before he was appointed instructor at Marine Corps School at Quatinco Base. He served in this capacity until July 1923, when he was transferred to the

Marine Detachment A Marine Detachment, or MarDet, was a unit of 35 to 85 United States Marines aboard large warships including cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. They were a regular component of a ship's company from the formation of the United States Ma ...

aboard the battleship USS ''Nevada''. Cauldwell sailed for

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 ...

in August 1924 and was transferred to the 1st Brigade of Marines 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 ...

one month later. He was ordered back to the United States in March 1925, when he was assigned to the course at

Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

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 the ...

. After graduation, Cauldwell was appointed an instructor at Quatinco Base and served there until October 1928, when he was ordered back to Haiti. He was assigned back to the 1st Marine Brigade and served as visiting inspector, headquarters inspector or operations officer. During that time, Cauldwell was promoted to the rank of major on November 5, 1929. He was subsequently appointed commandant of the École Militaire of the

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 ...

in August 1930 and served in this capacity until July 1933. For his service in Haiti, Cauldwell was decorated with Haitian National Order of Honour and Merit and also with Haitian Distinguished Service Medal with Diploma. After his return, Cauldwell attended Army War College and after graduation in June 1934, he was assigned to Senior Course at

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 ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

. Major Cauldwell graduated in May 1935 and was subsequently assigned to the War Plans Section within 1st Marine Brigade at Quantico. Following a brief period of duty there, he was transferred to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

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 1935, where he was appointed to the War Plans Section within

. To his new duties, Cauldwell was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel on October 15, 1935. He spent there another three and half years in San Diego and served in the various capacities as a

battalion commander A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

, commander of the Rifle Range Detachment or commanding officer of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

Pacific War

In May 1939, Cauldwell was assigned again at

, where he attended Advanced course. He graduated from the course one year later and was assigned to the Staff of Naval War College. During his studies, Cauldwell was promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

on 1 July 1939. He left Naval War College in March 1942, when he was transferred for brief period to the Administrative Command, Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet. But in June 1942, Cauldwell 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 ( Wilmingt ...

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 ...

, where he took command of

3rd Marine Regiment The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is a regiment of the United States Marine Corps that is optimized for littoral maneuver in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the regiment falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Divisi ...

. The 3rd Regiment was deployed to

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...

in September 1942 and subsequently was reassigned to the

in May 1943. Cauldwell 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 ...

on 26 October 1942 and was appointed assistant division commander of

in September 1943. He served in this capacity during

Bougainville Campaign The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied ...

and personally distinguished himself, while commanding his units during the

Battle of Koromokina Lagoon The Battle of the Koromokina Lagoon was fought between the United States Marine Corps and Imperial Japanese Army forces on Bougainville Island. It took place on 7–8 November 1943 during the Bougainville campaign. In response to the Allied land ...

. Cauldwell was subsequently decorated with the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

for his leadership and gallantry in action.

Silver Star citation

His official Silver Star citation reads follows:

Later service

Cauldwell was appointed chief of staff of the

I Marine Amphibious Corps The I Marine Amphibious Corps, or I MAC, was a formation of the United States Marine Corps. It was created on 1 October 1942, with most of the staff transferred from Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet (ACPF). It was then deployed to the South Pacific ...

on December 18, 1943, under the command of Major General

Roy S. Geiger General Roy Stanley Geiger (January 25, 1885 – January 23, 1947) was a United States Marine Corps four-star General (United States), general who served in World War I and World War II. In World War II, he became the first Marine Corps general to ...

. He succeeded Brigadier General

Alfred H. Noble General Alfred Houston Noble (October 26, 1894 – September 27, 1983) was a United States Marine Corps general who served in combat with the Marines from World War I in the Battle of Belleau Wood to World War II in the Pacific theater. His ...

in that capacity and served in this capacity during the initial stages of

. In January 1944, Cauldwell was reassigned back to the United States and was subsequently assigned 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, ...

, where he stayed until April. He was then appointed commanding general of the Training Command,

. His main responsibility was to supervise the Training of Replacements units for Marine units serving overseas. Cauldwell also supervised the Training of the

5th Marine Division The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps ground combat division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its first ...

, which preparing for

Pacific Theater 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 ...

. He was 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 ...

for his service, while coordinated the training of Marine units at

Palmyra Atoll Palmyra Atoll (), also referred to as Palmyra Island, is one of the Line Islands, Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way bet ...

. Cauldwell served in this capacity until September 1945, when he was hospitalized at

Naval Hospital, San Diego Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), also known as Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and informally referred to as "Balboa Hospital", or "The Pink Palace" (because the stucco of the first buildings that were constructed was pinkish in color), is a tech ...

, with a

sinus Sinus may refer to: Anatomy * Sinus (anatomy), a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue ** Paranasal sinuses, air cavities in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose, including: *** Maxillary sinus, is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, ...

condition. He was placed on the retired list on May 1, 1946, and was also advanced to the rank of

for having been specially commended in combat. After his retirement, Cauldwell resided in

Northfield, Vermont Northfield is a New England town, town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The town lies in a valley within the Green Mountains and has been home to Norwich University since 1866. It contains the Northfield (CDP), Vermont, village of No ...

, where he lived together with his wife Margaret Brown Cauldwell (1896–1986) and their two daughters, Sara and Nancy. He worked as professor of mathematics at

Avon Old Farms , motto_translation = Aspiring and Persevering , address = 500 Old Farms Road , city = Avon , state = Connecticut , zipcode = 06001 , country = United St ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

. An avid smoker, Major General Oscar Ray Cauldwell died early on September 8, 1959. He is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

.Burial Detail: Cauldwell, Oscar R
– ANC Explorer

Decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cauldwell, Oscar R. 1892 births 1959 deaths People from Parke County, Indiana Wabash College alumni United States Naval Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni Naval War College alumni United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marine Corps World War II generals American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps generals Recipients of the Silver Star Burials at Arlington National Cemetery