The following is a list of the prominent names in U.S. Marine Corps lore—the people who make up what the Marines call "knowledge". Names in this list are notable for actions made as a Marine; individuals whose notability is unrelated to service in uniform can be found at

List of United States Marines The following is a list of people who served in the United States Marine Corps ''and'' have gained fame through previous or subsequent endeavors, infamy, or successes. Marines who became notable in the United States Marine Corps and are part of ...

Medal of Honor recipients

John Basilone John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumou ...

– only enlisted Marine

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient to return to combat and be killed *

Gregory "Pappy" Boyington Gregory "Pappy" Boyington (December 4, 1912 – January 11, 1988) was an American combat pilot who was a United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. A Marine aviator with ...

– commanded the "Black Sheep Squadron" (VMA-214) during

WWII 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 ...

Smedley Butler Major general (United States), Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881June 21, 1940), nicknamed the "Maverick Marine", was a senior United States Marine Corps Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in the Philippine–American ...

– awarded two Medals of Honor for two different acts, outspoken critic of war profiteers, testified in Congress regarding a plot to overthrow the government *

Louis Cukela Louis Cukela (May 1, 1888 – March 19, 1956) was a Croatian American United States Marine numbered among the nineteen two-time recipients of the Medal of Honor. Cukela was awarded the Medal by both the US Army and the US Navy for the same action ...

– awarded both Navy and Army Medals of Honor * Daniel Daly – awarded two Medals of Honor for two different acts in two different conflicts; nominated for a third but denied because a limit of two had been enacted *

Merritt A. Edson Major General Merritt Austin Edson, Sr. (April 25, 1897 – August 14, 1955), known as "Red Mike", was a general in the United States Marine Corps. Among the decorations he received were the Medal of Honor, two Navy Crosses, the Silver Star, ...

– commander of the

1st Marine Raider Battalion The Marine Raiders are special operations forces originally established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare. " Edson's" Raiders of 1st Marine Raider Battalion and " Carlson's" Rai ...

Joe Foss Joseph Jacob Foss (April 17, 1915January 1, 2003) was a United States Marine Corps major and a leading Marine fighter ace in World War II. He received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his role in air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign. In ...

– leading fighter ace of the Marine Corps during World War II and the Guadalcanal campaign *

Allan J. Kellogg Allan Jay Kellogg Jr. (born October 1, 1943) is a retired sergeant major in the United States Marine Corps. He received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as a staff sergeant on March 11, 1970, ...

– platoon sergeant of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during the

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 ...

. *

Jacklyn H. Lucas Jacklyn Harold "Jack" Lucas (February 14, 1928 – June 5, 2008) was an American United States Marine Corps, Marine in World War II who was awarded the Medal of Honor at the age of 17 years as a private first class in the United States Marine Cor ...

– youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor * John F. Mackie – first Marine awarded the Medal of Honor *

France Silva Private France Silva (May 8, 1876 – April 10, 1951) was the first United States Marine of Mexican-American and Hispanic heritage to receive the Medal of Honor. He received the Medal of Honor for his meritorious conduct in China during th ...

– first Hispanic Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor *

John Lucian Smith John Lucian Smith (December 26, 1914 – June 9, 1972) was an American Medal of Honor recipient and Marine Corps flying ace who, as commanding officer of VMF-223, shot down 19 Japanese planes in World War II and led his squadron to destroy a tota ...

–

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

in the Guadalcanal campaign * Louis H. Wilson Jr. – commanding officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Fonte Hill, Guam, Marianas Islands *

David M. Shoup David Monroe Shoup ( December, 30 1904 – January, 13 1983) was a general of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II, served as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and, after retiring, be ...

– was a

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

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 was awarded the

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 ...

, served as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, and, after retiring, became one of the most prominent critics of the

Marine Corps firsts

Vernice Armour Vernice "Flygirl" Armour (born 1973) is a former United States Marine Corps officer who was the first African-American female naval aviator in the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps first female combat aviator. She flew the AH-1W SuperCobra attac ...

– first female African-American combat pilot in United States military * Bryan B. Battaglia – first Marine appointed Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff * Frederick C. Branch – first African-American Marine officer *

Marion Carl Major General Marion Eugene Carl (November 1, 1915 – June 28, 1998) was an American military officer, World War II fighter ace, record-setting test pilot, and naval aviator. He was the United States Marine Corps' first ace in World War II. Ear ...

– first Marine ace (18.5 victories), member of the Cactus Air Force, first Marine helicopter pilot * John L. Estrada – first Hispanic Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps * Annie Neal Graham – first African-American woman Marine * John Glenn – first Marine astronaut, first American to

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as ...

the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

* Opha May Johnson – first woman Marine * James L. Jones Sr. – commanded the Observer Group, the first amphibious reconnaissance unit in the United States; father of James L. Jones Jr., the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps * Kurt Chew-Een Lee – first Chinese-American Marine officer. Led an infantry platoon at the

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of t ...

and was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his heroism. * Alfred Masters – first African American Marine *

Dennis M. McCarthy Dennis M. McCarthy (born February 1, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General and served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from June 2009 - April 2011. McCarthy was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and gr ...

– first reserve general officer to command an active duty Marine division *

Alford L. McMichael Alford L. McMichael (born February 24, 1952) is a retired United States Marine Corps, United States Marine who served as the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 1999 to 2003. He was also the first Senior Enlisted Advisor, Staff Non-Commis ...

– first African American Marine to serve as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps * Samuel Nicholas – first Commandant of the Marine Corps *

Presley O'Bannon Presley O'Bannon (1776 – September 12, 1850) was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War (1801-1805). In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part in ...

– first to raise the U.S. Flag over foreign soil as a result of combat, "Hero of Derna" which are the "shores of Tripoli" in the Marine hymn *

Peter Pace Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...

– first Marine to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff *

Frank E. Petersen Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr. (March 2, 1932 – August 25, 2015) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general. Petersen retired fr ...

– first African-American aviator Marine, first African-American Marine general, first African-American to command a fighter squadron, a fighter air group, an air wing and a major base. * Staff Sergeant Reckless – first horse to hold an official rank in the United States Marines and U.S. military in general. * Angela Salinas – first Hispanic female to obtain a general rank in the Marines *

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. His military career included service in World War I, Haiti and Nicaragua ...

– first Hispanic to reach the rank of lieutenant general, played an instrumental role in defeating Japanese forces during the Battle of Okinawa * Minnie Spotted-Wolf – first enlisted Native American woman Marine

Other prominent Marines

* John F. Bolt – only Marine aviator to achieve the title of

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

in both WWII and the Korean War; remains to this day the only Marine jet aircraft ace Dorr (2005), p.164–65. *

Evans Carlson Evans Fordyce Carlson (February 26, 1896 – May 27, 1947) was a decorated and retired United States Marine Corps general officer who was the legendary leader of "Carlson's Raiders" during World War II. Many credit Carlson with developing the tac ...

– commanded the World War II Marine Raiders, also credited with introducing the term '' Gung ho'' into the Marine Corps. *

Alfred Cunningham Alfred Austell Cunningham (March 8, 1882 – May 27, 1939) was an American aviator and a United States Marine Corps officer who became the first Marine Corps aviator and the first director of Marine Corps Aviation. His military career included s ...

– patron of Marine Corps aviation, innovative thinker in introducing

air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...

, helped create the

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 beyo ...

* Lou Diamond – "Mr. Leatherneck," namesake of the actor

Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips ( born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (19 ...

* Earl H. Ellis – conducted espionage missions in Micronesia that influenced the planning of the Leapfrogging (strategy), island-hopping campaigns of World War II * Guy Gabaldon – captured (or persuaded to surrender) about 1,000 Japanese soldiers and numerous civilians during the Battle of Saipan * Carlos Hathcock – renowned Marine sniper with 93 confirmed kills during the Vietnam War * Ira Hayes – Native American Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, flag raiser on Iwo Jima during World War II * Archibald Henderson – "Grand old man of the Marine Corps," longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps (1820–1859) * Albert L. Ireland – received nine Purple Heart, Purple Hearts, the most of any Marine * Victor H. Krulak – developed new concepts in expeditionary warfare, such as use of LCVP (United States), Higgins landing craft and helicopters; father of Charles C. Krulak, 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps * Robert Leckie (author), Robert Leckie – served with the 1st Marine Division during World War II; in later life an author of books including ''Helmet for My Pillow'' * John A. Lejeune – 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commanding General of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division (United States), 2nd Infantry Division, and author of the birthday message read aloud at every Marine Corps birthday, Marine Corps Birthday Ball ceremony * Jim Mattis, James Mattis – American veteran and former government official who served as the 26th United States Secretary of Defense from January 2017 through December 2018 * Chuck Mawhinney – Marine sniper with the most confirmed kills, all occurring during the Vietnam War * Chesty Puller, Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller – received five

es and the Army Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Distinguished Service Cross * John Ripley (USMC), John Ripley – highly decorated Marine, only living person (at the time) to be memorialized in the Naval Academy's museum, first Marine inducted into the Ranger hall of fame * Lawson H. M. Sanderson – aviation pioneer, father of Dive bomber, dive bombing technique * Eugene Sledge – author of the 1981 memoir ''With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa'', which chronicled his combat experiences during World War II * George O. Van Orden – brigadier general and "Father of Marine Snipers" * Donald M. Weller – major general and pioneer of Naval gunfire support * William J. Whaling – major general and highly decorated Marine, created the basics for United States Marine Corps Scout (Tank) and Sniper Company, Marine Scout and sniper Company and for United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions, Marine Recon * Dion Williams – patron of naval and amphibious reconnaissance, hoisted the first American flag raised over Spanish soil in the Spanish–American War

References

Sources

External links