Shepherd, Lemuel Cornick Jr. (1896-1990)

National Archives #80-G-422491. Cropped by author.

Lemuel Shepherd was born in Virginia and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1917, accepting a commission into the Marine Corps. During the First World War, he participated in the battles of Belleau Woods, Aisne-Marne, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne, where he was wounded three times and received three American decorations. He subsequently served as an aide to legendary Marine Corps commandant John Lejeune, on battleships, and with 4 Marine Regiment in China. He rose steadily through the ranks and graduated from the Navy War College in 1937. By the time war broke out in the Pacific, he was regarded as one of the foremost tacticians of the Corps, and during the war he earned a reputation for leading from the front.

Sheperd was in a training assignment when war broke out. In March 1942 he became commander of 9 Marine Regiment and in January 1943 he became assistant commander of 1 Marine Division on Guadalcanal. He was promoted to brigadier general in July. He participated in the Cape Gloucester landings and commanded 1 Provisional Marine Brigade from April 1944, leading that unit at Guam. Promoted to major general in September, he took command of 6 Marine Division and led it at Okinawa.

Postwar Sheperd served as assistant commandant of the Corps before becoming commander of Fleet Marine Force and observing the Inchon landings during the Korean War. He subsequently became commandant of the Corps and retired in January 1956. He resumed active duty briefly in 1956-1957 to chair an advisory board before retiring permanently.

Service record

References

Arlington Nationa; Cemetary Website (accessed 2008-6-30)

Dupuy et al. (1992)

Hoffman (2001)

Naval Historical Center (accessed 2008-6-30)

Rottman (2002)

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2008, 2011-2012 by Kent G. Budge.  Index

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