Major General John Archer Lejeune, A Marine's Story
Major General John Archer Lejeune, A Marine's Story
Major General John Archer Lejeune was born on January 10, 1867, in Pointe Coupee, Louisiana. Raised in the post–Civil War South, he pursued higher education at Louisiana State University before earning an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He graduated in 1888 and, after completing the required two-year sea cruise, was commissioned in July 1890.
His early Marine Corps career placed him at barracks in Norfolk and New York before sea assignments carried him into the expanding global reach of the United States at the turn of the century. During the Spanish-American War, he served aboard the USS Cincinnati, gaining operational experience in a conflict that marked America’s emergence as a naval power.
In 1899, he assumed command of the Marine Guard aboard the USS Massachusetts and subsequently rotated through recruiting and barracks assignments, including service in Pensacola, Norfolk, Washington, D.C., and aboard the USS Panther and USS Dixie. His steady advancement reflected both professional competence and the growing institutional confidence placed in him.
Lejeune’s assignments carried him to Panama, where he commanded a Marine battalion, and later to the Philippines, where he oversaw barracks, prison, and yard operations. In 1914, he was present during the Occupation of Veracruz in Mexico, one of several expeditionary operations that defined pre–World War I Marine service.
When the United States entered World War I, Lejeune was initially assigned to Quantico, Virginia, but was soon ordered to France. There, he assumed command of the 4th Brigade of Marines, part of the Army’s 2nd Division. In July 1918, he became the first Marine officer to command a U.S. Army division in combat when he took command of the 2nd Division.
Under his leadership, the division distinguished itself in major engagements, including the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He later led his division into Germany as part of the occupation force after the Armistice, cementing his place among the most respected American commanders of the war.
On July 1, 1920, Lejeune was appointed the 13th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. During his tenure, which lasted until 1929, he transformed the Marine Corps into a more professional and educationally grounded institution. He emphasized formal military education, established traditions that strengthened esprit de corps, and authored Marine Corps Order No. 47, formally institutionalizing the annual celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday on November 10.
It was Lejeune who famously reminded Marines, “We are all members of the same great family.” His leadership philosophy centered not only on discipline and tactical excellence, but on loyalty, cohesion, and shared identity.
After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1929, he served as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute until 1937, continuing his lifelong commitment to military education and leadership development.
Major General John Archer Lejeune died on November 20, 1942, during World War II. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In recognition of his lasting influence, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina bears his name, a testament to the institutional legacy he helped forge.
His life bridged expeditionary warfare, global conflict, and the professionalization of the modern Marine Corps. Few officers have shaped their service so enduringly.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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