Lieutenant General Alan Shapley ( Alan Herreshoff; February 9, 1903 – May 13, 1973) 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 ...

officer who survived the sinking of the USS ''Arizona'' during 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawa ...

, and went on to serve with distinction in the Pacific Theater and later in the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

. He was awarded 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 ...

for his gallantry on December 7, 1941, and later 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 extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Guam. His last command was as the commanding general of the

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 Flee ...

, Pacific. The general, who competed in football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

and track at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

, was active in athletics throughout his career. He coached and played on the All-Marine Corps football teams of 1927 and 1928, refereed U.S. Fleet

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

events for three years, and coached or participated in football, basketball,

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

and boxing at most of his duty stations before World War II.

Early life

Alan Shapley was born on February 9, 1903, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, to the marriage of Charles Frederick Herreshoff II (1876–1954) and Elizabeth Harrison McCormick (1886–1938). His mother divorced his father August 1, 1912, 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 ...

, and – on November 6, 1912, on

Mare Island Mare Island ( Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the ...

, California – married Lloyd Stowell Shapley (1875–1959), a naval officer, who, among other things, went on to serve as the 26th Naval Governor of Guam, from April 7, 1926, to June 11, 1929. Alan's early schooling was in

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to t ...

. He was graduated from the

Peddie School The Peddie School is a college preparatory school in Hightstown, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is a non-denominational, coeducational boarding school located on a campus, and serves students in the ninth through twelfth grad ...

Hightstown, New Jersey Hightstown is a borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,494,George W. Anderson Jr., Glynn R. Donaho,

John C. Munn John Calvin Munn (17 October 1906—14 April 1986) was the 8th Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and United States Naval Aviator. He served for 37 years in the United States Marine Corps. Biography Munn was born October 17, 1906, in ...

Herbert D. Riley Herbert Douglas Riley (December 24, 1904 – January 17, 1973) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he trained as naval aviator and distinguished himself ...

John Thach John Smith Thach (April 19, 1905 – April 15, 1981) was a World War II Naval Aviator, air combat tactician, and United States Navy admiral. Thach developed the Thach Weave, a combat flight formation which could counter enemy fighters of superi ...

Clarence E. Coffin Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a loca ...

Samuel H. Crittenden Jr. Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

, Marion L. Dawson,

Timothy F. Donohue Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek name ( Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries. People Given name * Timothy (given name) ...

, Thomas J. Hamilton,

Herbert L. Hoerner Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, ...

, William P. Chilton,

Alexander M. Kowalzyk Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

William L. Knickerbocker William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

Leland R. Lampman Leland may refer to: Places United States * Leland, Illinois, a village * Leland, Iowa, a city * Leland, Michigan, an unincorporated community and census-designated place * Leland, Mississippi, a city * Leland, North Carolina, a town * Leland, O ...

, William H. Leahy,

William F. Royall William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, Willard A. Saunders,

Brooke Schumm Brooke may refer to: People * Brooke (given name) * Brooke (surname) * Brooke baronets, families of baronets with the surname Brooke Places * Brooke, Norfolk, England * Brooke, Rutland, England * Brooke, Virginia, US * Brooke's Point, Palawan ...

Francis M. McAlister Francis Marion McAlister (March 29, 1905 – September 2, 1965) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He distinguished himself several times during World War II and later received the Sil ...

, David F. O'Neill,

Henry R. Paige Henry Reid Paige (March 30, 1904 – April 22, 1989) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer of 7th Defense Battalion during Palau Islands Ca ...

Samuel S. Jack Samuel Sloan Jack (August 5, 1905 – March 25, 1983) was a highly decorated United States Marine with the rank of major general. Early life and Banana Wars Samuel S. Jack was born on August 5, 1905, in Flagstaff, Arizona. He graduated from the ...

, Jack P. Juhan,

Walter L. J. Bayler Walter Lewis John Bayler (8 April 1905 – 8 December 1984) was a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps who was famed during World War II as the "Last Man Off Wake Island" and the only American to see combat at Wake Island, Mi ...

Joseph W. Earnshaw Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

Harold D. Hansen Harold Dale Hansen (June 27, 1904 – January 4, 1987) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. A veteran of several conflicts, he trained as Quartermaster officer and distinguished himself as Quarterma ...

Archie E. O'Neil Archie Edward O'Neil (August 22, 1905 – January 16, 1986) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier general. He is most noted for his service as Commanding officer, 9th Defens ...

George H. Potter George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

, Richard P. Ross Jr.,

Miles S. Newton The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

and

Earl S. Piper Earl Sanford Piper (February 14, 1905 – July 7, 1979) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. A veteran of the Nicaraguan Campaign, Piper distinguished himself under fire and receive ...

Marine Corps career

After further training at the academy, duty at Quantico, Virginia, and completion of the Marine officers' Basic School at the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

, Lieutenant Shapley sailed for

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 ...

in January 1929 to begin almost three years of duty at the Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor. He returned to the United States in October 1931, and served in various capacities at

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 List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, before taking command of 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 ...

aboard the USS ''San Francisco'' in January 1934. He was promoted to first lieutenant that same month. Detached from the ''San Francisco'' in June 1936, he returned to Quantico where he served as aide-de-camp to the commanding general of the Marine barracks. He was promoted to captain in July 1936. In June 1937, Captain Shapley entered the Junior Course of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico. He completed the course in May 1938, and was ordered to

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 ...

, as aide-de-camp to the commanding general, Department of the Pacific. After serving in that capacity until July 1939, he served as Operations, Training and Intelligence Officer of the Department of the Pacific until May 1940. A month later he departed for Hawaii where he took command of the Marine detachment on the USS ''Arizona''. He was promoted to major in August 1941.

World War II

On December 7, 1941, Major Shapley was the senior marine on board the

USS Arizona ''Arizona'' has been the name of three ships of the United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the ...

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...

. The previous day, he had been relieved as detachment commander, but had stayed on the ship to play on the ship's baseball team's scheduled game against the ''Enterprise'' team.Camp (2006), "And the Band Played On", ''

Leatherneck Magazine ''Leatherneck Magazine of the Marines'' (or simply ''Leatherneck'') is a magazine for United States Marines. History and profile ''The Quantico Leatherneck'' was started by off-duty US Marines, and in large part by the post printer, Sgt. Smith, ...

''.Cressman and Wenger, page 4. When a

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

hit the port bow of the ''Arizona'', Shapley was thrown from the foremast at least 100 feet through the air into the water; he was able to swim to Ford Island and to rescue two shipmates along the way.Camp (2006), ''Battleship Arizona's Marines At War: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice, December 7, 1941''. He was one of eight Marine Corps survivors from the ''Arizona'', becoming the ranking Marine Corps officer in the Pacific at the time. For his gallantry on that day, he was awarded the

. Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he sailed for San Diego to become personnel officer to the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1942. Lieutenant Colonel Shapley assumed a similar post with I Marine Amphibious Corps in October 1942, and that same month he sailed with the 1st Corps for the Pacific area. Shapley was the commanding officer of the

2nd 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 ...

from March 22, 1943, to August 30, 1943. He then commanded the 2nd Marine Raider Regiment (Provisional), which included the 2nd Raider Battalion, in the fighting at Bougainville, earning 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" for outstanding service at Bougainville in November 1943. After the Bougainville campaign, Shapley organized the new Fourth Marines from the disbanded Raider battalions, which he commanded at

Emirau Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language. Emira is part of what on ...

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic ce ...

, and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. He was awarded the

for extraordinary heroism as a lieutenant colonel, commanding the Fourth Marines (Reinforced) on Guam from July 21 to August 10, 1944. His Navy Cross citation states in part: During the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

, Colonel Shapley lead the 4th Marines in the capture of

Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

airfield. He was awarded a second Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for outstanding service at Okinawa from April to June 1945. He was promoted to colonel in November 1944.

After World War II

Following the Okinawa campaign, Colonel Shapley has been relieved by Lt. Col. Fred D. Beans and ordered back to the United States in July 1945 to become Assistant Inspector in the Inspection Division at

Marine Corps Headquarters 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. In that capacity, he accompanied Admiral William F. Halsey on an official goodwill tour of

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

from June to August 1946, receiving decorations from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

during that assignment. In September he entered the

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Co ...

in Washington. After graduation from the War College in June 1947, Colonel Shapley served for two years at

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 cen ...

, as assistant chief of staff, G-3 (Operations and Training), of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. Subsequently, he was ordered to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego in June 1949, and after serving as personnel officer of the depot, became its chief of staff in September 1949. In January 1951, Colonel Shapley was ordered again to Washington where he served on the International Planning Staff of the Standing Group,

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

, until June 1953.

Korean War

In 1953 Shapley was ordered to Korea; he served as chief of staff,

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" for meritorious achievement during this period. For subsequent service as senior advisor to the Korean Marine Corps, he was awarded the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...

's Ulchi Medal with Silver Star.

1954 to retirement

Alan Shapley on Horseback, circa 1959 (17134800628)

From Korea, Colonel Shapley was ordered to Japan in May 1954. He served there as commanding officer and, subsequently, commanding general, Troop Training Team, Amphibious Group, Western Pacific. He was promoted to

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 t ...

in July 1954. In July 1955, on his return to the United States, General Shapley became assistant commander of the

Marine Corps Base 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 ...

, California. Following his detachment from the 1st Division in May 1956, he commanded the Recruit Training Command at the

Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot (commonly referred to as MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and t ...

for a brief time prior to being ordered to the Far East. Upon his promotion to

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 ...

in September 1956, he assumed duties on Okinawa as commanding general,

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 wit ...

, Fleet Marine Force. General Shapley returned to the United States in July 1957, reporting to

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, as director of the

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned pe ...

. After holding this post for over two years, he returned to the West Coast in November 1959, and served as commanding general, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, until March 1961. He was promoted to his final rank of

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 April 1961 upon assuming duties as commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, with headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, and served in this capacity until his retirement on July 1, 1962. Following his retirement from the military, General Shapley taught at Bullis School, then located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded by Naval Commander William F. Bullis in 1930, Bullis School was originally a prep school for young men seeking acceptance to the United States Naval Academy.

Medals and decorations

A complete list of the general's medals and decorations included:

Personal life

Lieutenant General Shapley died from a lung tumor on May 13, 1973, at the

National Naval Medical Center National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which ...

, at age 70.

References

Additional sources

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