Verne James McCaul (August 18, 1903—March 2, 1968) was a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

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 ...

who served as the Director of Aviation and the 7th Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Early years

McCaul was born on August 18, 1903, in

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

, and after joining the Marine Corps participated in

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 ...

. He was commissioned in 1925 and subsequently became a naval aviator. Major McCaul established Marine Fighting Squadron 221 at San Diego in 1941 and took the unit to Midway Island by year end. On Midway, he joined the staff of Marine Air Group 22, then returned to the U.S. He saw additional Pacific service in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines, where he assumed command of Marine Air Group 12 in early 1945. After the war, McCaul was promoted to brigadier general, serving in USMC Headquarters. Subsequently, he commanded the 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wings and in 1957 he became the Director of Aviation. By the time McCaul retired in 1960, he had achieved the rank of lieutenant general. He died on March 2, 1968, at the U.S. Naval Hospital in

San Diego, California 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 eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

Awards and decorations

During his military career, he was awarded: Legion of Merit with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

and Gold Star in lieu of a second award, Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star in lieu of a second award, the Navy Unit Commendation, the

American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served ...

with Base clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze stars, the

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

, the World War II Victory Medal, the

China Service Medal The China Service Medal was a service medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted by Navy Department General Order No. 176 on 1 July 1942. The medal recognized service in and around China before ...

, the

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

, the

Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...

, the United Nations Service Medal, the

Philippine Liberation Ribbon The Philippine Liberation Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by an order of Commonwealth Army of the Philippines Headquarters on 20 December 1944, and was issued as the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. The d ...

with one bronze star, and the Chinese

Order of the Cloud and Banner The Order of the Cloud and Banner () also known as the Order of the Resplendent Banner is a military award of the Republic of China. It was instituted on June 15, 1935 and is awarded in nine grades for contributions to national security. The insig ...

References

: * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCaul, Verne J. 1903 births 1968 deaths United States Marine Corps generals United States Naval Aviators United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Legion of Merit People from Cass County, North Dakota North Dakota State University alumni National War College alumni Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Recipient of the Order of the Cloud and Banner

Early years

Awards and decorations

See also

References