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Marine Corps four-star general

This is a complete list of four-star generals in the United States Marine Corps. The rank of general (or full general, or four-star general) is the highest rank in the Marine Corps. It ranks above lieutenant general (three-star general).

There have been 69 four-star generals in the history of the United States Marine Corps. Of these, 51 achieved that rank while on active duty, 17 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations ("tombstone promotions", 1942-1959), and one was promoted posthumously. Generals entered the Marine Corps via several paths: 29 via Officer Candidates School (OCS), 22 via Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at a civilian university, 10 via the United States Naval Academy (USNA), 3 via Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university, and 5 via ROTC at a senior military college.

List of generals[edit]

Entries in the following list of four-star generals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty. Each entry lists the general's name, date of rank,^[1] active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank,^[2] number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs),^[3] year commissioned and source of commission,^[4] number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC),^[5] and other biographical notes.^[6]

The list is sortable by last name, date of rank, number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank, year commissioned, and number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank.

#	Name	Photo	Date of rank[1]	Position	Yrs[3]	Commission[4]	YC[5]	Notes
1	Alexander A. Vandegrift		21 Mar 1945	Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1944–1947.	2	1909 (OCS)	36	(1887–1973) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1942.
*	Roy S. Geiger		23 Jan 1947	(posthumous)	0	1909 (OCS)	38	(1885–1947) [7]
2	Clifton B. Cates		01 Jan 1948	Commandant, 1948–1951.	4	1917 (OCS)	31	(1893–1970) [8]
3	Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr.		01 Jan 1952	Commandant, 1952–1955. Chairman, Inter-American Defense Board, 1956–1959.	7	1917 (VMI)	35	(1896–1990) [9]
4	Randolph M. Pate		01 Jan 1956	Commandant, 1956–1959.	4	1921 (VMI)	35	(1898–1961)
5	David M. Shoup		01 Jan 1960	Commandant, 1960–1963.	4	1926 (ROTC)	34	(1904–1983) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1943.
6	Wallace M. Greene Jr.		01 Jan 1964	Commandant, 1964–1967.	4	1930 (USNA)	34	(1907–2003)
7	Leonard F. Chapman, Jr.		01 Jan 1968	Commandant, 1968–1971.	4	1935 (NROTC)	33	(1913–2000) U.S. Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, 1973–1977.
8	Lewis W. Walt		02 Jun 1969	Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1968–1971.	2	1936 (ROTC)	33	(1913–1989)
9	Raymond G. Davis		12 Mar 1971	Assistant Commandant, 1971–1972.	1	1938 (ROTC)	33	(1915–2003) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1950.
10	Keith B. McCutcheon		01 Jul 1971	Assistant Commandant, 1971.	0	1937 (ROTC)	34	(1915–1971) [10]
11	Robert E. Cushman Jr.		01 Jan 1972	Commandant, 1972–1975.	4	1935 (USNA)	37	(1914–1985) Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, 1969–1971.
12	Earl E. Anderson		31 Mar 1972	Assistant Commandant, 1972–1975.	3	1940 (NROTC)	32	(1919–2015)
13	Louis H. Wilson Jr.		01 Jul 1975	Commandant, 1975–1979.	4	1941 (OCS)	34	(1920–2005) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1944.
14	Samuel Jaskilka		04 Mar 1976	Assistant Commandant, 1975–1978.	3	1942 (OCS)	34	(1919–2012)
15	Robert H. Barrow		01 Jul 1978	Assistant Commandant, 1978–1979. Commandant, 1979–1983.	5	1942 (OCS)	36	(1922–2008)
16	Kenneth McLennan		02 Jul 1979	Assistant Commandant & Chief of Staff, 1979–1981.	3	1945 (OCS)	34	(1925–2005)
17	Paul X. Kelley		01 Jul 1981	Assistant Commandant & Chief of Staff, 1981–1983. Commandant, 1983–1987.	6	1950 (NROTC)	31	(1928–       )
18	John K. Davis		01 Jul 1983	Assistant Commandant, 1983–1986.	3	1950 (NROTC)	33	(1927–       )
19	George B. Crist		22 Nov 1985	Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, 1985–1988.	3	1952 (NROTC)	33	(1931–       )
20	Thomas R. Morgan		01 Jun 1986	Assistant Commandant, 1986–1988.	2	1952 (NROTC)	34	(1930–       )
21	Alfred M. Gray Jr.		01 Jul 1987	Commandant, 1987–1991.	4	1952 (OCS)	35	(1928–       )
22	Joseph J. Went		01 Jul 1988	Assistant Commandant & Chief of Staff, 1988–1990.	2	1952 (NROTC)	36	(1930–       )
23	John R. Dailey		01 Aug 1990	Assistant Commandant & Chief of Staff, 1990–1992.	3	1956 (NROTC)	34	(1934–       ) Associate Deputy Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1992–1999; Director, National Air and Space Museum, 2000–present.
24	Carl E. Mundy, Jr.		01 Jul 1991	Commandant, 1991–1995.	4	1957 (NROTC)	34	(1935–2014) President, United Service Organizations, 1996–2000.
25	Joseph P. Hoar		01 Sep 1991	Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, 1991–1994.	3	1957 (NROTC)	34	(1934–       )
26	Walter E. Boomer		01 Sep 1992	Assistant Commandant, 1992–1994.	2	1960 (NROTC)	32	(1938–       )
27	Richard D. Hearney		15 Jul 1994	Assistant Commandant, 1994–1996.	2	1962 (OCS)	32	(1939–       )
28	John J. Sheehan		1994	Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic & Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command, 1994–1997.	3	1962 (NROTC)	32	(1940–       )
29	Charles C. Krulak		29 Jun 1995	Commandant, 1995–1999.	4	1964 (USNA)	31	(1942–       )
30	Richard I. Neal		19 Sep 1996	Assistant Commandant, 1996–1998.	2	1965 (NROTC)	31	(1942–       )
31	Anthony C. Zinni		08 Aug 1997	Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, 1997–2000.	3	1965 (NROTC)	32	(1943–       ) U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, 2002–2003.
32	Charles E. Wilhelm		25 Sep 1997	Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command, 1997–2000.	3	1964 (NROTC)	33	(1941–       )
33	Terrence R. Dake		05 Sep 1998	Assistant Commandant, 1998–2000.	2	1966 (OCS)	32	(1944–       )
34	James L. Jones		30 Jun 1999	Commandant, 1999–2003. Supreme Allied Commander Europe & Commander, U.S. European Command, 2003–2006.	7	1967 (NROTC)	32	(1943–       ) National Security Advisor, 2009–2010.
35	Peter Pace		08 Sep 2000	Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command, 2000–2001. Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2001–2005. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2005–2007.	7	1967 (USNA)	33	(1945–       ) Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2008.
36	Carlton W. Fulford, Jr.		01 Oct 2000	Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command, 2000–2002.	2	1966 (USNA)	34	(1944–       )
37	Michael J. Williams		01 Nov 2000	Assistant Commandant, 2000–2002.	2	1967 (USNA)	33	(1943–       )
38	William L. Nyland		04 Sep 2002	Assistant Commandant, 2002–2005.	3	1968 (NROTC)	34	(1946–       )
39	Michael W. Hagee		14 Jan 2003	Commandant, 2003–2006.	3	1968 (USNA)	35	(1944–       )
40	James E. Cartwright		01 Sep 2004	Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, 2004–2007. Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2007–2011.	7	1971 (NROTC)	33	(1949–       )
41	Robert Magnus		01 Nov 2005	Assistant Commandant, 2005–2008.	3	1969 (NROTC)	36	(1947–       )
42	James T. Conway		13 Nov 2006	Commandant, 2006–2010.	4	1970 (OCS)	36	(1947–       )
43	James N. Mattis		09 Nov 2007	Supreme Allied Commander Transformation & Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, 2007–2009. Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, 2009–2010. Commander, U.S. Central Command, 2010–2013.	6	1972 (ROTC)	35	(1950–       ) U.S. Secretary of Defense, 2017–present.
44	James F. Amos		02 Jul 2008	Assistant Commandant, 2008–2010. Commandant, 2010–2014.	6	1970 (NROTC)	38	(1946–       ) First naval aviator to become commandant.
45	Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.		23 Oct 2010	Assistant Commandant, 2010–2013. Commander, International Security Assistance Force & Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan, 2013–2014. Commandant, 2014–2015. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2015–present.	8	1977 (OCS)	33	(1955–       )
46	John R. Allen		18 Jul 2011	Commander, International Security Assistance Force & Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan, 2011–2013.	2	1976 (USNA)	35	(1953–       )
47	John F. Kelly		19 Nov 2012	Commander, U.S. Southern Command, 2012–2016.	3	1976 (OCS)	36	(1950–       ) U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, 2017; White House Chief of Staff, 2017–present.
48	John M. Paxton, Jr.		15 Dec 2012	Assistant Commandant, 2012–2016.	4	1974 (OCS)	38	(1951–       )
49	Robert B. Neller		24 Sep 2015	Commandant, 2015–present.	3	1975 (OCS)	40	(1953–       )
50	Thomas D. Waldhauser		18 Jul 2016	Commander, U.S. Africa Command, 2016–present.	2	1976 (OCS)	40	(1953–       )
51	Glenn M. Walters		02 Aug 2016	Assistant Commandant, 2016–present.	2	1979 (Citadel)	37	(1957–       )

Tombstone generals[edit]

The Act of Congress of March 4, 1925, allowed officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to be promoted one grade upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. Combat citation promotions were colloquially known as "tombstone promotions" because they conferred all the perks and prestige of the higher rank including the loftier title on their tombstones but no additional retirement pay. The Act of Congress of February 23, 1942, enabled tombstone promotions to three- and four-star grades. Tombstone promotions were subsequently restricted to citations issued before January 1, 1947, and finally eliminated altogether effective November 1, 1959. The practice was terminated in an effort to encourage senior officer retirements prior to the effective date of the change to relieve an overstrength in the senior ranks.

Any general who actually served in a grade while on active duty receives precedence on the retirement list over any tombstone general holding the same retired grade. Tombstone generals rank among each other according to the dates of their highest active duty grade.

The following list of tombstone generals is sortable by last name, date of rank as lieutenant general, date retired, and year commissioned.

	Name	Photo	Date of rank (LGEN)	Date retired	Commission [4]	Notes
1	Thomas Holcomb		20 Jan 1942	Jan 1944	1900 (OCS)	(1879–1965) U.S. Minister to South Africa, 1944–1948.
2	Holland M. Smith		28 Feb 1944	May 1946	1905 (OCS)	(1882–1967)
3	Harry Schmidt		01 Mar 1946	Jul 1948	1909 (OCS)	(1886–1968)
4	Allen H. Turnage		04 Oct 1946	Jan 1948	1913 (OCS)	(1891–1971)
5	LeRoy P. Hunt		01 Jul 1949	Jul 1951	1917 (OCS)	(1892–1968)
6	Franklin A. Hart		22 Feb 1951	Aug 1952	1917 (OCS)	(1894–1967)
7	Graves B. Erskine		02 Jul 1951	Jul 1953	1917 (OCS)	(1897–1973) Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, 1953–1961.
8	Gerald C. Thomas		08 Mar 1952	Jan 1956	1917 (OCS)	(1894–1984)
9	Oliver P. Smith		23 Jul 1953	Sep 1955	1917 (OCS)	(1893–1977)
10	William O. Brice		28 Aug 1953	1956	1921 (Citadel)	(1898–1972)
11	Christian F. Schilt		01 Aug 1955	Apr 1957	1919 (OCS)	(1895–1987) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1928.
12	Alfred H. Noble		01 Aug 1955	Nov 1956	1917 (OCS)	(1894–1983)
13	Vernon E. Megee		01 Jan 1956	Nov 1959	1922 (OCS)	(1900–1992)
14	Edwin A. Pollock		01 Jan 1956	Nov 1959	1921 (Citadel)	(1899–1982)
15	Merrill B. Twining		12 Sep 1956	Oct 1959	1923 (USNA)	(1902–1996) Brother of Air Force General Nathan F. Twining.
16	Ray A. Robinson		01 Nov 1956	Nov 1957	1917 (OCS)	(1896–1976)
17	Robert E. Hogaboom		01 Dec 1957	Oct 1959	1925 (USNA)	(1902–1993)

Timeline[edit]

By the Act of March 21, 1945, Congress permitted the President to appoint the Commandant of the Marine Corps to the grade of general. Alexander Vandegrift, then Commandant, was promoted from lieutenant general to general on April 4, 1945, to rank from March 21 of that year. He thus became the first Marine to serve in the grade of general. The Office of the Commandant was permanently fixed at the grade of four-star general under authority of the Act of August 7, 1947. All Commandants since that date have been entitled by law to serve in the grade of general and, in accordance with the provisions of 10 U.S.C. § 5201, to retire in that grade.

In April 1969, the Senate passed and sent a bill to the White House that makes the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps a four-star general when the active duty strength of the Marine Corps exceeds 200,000. On May 5, 1969, President Richard Nixon signed the bill, and Lieutenant General Lewis William Walt was promoted to that rank on June 2, 1969, thus becoming the first Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps to attain four-star rank. Legislation allowing the Assistant Commandant to wear the four-star insignia regardless of the strength of the Marine Corps was approved by President Gerald Ford on March 4, 1976.

On November 22, 1985, General George B. Crist was promoted to four-star rank and on November 27, he assumed the position of Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. His appointment marked the first time a Marine headed a unified command and the first time the Corps had three four-star generals on active duty at the same time. Since 1985, a number of Marines have served in joint positions holding four-star rank, and it is no longer uncommon for the Corps to have four or five four-star generals on active duty at the same time.

In 2005, General Peter Pace became the first Marine to be appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief military advisor to the President of the United States and most senior appointment in the United States armed forces. Previously, in 2001, General Pace was the first Marine officer to be appointed as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS).

The standard tour length for the commandant (CMC) is four years; two years for the assistant commandant (ACMC); for a combatant commander, three years; and a total of four years served in consecutive two-year terms for the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS/VCJCS).