James Joseph Keating (April 20, 1895 – December 18, 1978) was a United States Marine Corps officer with 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 ...

, who is most noted as commanding officer of the

3rd Battalion, 11th Marines 3rd Battalion 11th Marines (3/11) is an artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries, a Liaison Unit, and a headquarters battery. The battalion is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California and its pr ...

during the Battle of Guadalcanal and later as officer in charge of the Intelligence Section, Headquarters Marine Corps.

Early years

Keating was born on April 20, 1895, in Castroville, California, and, after attending of school in Boston, he enrolled at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, where he graduated in 1917. He subsequently enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 19, 1917. Keating rose to the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

and was decorated with the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal for his enlisted service. He attended Officer Candidates School at Marine Barracks 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 ...

, and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve on July 15, 1918. His next assignment was with

1st Marine Regiment The 1st Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The regiment is under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st ...

, with which he sailed for Guantanamo Bay,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Keating was stationed at Cuba for four months and returned to United States in March 1919. He received an

honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

in April 1919 and was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Following his discharge, Keating worked in the printing and publishing business in

Philadelphia 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 ...

, before he rejoined Marine Corps Reserve in August 1930 as first lieutenant. He was assigned to the reserve 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, and his assignments included intelligence officer, operations officer, executive officer and later also commanding officer. For his reserve service, Keating was decorated with the Reserve Good Conduct Medal with two stars.

World War II

Keating was recalled to the active duty with the Marine Corps in November 1940 with the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and assigned to the

Marine Corps Recruit Depot 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 = ...

. He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay,

, in January 1941 and was assigned to

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 ...

under the command of Major General Holland Smith. Major Keating was subsequently appointed

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of 1st Battalion,

11th Marine Regiment The 11th Marine Regiment is an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Known as the "Cannon Cockers", the regiment falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I ...

under Colonel

Pedro del Valle Pedro Augusto del Valle (August 28, 1893 – April 28, 1978) was a United States Marine Corps officer who became the first Hispanic to reach the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. His military career included service ...

. He participated with the regiment in subsequent maneuvers and was appointed commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion,

in January 1942. Promoted to the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in May 1942, Keating sailed for the South Pacific in June of that year. He led his battalion during the

Guadalcanal Campaign The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in th ...

and also took part in Battle of Edson's Ridge, where his 105mm howitzers supported other marines forces. Keating was later 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 ...

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 ...

''for his heroic achievement during operations against Japanese forces'' and also with the

Navy Presidential Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

. The 11th Marine Regiment was sent to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

for rest and refit in December 1942. Keating, who was already 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 5 November 1942, was appointed commanding officer of the 1st 155mm Howitzer Battalion attached to the

III Amphibious Corps 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 ...

Artillery under Brigadier General

. Keating led his unit during the Recapture of Guam in July 1944 and was decorated with a second

for his service there. He and his unit also received a second

. Colonel Keating was transferred back to the United States in October 1944 and assigned to Intelligence Section within Headquarters Marine Corps. He was first appointed Section

and later succeeded Colonel Edmond J. Buckley as section director in December 1944. Keating remained in this capacity until December 1945.

Postwar career

During July 1945, Keating was commissioned in the regular Marine Corps and was appointed director of the Fourth Reserve District Headquarters in

. He was later 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 ...

, where he assumed command of Camp Catlin, where was stationed the Headquarters,

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M ...

. Keating also served simultaneously as assistant chief of staff and intelligence officer of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. He was transferred back to the United States in June 1949 and assigned to Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he was appointed legal officer and later officer in charge of local

Marine Corps Schools Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

. His final assignment came in September 1951, when he was appointed director, Administrative Division, Headquarters Marine Corps. Keating retired from the Marine Corps on June 30, 1955, and was advanced to the rank of

on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat. Brigadier General James J. Keating died on December 18, 1978, and was 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 ...

, together with his wife Elizabeth C. Keating (1894–1989).

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General James J. Keating:

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Keating, James J. 1895 births 1978 deaths People from Monterey County, California Harvard Law School alumni United States Marine Corps reservists United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Burials at Arlington National Cemetery