Walter E. Boomer
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General Walter Eugene Boomer (born September 22, 1938) is a retired American four-star
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 ...
and assistant commandant of 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 ...
and business executive. Boomer led all Marines in Operations Desert Shield 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- ...
during the
Gulf War , 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- ...
. He was later the chairman and CEO of Rogers Corporation and retired in 2004. He is the current lead director of
Baxter International Baxter International Inc. is an American multinational healthcare company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat chronic and acute medical conditions. The company had 2023 global net sal ...
. Boomer is a 1960 graduate of
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
and later earned a master's degree from
American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...
.


Biography

Boomer was born on 22 September 1938 in
Rich Square, North Carolina Rich Square (also known as Richsquare) is an American town of 894 people in Northampton County, North Carolina. History Quakers were some of the earliest settlers in Northampton County, being established there by the early 1750s. The congrega ...
. In 1956, he graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy in
Front Royal, Virginia Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated at 15,400 as of 2023. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to beco ...
. He earned a B.A. degree from Duke University in 1960, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned a
Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
degree in technology of management from American University, Washington, D.C. in 1973.


Marine Corps service

After completing
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 ...
, Quantico, Virginia, in January 1961, his first assignments were with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines and the
2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines 2d Battalion, 2d Marines (2/2) is a light infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Also known as "The Warlords", it consists of approximately 1,000 marines and sailors and ...
, 2nd Marine Division,
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 ( ...
, where he was platoon commander, weapons platoon commander and battalion training officer, respectively, from 1961 to 1964. He was promoted to
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
in December 1961 and to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in April 1965. Boomer saw combat action from 1966 to 1967 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 ...
as the commanding officer, Company H, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines. During this combat tour, 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 a ...
Medal for valor. Returning to the US, he attended the Amphibious Warfare School at Quantico. On completion, he was promoted to
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
in May 1968, and was transferred to
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 ...
, Washington, D.C., for duty as the administrative assistant and aide-de-camp to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs. Following this assignment, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
. In 1971, Boomer attended the Short Advisors Course at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
, in preparation for advisor duty with the South Vietnamese Marines. In August that year, he returned to Vietnam as an advisor to the 4th Vietnamese Marine Corps Battalion. While serving this tour of duty, he was involved in the defense of Firebase Sarge during the
Easter Offensive The Easter Offensive, also known as the 1972 spring–summer offensive (') by North Vietnam, or the Red Fiery Summer (') as romanticized in South Vietnamese literature, was a military campaign conducted by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN, t ...
, North Vietnam's largest assault on the South. Transferred back to the US in September 1972, he attended American University, receiving his M.S. degree in December 1973. The following month, he began a three-year tour as a management instructor at the
U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...
, Annapolis, Maryland. During the last year of his tour, he was the chairman of the Department of Management. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 1976. From July 1977 to June 1980, Boomer was stationed in Hawaii, where he was
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
, 3rd Marines, 1st Marine Brigade, and then commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Returning to the mainland US in July 1980, he attended the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
, Newport, Rhode Island, graduating with distinction in June 1981. He then assumed the duties as the deputy director of the Fourth Marine Corps District, Philadelphia. He was promoted to colonel on 1 November 1981 and became the director of the Fourth Marine Corps District on 17 June 1983. During February 1985, Boomer returned to Quantico to assume command of the
Marine Security Guard A Marine Security Guard (MSG), also known as a Marine Embassy Guard, is a member of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (formerly Marine Security Guard Battalion), a brigade-sized organization of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) whose de ...
Battalion. While serving in this capacity, he was selected in April 1986 for promotion to brigadier general. He was advanced to that grade on 2 June 1986 and assigned duty as the director of public affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, on 7 June 1986. He held this post until 27 May 1988, when he was assigned duty as the commanding general, 4th Marine Division (Reinforced), FMF, New Orleans. On 14 March 1989, he was advanced to major general and promoted to
lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...
on 8 August 1990. On 15 August 1990, Boomer was deployed to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
, where he was the commanding general, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and
I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It i ...
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- ...
. On 22 April 1991, he returned to
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 ...
and assumed the duties of commanding general,
I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It i ...
/commanding general, Marine Corps Base. He served in this capacity until 6 September 1991. Boomer reported to Quantico, Virginia, on 27 September 1991, where he assumed duty as the commanding general,
Marine Corps Combat Development Command The Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), located at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County, Virginia, is a major command of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which has the mission of supporting the development of ...
. He was promoted to general on 1 September 1992 and assumed his last duty assignment as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. Boomer retired from the Marine Corps 1 September 1994.


Awards and honors

Boomer's medals and decorations include:


Post-Marine Corps career

After retiring from the Marine Corps, General Boomer was executive vice president of
McDermott International McDermott International, Ltd provides engineering and construction services to the energy industry. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott has more than 30,000 employees, as well as a fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabri ...
(1994–1996). He joined Rogers Corporation – an international specialty materials manufacturing company — in 1997 as president and CEO. From 2002 to 2004, he was chairman of the board of Rogers Corporation. Boomer is currently on the board of directors of Rogers Corporation, Cytyc Corporation and
Baxter International Baxter International Inc. is an American multinational healthcare company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat chronic and acute medical conditions. The company had 2023 global net sal ...
.


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. ...
*
Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps * Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps * Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps * Commandant of th ...


References


External links

*
General Walter Boomer, USMC (retired)
FWA Consultants (biographical profile) : {{DEFAULTSORT:Boomer, Walter E. 1938 births Living people People from Rich Square, North Carolina American University alumni Duke University alumni Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit American recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) United States Marine Corps generals United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War Assistant Commandants of the United States Marine Corps Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal