General david monroe shoup
Biography:
General David Shoup was born on December 30, 1904 and received his commission in the Marine Corps in 1926. After serving with a detachment of Marines sent to protect American interests during the Chinese Civil War, Shoup was sent to Iceland in May, 1941. The Marine's goal was to support and occupation in the country and prevent Nazi forces from threatening it. In 1943, he served on the staff of Major General Julian Smith where he helped plan and take part in the invasion of the Japanese controlled Tarawa Atoll. Near the beginning of the invasion, Shoup was hit and wounded by shrapnel, but continued to lead and rally his Marines. For his bravery, Shoup was awarded both the American Medal of Honor and the British Distinguished Service Order. After the war, Shoup became the Commandant of the Marine Corps during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations. His connection and friendship to President Kennedy in particular was later noted in the book Kennedy's General. Shoup retired from the Marine Corps in 1963, but soon after became one of the early opponents of the Vietnam War stating that, "if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar-soaked fingers out of the business of these nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own."
Item/s in Our Collection:
-Class "A" Uniform
Click on an image to enlarge it.
General David Shoup was born on December 30, 1904 and received his commission in the Marine Corps in 1926. After serving with a detachment of Marines sent to protect American interests during the Chinese Civil War, Shoup was sent to Iceland in May, 1941. The Marine's goal was to support and occupation in the country and prevent Nazi forces from threatening it. In 1943, he served on the staff of Major General Julian Smith where he helped plan and take part in the invasion of the Japanese controlled Tarawa Atoll. Near the beginning of the invasion, Shoup was hit and wounded by shrapnel, but continued to lead and rally his Marines. For his bravery, Shoup was awarded both the American Medal of Honor and the British Distinguished Service Order. After the war, Shoup became the Commandant of the Marine Corps during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations. His connection and friendship to President Kennedy in particular was later noted in the book Kennedy's General. Shoup retired from the Marine Corps in 1963, but soon after became one of the early opponents of the Vietnam War stating that, "if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar-soaked fingers out of the business of these nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own."
Item/s in Our Collection:
-Class "A" Uniform
Click on an image to enlarge it.
