Samuel B. Griffith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Samuel B. Griffith | |
|---|---|
| May 31, 1906 - March 27, 1983 | |
 Samuel B. Griffith |
|
| Place of birth | Lewiston, Pennsylvania |
| Place of death | Newport, Rhode Island |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | USMC |
| Years of service | 1929 – 1956 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands | 1st Raider Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment U.S. Marine Forces, Tsingtao |
| Battles/wars | Banana Wars * Occupation of Nicaragua World War II * Guadalcanal campaign * Battle of New Georgia |
| Awards | Navy Cross Distinguished Service Cross Purple Heart |
Brigidier General Samuel B. Griffith (May 31, 1906 - March 27, 1983), was an officer and commander in the United States Marine Corps. Griffith entered the Marines in 1929 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy. He served in and commanded Marine units in the Pacific theater of World War II and retired from service in 1956. After retirement, Griffith authored several books and numerous articles on military history and lectured widely. He died on March 27, 1983 in Rhode Island.
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[edit] Early life through World War II
General Griffith was born 31 May 1906, in Lewiston, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1929, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Prior to World War II, he took part in the Second Nicaraguan Campaign, and served in China, Cuba, and England. During his first tour of duty in China, he was a language officer at the American Embassy in Peiping. During World War II, following a period observing British commando training in England and Scotland, he returned to the 1st Marine Division and served as executive officer and later commander of the 1st Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal, and executive officer of the 1st Raider Regiment in operations on New Georgia. He earned the Navy Cross on Guadalcanal in September 1942 for “extreme heroism and courageous devotion to duty” during the fighting near the Matanikau River. During this action, General Griffith suffered wounds for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. For his exploits in July in New Georgia, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross.[1]
[edit] Post-war career
After participating in the post-World War II occupation of North China, where he commanded the 3d Marines and later the U.S. Marine Forces in Tsingtao, he was a student and then a faculty member at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport from 1947 to 1950. From 1951 to 1952, he was Chief of Staff, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and from 1953 to 1956, General Griffith was on the staff of the U.S. Commander in Chief, Europe. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1956, after completing more than 25 years of active service.[2]
[edit] Post-retirement career
Following his retirement, General Griffith entered Oxford University (New College) and was awarded his D.Phil. in Chinese Military History in 1961. With an interest in China and the Chinese language dating back to pre-World War II days, he translated Sun Tzu’s The Art of War in 1963 and Mao Tse-tung’s On Guerrilla War in 1978. He also wrote the definitive The Battle for Guadalcanal, The Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and his last major work was In Defense of the Public Liberty, a book concerned with the Revolutionary War. He was a Research Fellow, China Study, at the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Institute for Defense Studies in London. General Griffith published widely in such journals as New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Town and Country, Marine Corps Gazette, and Foreign Affairs. He has also lectured widely at such establishments as the Armed Forces Staff College, United States Military Academy, Foreign Policy Association, Marine Corps Schools, among other places. General Griffith was a life member of the 1st Marine Raider Association and the 1st Marine Division Association. He died "unexpectedly" on March 27, 1983 in Newport, Rhode Island.[3]
[edit] Works
- (1963) The Battle for Guadalcanal. Champaign, Illinois, USA: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06891-2.
- (1974) History of the Second Wold War. Hicksville, NY, USA: BPC Publishing.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Books
- Alexander, Joseph H. (2000). Edson's Raiders: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-020-7.
- Frank, Richard (1990). Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58875-4.
- Smith, Michael T. (2000). Bloody Ridge: The Battle That Saved Guadalcanal. New York: Pocket. ISBN 0-7434-6321-8.
[edit] Web
- History Division. BRIGADIER GENERAL SAMUEL BLAIR GRIFFITH II, USMC (DECEASED). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on March 19, 2006.
- Hoffman, Jon T. (1995). FROM MAKIN TO BOUGAINVILLE: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War (brochure). Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Marine Corps Historical Center. Retrieved on March 19, 2006.
- Hough, Frank O.; Ludwig, Verle E., and Shaw, Henry I., Jr.. Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II. Retrieved on May 16, 2006.
- Shaw, Henry I. (1992). First Offensive: The Marine Campaign For Guadalcanal. Marines in World War II Commemorative Series. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
- Zimmerman, John L. (1949). The Guadalcanal Campaign. Marines in World War II Historical Monograph. Retrieved on July 4, 2006.
