Robert Edward Haebel (July 18, 1927 – May 25, 2017) was a

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 ...

major general whose last command was Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. He retired in 1987 after 42 years of service. He was interred with honors at Arlington National Cemetery September 16, 2017.

Biography

Robert Haebel was born in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania on July 18, 1927. He died on May 25, 2017, at the age of 89.

Education

He graduated from high school in 1945. He earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in Education

West Chester State Teachers College West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle ...

(now West Chester University of Pennsylvania) in 1951. He later earned two

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

(M.A.) degrees — in Education from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

(1967) and in International Affairs from

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

(1971).

Marine Corps career

In June 1945, Haebel enlisted in the Marine Corps. He reached the rank of sergeant prior to attending The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico,

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 ...

, receiving his commission as a second lieutenant in June 1951. In January 1952, he was ordered to Korea and participated in combat operations as a platoon leader with 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 ...

, earning the

Bronze Star 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". He was transferred to

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 ...

, in December 1952, and was promoted to captain in March 1954. He served at the Marine Barracks, Treasure Island,

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " 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 fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, from December 1954 to April 1957, when he was assigned to the Military Assistance Advisory Group,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, as an advisor to the

Republic of China Marine Corps The Republic of China Marine Corps (ROCMC; ), also known colloquially as the Taiwan Marine Corps, is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the areas under th ...

. Returning to the United States, he served at Headquarters, 5th Marine Corps Recruit Reserve District, Washington, D.C., and attended the Junior Course, Amphibious Warfare School, MCB Quantico. In June 1960 he was assigned to the

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 ...

, serving as a Company Commander and G-3 Operations Officer. He returned to Camp Lejeune and served in Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. In April 1962, he was promoted to major. He served as the Marine Officer Instructor, Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Unit at the

, from August 1964 to July 1967, when he was transferred back to the 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam and served consecutively as Operations Officer, G-3 Officer, and as a battalion commander. For his participation in combat operations in Vietnam, he was awarded 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 Combat "V". He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in November 1966. Ordered to

MCRD 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 = ...

, in September 1968, Haebel served as Assistant G-3 Officer, and later, as G-3 Officer of the Recruit Depot. From August 1970 to June 1971, he attended the Naval War College,

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, ...

, and upon completing the course was transferred 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 ...

as Plans Officer, G-3 Operations and Training Officer and Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 at Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. He was promoted to colonel in May 1972. In June 1975, he was ordered to the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa and served as Commanding Officer,

4th Marine Regiment The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Mission Close with and destroy the enemy by fi ...

and the Camp Commander,

Camp Hansen Camp Hansen is a United States Marine Corps base located in Okinawa, Japan. The camp is situated in the town of Kin, near the northern shore of Kin Bay, and is the second-northernmost major installation on Okinawa, with Camp Schwab to the north ...

, Okinawa. He was advanced to brigadier general on April 15, 1976, and assumed duties of Commanding General, Force Troops/ 2nd Force Service Support Group, FMF, Atlantic, on April 23, 1976. Ordered to Headquarters Marine Corps, General Haebel assumed duty as Director Personnel Management Division on July 28, 1978. He was promoted to major general on July 3, 1979, and assigned additional duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower in September 1979. General Haebel assumed duty as Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in July 1980. In June 1982, he was assigned duty as Commanding General,

III Marine Amphibious Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and d ...

/Commanding General, 3d Marine Division, FMF, Pacific on Okinawa. He served in this capacity until he became the Commanding General of

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 ...

on July 6, 1984.

Retirement

Major General Haebel retired from the Marine Corps on June 20, 1987, after 42 years of active duty service. On November 10, 2007, Haebel was the speaker at the 2007 Marine Corps Ball at Camp Pendleton, in honor of the Marine Corps' 232nd birthday.

Awards and decorations

Major General Haebel's decorations include:

Notes

References

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from the United States Marine Corps.'' * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haebel, Robert E. 1927 births 2017 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War United States Marines United States Marine Corps generals University of New Mexico alumni University of New Mexico faculty Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit People from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Pennsylvania