James Everett Livingston (born January 12, 1940) is a retired

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

major general. He was awarded the United States' highest military decoration, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

, for heroic actions in 1968 during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Livingston served on active duty in the Marine Corps over 33 years before retiring on September 1, 1995. His last assignment was the Commanding General of

Marine Forces 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. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedit ...

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Early life

James Livingston was born on January 12, 1940, in Towns, Georgia, the son of Ruth and Myret Livingston. Growing up, he and his brother helped his parents work their 3,000-acre farm. He graduated from Lumber City High School in 1957. He entered North Georgia College and State University (The Military College of Georgia) in 1957 and was a member of the school's nationally recognized Corps of Cadets until he transferred to pursue a major that the school did not offer. In 1962, Livingston earned a

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

degree in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

. While at Auburn University he pledged and was initiated into the Alpha-Delta chapter of

Sigma Pi Sigma Pi () is a collegiate fraternity in North America. As of 2021, it had more than 5,000 undergraduate members and over 118,000 alumni. The fraternity is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded on February 26, 1897, at Vincennes Uni ...

fraternity. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

in June 1962.

United States Marine Corps

Livingston's early assignments included service as a platoon commander, intelligence officer and as a

Recruit Training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which Resocialization, resocializes its subjects for ...

Regiment series commander. Promoted to captain in June 1966, Livingston served as the Commanding Officer of the Marine detachment aboard the Aircraft Carrier , before joining the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry division ...

in the

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...

in August 1967. On May 2, 1968, while serving as Commanding Officer, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Livingston distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces during the

Battle of Dai Do The Battle of Dai Do (also known as the Battle of Đông Hà) took place from 30 April to 3 May 1968 in Quảng Trị Province during the Vietnam War. Background The Cửa Việt River served as a vital supply line for the 3rd Marine Division ...

, and earned the

. He returned to the United States in November 1968 and completed the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. He was presented the Medal of Honor on May 14, 1970, by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. After his second tour in Vietnam, Livingston served as an instructor at the

United States Army Infantry School The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia that is dedicated to training Infantry Branch (United States), infantrymen for service in the United States Army. Organization The school ...

, Director of Division Schools for the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), 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 E ...

, and later, as S-3 of the

3rd Battalion, 7th Marines The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment (3/7, V37) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion fa ...

. In March 1975 he returned to Vietnam and served as Operations Officer for the Vietnam evacuation operations, which included

Operation Frequent Wind Operation Frequent Wind was the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, before the takeover of the city by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Fall of Sai ...

, the evacuation of

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

. Livingston graduated from

Marine Corps Command and Staff College Marine Corps University is a military education university system of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of the Naval University System and accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools t ...

in May 1977. Livingston then commanded the Marine Barracks, United Kingdom, London. In 1980 Livingston was selected to attend the

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University (United States Air Force), Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, ...

and graduated with a Master's degree in 1981. After graduation, he returned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island and served as Commanding Officer, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. He was next assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training at the Marine Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. During this period, he earned a master's degree in management from

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The university has an alumni net ...

in 1984. He then assumed command of

6th Marines The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division of th ...

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina a ...

from February 8, 1986, to June 24, 1987. His next assignment was before the Joint United States Assistance Group in the

Republic of the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...

Following advancement to brigadier general on June 10, 1988, Livingston served as Deputy Director for Operations at the National Military Command Center in Washington, D.C. During

Operations Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and

Desert Storm , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, Livingston commanded the Marine Air Ground Combat Center,

29 Palms 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...

, California and developed the Desert Warfare Training Program. After command of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, he was advanced to major general on July 8, 1991, and assumed command of the 4th Marine Division. In July 1992, he assumed command of the newly created Marine Reserve Force, and continued through its reorganization in October 1994, with its new title, "Marine Forces Reserve". Livingston is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the

Retirement

Maj Gen Livingston visits MARCORSPTFAC - May 2025

In retirement, Livingston serves on the board of trustees of the

National World War II Museum The National WWII Museum, formerly known as The National D-Day Museum, is a military history museum located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., on Andrew Higgins Drive between Camp Street and Magazine Street. The ...

. Livingston wrote his autobiography, ''Noble Warrior: The Story of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, Medal of Honor,'' with historians Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis. It was placed on the Commandant of the Marine Corps reading list in 2011. On November 6, 2007, the Fred Thompson presidential campaign announced that Livingston would serve as the National Co-Chair of Veterans for Fred Thompson. In the 2016 presidential election, Livingston was a political supporter of

Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Bush family, Bush political family, he was an unsuccessful candidate for pre ...

, and Co-Chair of National Veterans for Jeb. In November 2015, he was featured in an ad called "Honor" in which he referred to President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

as a "Commander-in-Chief horequires

training wheels Training wheels, known as stabilizers outside North America, are a pair of additional wheels attached to the rear axle of a bicycle, effectively turning it into a quadricycle, for beginners learning to ride independently. Since the late 1990s, ...

." In the 2020 presidential election, Livingston endorsed Donald Trump in a letter with dozens of other flag officers stating that a Biden presidency would lead to in influence of the government by "socialists and Marxists". In October 2024, Livingston joined 15 other Medal of Honor recipients in publicly endorsing

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Military awards

Livingston's decorations and awards include:

Medal of Honor citation

The

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to CAPTAIN JAMES E. LIVINGSTON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION: /S/

RICHARD M. NIXON Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

Silver Star citation

Citation:

Honors

On November 19, 1993, the

State of Georgia Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It borders Tennessee and North Carolina to the north, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 U.S. states, Georgia i ...

dedicated a historical marker in

Lumber City, Georgia Lumber City is a city located in Telfair County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 967. History The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lumber City as a town in 1889. The community was named fo ...

, honoring Livingston and his Medal of Honor actions.

Notes

References

Official biography
United States Marine Corps

, ''Who's Who in Marine Corps History'', History Division, United States Marine Corps.
Medal of Honor citation

''American Valor'',

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. (URL accessed April 22, 2006)
Interview
at the

Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and research library for the study of military history located in a state-of-the art facility in Kenosha, WI. The institution was founded in 2003, ...

on March 20, 2008
Interview
at the

on April 7, 2011 * *Autobiography: ''Noble warrior: The Story of Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor'', with Colin D. Heaton and Anne Marie Lewis. Zenith Press, 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, James E. 1940 births Living people Auburn University alumni United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Silver Star American recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War People from Telfair County, Georgia Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Vietnam War recipients of the Medal of Honor Sigma Pi members