Robert E. Hogaboom
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Robert Edward Hogaboom (November 13, 1902 – November 11, 1993) was a decorated
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 ...
four-star general Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usually ...
who served as chief of staff, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps between 1957 and 1959. Hogaboom was promoted to four-star rank upon retirement as a "tombstone general". Hogaboom was also a lead member of so-called "Chowder Society", special Marine Corps Board, which was tasked to conduct research and prepare material relative to postwar legislation concerning the role of the Marine Corps in national defense.


Early career

Robert Edward Hogaboom was born on November 13, 1902, in
Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, ...
, as the son of late Army Colonel George E. Hogaboom and former Mary Mayerhoff. He graduated from
Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a Public college, public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state mi ...
in
Marion, Alabama Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolut ...
, in summer of 1920 and enrolled the
Mississippi State College Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R1: ...
in Starkville. Hogaboom completed two years before received an appointment to the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) 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 United States Secre ...
at
Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
. During his time at the academy, "Hoge" was a member of the boxing team and also was designated Expert Rifleman. He graduated on June 4, 1925, with
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Some of his classmates also became general officers in the Marine Corps:
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,
Lionel C. Goodeau Lionel may refer to: Name *Lionel (given name) Places *Lionel, Lewis, a village in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland *Lionel Town, Jamaica, a settlement Brands and enterprises *Lionel, LLC, an American designer and importer of toy trains and model ra ...
,
Harold D. Harris Harold Douglas Harris (February 4, 1903 – September 20, 1984) was a United States Marine Corps officer with the rank of brigadier general. Harris fought guerrillas in Nicaragua, and subsequently the Japanese in World War II, while commanding 5 ...
, John N. Hart or
James Snedeker James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince James ...
. Hogaboom was subsequently ordered to
the Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...
at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy shipyard and was historically important for nearly two centuries. Construction of the original Philadelphia Naval Shipyard began during the American Revolution in 1776 at Front ...
for basic officer training, which he completed five months later. He then joined the
1st Battalion, 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the ...
at Quantico, Virginia and embarked for Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. Hogaboom has returned to the United States in September of that year and was ordered to
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, where he took part in the Mail guard duty during a nationwide wave of mail robberies. He embarked with 1st Marine Brigade for expeditionary duty to
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
in February 1927 and spent almost three years in that country. Hogaboom took part in the jungle patrols against hostile bandits under
Augusto César Sandino Augusto César Sandino (; 18 May 1895 21 February 1934), full name Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino, was a Nicaraguan revolutionary, founder of the militant group EDSN, and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the United Sta ...
and later served as an instructor with Nicaraguan Constabulary, Guardia Nacional. For his service in that country, he was decorated with Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit with Diploma. Following his return stateside in early 1930, he served at
Marine Corps Base San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (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 the former Nava ...
at the Recruit Depot and later completed the Sea School. Hogaboom then joined the Marine detachment aboard the cruiser USS ''Chicago'' and took part in the gunnery exercises preliminary to Fleet Problem XIII off the California coast. Hogaboom was detached in summer 1933 and attended the Army Cavalry School at
Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. Upon his graduation in June 1934, he was ordered to the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico and served as an instructor there until early 1937, when he was transferred to
4th Marine Regiment The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Mission 4th Marine Regiment conducts littoral ...
and sailed for
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. He was stationed at
Shanghai International Settlement The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British Concession (Shanghai), British and American Concession (Shanghai), American list of former foreign enclaves in China, enclaves in Shanghai, in which Brit ...
under the command of Colonel Joseph C. Fegan and participated in the guard duties during a period of tensions between
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Hogaboom was ordered back to the United States in 1939 and ordered back to the staff of Marine Corps Schools, Quantico as an instructor. During his second tour at Quantico, he was deeply involved in the development of the
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...
doctrine, its tactics and techniques.


World War II

During his service at Quantico, commanding general of the Marine Corps Base, Major General
Holland Smith Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, Order of the Bath, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a General officer, general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern United St ...
, noticed the Hogaboom's qualities as staff officer and brilliant instructor and when he received orders to assume command of Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, he requested Hogaboom to be assign to his staff. Hogaboom was promoted to lieutenant colonel and ordered to
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
in September 1942 for duty on the staff of Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet under Major General
Holland Smith Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, Order of the Bath, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a General officer, general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern United St ...
. He was appointed assistant operations officer (G-3) and was put in charge of the amphibious training of Army 7th Infantry Division at
Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Hogaboom coordinated the training of the division for the ongoing
Aleutian Islands Campaign The Aleutian Islands campaign () was a military campaign fought between 3 June 1942 and 15 August 1943 on and around the Aleutian Islands in the American theater (World War II), American Theater of World War II during the Pacific War. It was t ...
and later served as an observer during the amphibious landing at Attu in May 1943. For his service in this capacity, he was decorated with the
Navy Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...
. He was, meanwhile, promoted to the temporary rank of colonel in November 1942. In November 1943, Commander of Fifth Amphibious Force, Rear Admiral
Richmond K. Turner Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (May 27, 1885 – February 12, 1961), commonly known as Kelly Turner, was an admiral of the United States Navy during the Second World War, where he commanded the Amphibious Force in the Pacific theater. Turner w ...
, requested a more experienced Marine officer to be assigned to his staff. Admiral Turner, known as "Terrible Turner" because of his furious temper, wrote a letter to the commandant,
Thomas Holcomb General (United States), General Thomas Holcomb (August 5, 1879 – May 24, 1965) was a United States Marine Corps officer who served as the seventeenth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1936 to 19 ...
, demanding a substitute for his assistant chief of staff for operations, Colonel Joseph W. Knighton. Holcomb asked Holland Smith for a substitute, and he chose Hogaboom. He later described his experiences under Turner: Hogaboom served as assistant chief of staff for operations and training, with additional duty as Smith's liaison officer and participated in the combat operations in Gilbert and Marshall Islands and in the
Marianas The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly Volcano#Dormant and reactivated, dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean ...
. He remained in this capacity until mid-October 1944 and was decorated with the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
with
Combat "V" Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...
for his service in that capacity. He was subsequently transferred to
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and appointed chief of staff,
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 ...
under Major General Graves B. Erskine. Hogaboom knew Erskine well from his time under General Smith in the
Aleutians The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain of 14 main, larger volcanic island ...
and thus the cooperation worked well. Hogaboom took part in the planning of
Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands, which lie south of the Bonin Islands and together with them make up the Ogasawara Subprefecture, Ogasawara Archipelago. Together with the Izu Islands, they make up Japan's Nanpō Islands. Although sout ...
campaign and the landing itself in February 1945 and earned his second
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
for his service.


Postwar service


Marines & Helicopters

Following the war, Hogaboom took part in the occupation of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and returned to the United States in December 1945 for duty as a director of the Amphibious Warfare School at the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico under Brigadier General
Oliver P. Smith Oliver Prince Smith (October 26, 1893 – December 25, 1977) was a U.S. Marine four-star general and decorated combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He is most noted for commanding the 1st Marine Division during the first year of th ...
. Hogaboom received orders from the commandant,
Alexander Vandegrift Alexander Archer Vandegrift (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps highly decorated four-star general (United States), general, Medal of Honor recipient, and a Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Commandant of ...
, to form and head the committee of the academic board, which conducted research on the desired characteristics for an assault transport helicopter. He and his board concluded, that ''"On the premise that the helicopter offers a valuable means of accelerating and dispersing the ship-to-shore movement, it is recognized that the complete replacement of all existing ship-to-shore conveyances may at some future date be desirable. Under such conditions, it would appear necessary that there be designed a relatively small type helicopter for transportation of assault troops, as well as large type helicopter capable of lifting all divisional loads. However, examination of current technical developments indicates that the latter type may not be practical for some time to come. Accordingly, it is considered more realistic to approach the problem in increments, establishing initially the characteristics for a purely assault conveyance...." His reports were forwarded to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, Vice Admiral
Donald B. Duncan : ''This is about the American naval officer. For others, see Donald Duncan (disambiguation).'' Donald Bradley Duncan (1896–1975) was an List of United States Navy four-star admirals, admiral in the United States Navy, who played an important ...
, who distributed it through the command structure of the navy. Hogaboom and his effort helped to promote the use helicopters for future combat operations.


Chowder Society

Hogaboom later became a member of the so-called "Chowder Society", special Marine Corps Board under general Gerald C. Thomas, which was tasked by Commandant
Alexander Vandegrift Alexander Archer Vandegrift (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps highly decorated four-star general (United States), general, Medal of Honor recipient, and a Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Commandant of ...
to conduct research and prepare material relative to postwar legislation concerning the role of the Marine Corps in national defense. Due to cuts in Marine Corps budget, the threat of merging of the Marine Corps into the United States Army, was more realistic. Also thanks to his work, he is one of the few men, who helped the future of the Corps. While in this assignment, Hittle had the opportunity to cooperate with great names of modern Marine history such as: Merrill B. Twining, Victor H. Krulak,
Merritt A. Edson Merritt Austin Edson, Sr. (April 25, 1897 – August 14, 1955), known as "Red Mike", was a major general in the United States Marine Corps, First President of the Marine Corps War Memorial Foundation and First Commissioner of the Vermont Depar ...
, Samuel R. Shaw, James E. Kerr, James C. Murray, Jonas M. Platt, DeWolf Schatzel, James D. Hittle, Robert D. Heinl,
Edward H. Hurst Edward Hunter Hurst (December 18, 1916 – September 6, 1997) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. He is the recipient of the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest ...
or Marine Corps Reserve officers
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,
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, Lyford Hutchins, and William McCahill.


General's duty

Hogaboom was ordered to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, in June 1949 and attended the
National War College In the United States, the National War College (NWC) is a school within 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 ...
, where he graduated one year later. He then served on its staff until his promotion to the rank of brigadier general on July 1, 1951. He was subsequently appointed Marine Corps liaison officer in the Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
under Admiral
William M. Fechteler William Morrow Fechteler (March 6, 1896 – July 4, 1967) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower administration. Biography Fechteler was born in San Rafael, California, on Mar ...
and remained in that capacity until July 1952, when he was transferred to
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune ( or ) is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
for duty as assistant division commander,
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 ...
under future commandant
Randolph M. Pate Randolph McCall Pate (February 11, 1898 – July 31, 1961) was a United States Marine Corps general who served as the 21st Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959. Pate was a veteran of World War II, seeing action at Guadalcanal and Iwo ...
. While in this capacity, Hogaboom twice commanded multi-nation
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
landing forces in
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
maneuvers. As Commanding General of the Landing Force in
Operation Longstep Exercise Longstep was a ten-day NATO naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea during November 1952 under the overall command of Admiral Robert B. Carney, USN, the Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCAFSOUTH). This exercise i ...
in November 1952, he directed U.S. Marines, French, Greek and Italian Forces in landings on the coast of
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. In Operation Weldfast in October 1953, British, Greek and Italian troops joined the Marines under his command. When General Pate was ordered to
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
in May 1953, Hogaboom assumed temporary command of the division and held it for one month, when new commanding general,
George F. Good Jr. George Franklin Good Jr. (September 16, 1901 – October 25, 1991) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. Good is most noted for his service as commander ...
, relieved him. He then resumed his duties as assistant division commander and remained in that capacity until January 1954, when he was transferred to the same capacity with
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 ...
in Korea. The 1st Marine Division served under General Pate in the
Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...
and because truce was already in effect, there was no major fighting at the time. Hogaboom was promoted to major general in July 1954 and assumed command of the division at that time. He was decorated with his third
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
for his service in Korea and also received Republic of Korea Gukseon Medal.


Hogaboom's Board

Upon arrival to the United States in January 1955, Hogaboom was ordered to the
Headquarters Marine Corps The 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 funct ...
, where he assumed duty as deputy chief of staff for plans. While in this capacity, he formed the Fleet Marine Force Organization and Composition Board which studied and came up with recommendations for revised tables of organization of Marine Corps units, among other things. Hogaboom selected 16 other high-ranking officers (among them were brigadier generals
Ronald D. Salmon Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...
and
Edward C. Dyer Edward Colston Dyer (January 18, 1907 – January 5, 1975) was a Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps who served in both World War II and the Korean War. A naval aviator and Telecommunications eng ...
or Colonels Odell M. Conoley,
Frederick P. Henderson Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from ...
,
Lewis W. Walt Lewis William Walt (February 16, 1913 – March 26, 1989) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Walt was decorated several times, including two awards of the Navy ...
,
Norman J. Anderson Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
, William K. Jones or Keith B. McCutcheon) and conducted a thorough and comprehensive study of the entire
Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general and special forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet Marine ...
(FMF), including aviation, with the purpose of making recommendations for the optimum organization, composition, and equipment of the FMF. The results of this organization and composition study were to set the pattern for all major organizational changes within the FMF during the remaining part of the decade. Hogaboom was promoted to lieutenant general in December 1957 and appointed chief of staff,
Headquarters Marine Corps The 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 funct ...
by his old superior, now Commandant of the Marine Corps,
Randolph M. Pate Randolph McCall Pate (February 11, 1898 – July 31, 1961) was a United States Marine Corps general who served as the 21st Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959. Pate was a veteran of World War II, seeing action at Guadalcanal and Iwo ...
. He remained in that capacity until October 30, 1959, when retired after 34 years of active service and was advanced to the rank of
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
for having been specially commended in combat.


Retirement

Following the retirement from the Marine Corps, Hogaboom settled in
St. Mary's City, Maryland St. Mary's City (also known as Historic St. Mary's City) is a former colonial town that was founded in March 1634, as Maryland's first European settlement and capital. It is now a state-run historic area, which includes a reconstruction of the ...
, where he was active in civic affairs and also served as chairman of the St. Mary's City Commission, a historic preservation group. He was also active in the Marine Corps Historical Foundation, where he served as a member of the board of directors. General Robert E. Hogaboom died on November 11, 1993, following complications of
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
and was buried in the cemetery of Trinity Episcopal Church. He was married twice, first time to Jean Galpin Lowe (1908–1979) and then to Maurine Holbert (1912–2010). The Marine Corps Association's
Marine Corps Gazette The ''Marine Corps Gazette'' is a professional journal by and for members of the United States Marine Corps. Known as "The Professional Journal of U.S. Marines", the ''Gazette'' was founded in 1916 at Marine Corps Base Quantico by Colonel Jo ...
General Robert E. Hogaboom Leadership Writing Contest is named in his honor.


Decorations and honors

General Hogaboom's medals and decorations include:


See also

*
List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals The rank of general (or ''full general'', or ''four-star general'') is the highest rank in the United States Marine Corps. It ranks above lieutenant general (''three-star general''). There have been 75 four-star generals in the history of the U. ...


References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Hogaboom, Robert E. 1902 births 1993 deaths United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Legion of Merit Marion Military Institute alumni United States Naval Academy alumni National War College alumni American people of Dutch descent People from Meridian, Mississippi People from St. Mary's County, Maryland Military personnel from Mississippi