Geiger, Roy
Publié le 22/02/2012
Extrait du document
Geiger, Roy (1885–1947) U.S. Marine Corps
general
A native of Middleburg, Florida, Geiger graduated
from John B. Stetson University in 1907 and practiced
law for less than a year before enlisting in the
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) in November 1907. In
less than two years, he was commissioned a 2nd
lieutenant, then was promoted to 1st lieutenant in
1915 after having served at sea and in the Caribbean,
the Philippines, and China. In 1917, Geiger
was promoted to captain and became the fifth
USMC officer to complete aviator training. After
the United States entered World War I, Geiger, now
a major, commanded a squadron of the 1st Marine
Aviation Force in France.
After World War I, Geiger served in Haiti as
commanding officer of the 1st Aviation Group, 3rd
Marine Brigade, from 1919 to 1921. He was transferred
to Quantico, Virginia, in 1921 and graduated
from the army's Command and General Staff
School in 1925. In 1929, he graduated from the
Army War College. From 1929 to 1931, he commanded
Aircraft Squadrons, East Coast Expeditionary
Force, stationed at Quantico, then was
made officer in charge of aviation at Marine Corps
headquarters in Washington, D.C., serving there
from 1931 to 1935.
Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1934, Geiger
commanded Marine Air Group One, 1st Marine
Brigade, from 1935 to 1939, when he was sent to
the Navy War College. Following graduation in
1941, he was promoted to brigadier general and
given command of the 1st Marine Air Wing, Fleet
Marine Force, in September. After the Battle of
Pearl Harbor and U.S. entry into World War II,
Geiger assumed command of the air wing on Guadalcanal
as soon as the island was captured from
the Japanese (September 1942–February 1943).
Promoted to major general, Geiger returned to
Washington as director of the marine Division of
Aviation. He served in this post from May to
November 1943, when he succeeded Gen. Alexander
Vandegrift as commander of I Amphibious
Corps (later redesignated III Amphibious Corps).
He led this corps in the retaking of Guam, in the
Mariana Islands Campaign, from July 21 to
August 10, 1944, then commanded at the Battle
of Peleliu from September 15 to November 25.
Geiger next took part in the Okinawa Campaign
(April 1–June 18, 1945), beginning with the landing.
Geiger's corps was attached to the Tenth U.S.
Army, commanded by General Simon B. Buckner.
After Buckner was killed in battle, Geiger assumed
command of the Tenth Army until the arrival of
General Joseph A. Stilwell on June 23. Geiger's
brief tenure was the only occasion on which a
USMC officer commanded a U.S. field army.
In July 1945, Geiger was named to command
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. His next command
came after the war, in November 1946, when he
was assigned to a post in Washington. Geiger fell ill
a few months after his arrival in Washington, however,
and died the next year. A grateful Congress
posthumously awarded him the honorary rank of
general in July 1947.
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