David M. Shoup

David Monroe Shoup was born on December, 30 1904 in Battle Ground, Indiana.[1][2] His family lived on a farm in Ash Grove, but moved to Covington to live on a new farm in 1916.[3] At age 12 he was enrolled in Covington High School, a competitive high school with an advanced curriculum. Shoup was an excellent student, maintaining high marks in French, English, physics, and history. Additionally, he was involved in several extracurricular activities, including basketball, and was class president in his senior year. He graduated in 1921.[4] He later affectionately referred to his impoverished upbringing as that of an "Indiana plowboy."[5] Regarded by friends as very sociable, he met Zola De Haven in his first year and later said he had been instantly attracted to her. They were both very competitive in academics and athletics, and the two dated throughout high school; they were married in 1931.[4][6]

After high school, Shoup attended DePauw University, where he was one of 100 awarded the Edward Rector Scholarship, giving him full tuition. Majoring in mathematics, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity and maintained high marks, narrowly failing the selection criteria for Phi Beta Kappa Society.[2][7] He was on the track and field and rifle teams, and also competed in the wrestling and football teams. He won the Indiana and Kentucky Amateur Athletic Union marathon in 1925.[4] He waited tables, washed dishes and worked in a cement factory to help pay his expenses. Lack of funds compelled him to take a year off after his junior year to teach school, and his expenses were further strained when he contracted a severe case of pneumonia and incurred hospital bills. He opted to enroll in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) to offset his living expenses, and later recalled that this was the only reason he joined the military.[8] He graduated from DePauw in 1926.[4][5]

From an early age, Shoup was molded by the progressive ideas of Indiana politicians, sympathizing with rural progressives fighting against the interests of big businesses.[9] He developed an anti-imperialist attitude,[9] and his skepticism about American foreign policy, influenced by his small-town background, made him an outspoken opponent of the unnecessary use of military force.[10] He felt the use of troops for economic or imperialist consideration was wrong, a viewpoint he would carry for his entire career.[10]

While at a Scabbard and Blade honors society conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, Shoup heard a speech by Major General John A. Lejeune, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, offering commissions in the U.S. Marine Corps to interested officer candidates.[11][12] Shortly after being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve in May 1926, Shoup applied, and was offered a commission in the Marine Corps. In August 1926, he resigned his commission in the army and traveled from Camp Knox, Kentucky, to Chicago, Illinois, for physical exams.[13] On August, 25 1926, he arrived at the Marine Corps barracks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and commenced Marine Officers Basic School.[14] Shoup maintained that he had never previously considered a military career and had only chosen to become a military officer for the pay.[15] Throughout his service, he excelled in athletics and marksmanship, and during his early career he would coach recreational athletic teams in addition to his regular assignments. He quickly established himself as an assertive and demanding leader, impressing both his commanders and his subordinates. Despite his no-nonsense demeanor, those he commanded later recalled his ability to keep morale with his sense of humor.[16] He often sported a clenched cigar, which became something of a trademark during his front-line service.[17]

USS Maryland, on which Shoup served from 1929 to 1931

On April, 1 1927, Shoup and nine other officers were pulled from training to accompany a detachment of Marines sent to China to protect American interests during the instability of the Chinese Civil War.[14] Embarking from San Diego with the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines, Shoup's contingent was to play a primarily defensive role, and not engage in military action.[18] Still, he was personally opposed to the mission, feeling that Americans in China were exploiting its people. The contingent landed in Shanghai on 10 June aboard USS Chaumont. Initially, they conducted shore patrol around American sections of the city.[19] On July, 5 the battalion was moved to Tianjin to protect American interests there should Chinese Nationalist troops threaten them.[20] Shoup became seriously ill there, and remained hospitalized until it was announced U.S. troops would leave. He briefly returned to Shanghai to oversee foreign troop departures with the 4th Marines, before he departed from China on December, 7 1928.[21]

Following this assignment, Shoup returned to the United States and completed his training. He then spent short stints at Marine bases in Quantico, Virginia, Pensacola, Florida, and San Francisco, California. From June 1929 to September 1931 he served with the Marine Detachment aboard USS Maryland, where he coached the boxing and wrestling squads.[22] Following this duty he was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. In May 1932 he was ordered to Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, where he was promoted to first lieutenant one month later. He served on temporary duty with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho and New Jersey from June 1933 to May 1934, after which he returned to Bremerton.[23]

Shoup went back to China in November 1934, again serving briefly with the 4th Marines in Shanghai. He was soon reassigned as a legation guard in Beiping,[24] where he taught the post's pistol and rifle teams to shoot competitively. They won at least one major competition. He also had time to observe the troops of the Empire of Japan, gaining great respect for their discipline. In 1936, he came down with a serious case of pneumonia and had to be evacuated from China. His next duty was at Puget Sound Navy Yard. In October 1936, he was promoted to captain. In July 1937 he entered Junior Course, Marine Corps Schools in Quantico, which he completed in May 1938.[25] He then served as an instructor and Plans & Training officer with Reserve Officers Class at Quantico for two years. In June 1940 he joined the 6th Marines in San Diego, and was promoted to major in April 1941.[25]

Shoup (right), then commander of The Basic School, looks on as Lieutenant General Franklin A. Hart cuts the Marine Corps Birthday Cake in 1951.

Shoup (right) with Commandant Alexander A. Vandegrift during the presentation of Medal of Honor to daughter of Alexander Bonnyman, Jr., who was killed during the Battle of Tarawa, January 1947.

In August 1947, Shoup became commanding officer, Service Command, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. In June 1949, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton as its chief of staff. In July 1950, he was transferred to Quantico where he served as commanding officer of the Basic School.[23]

In April 1952, Shoup became Assistant Fiscal Director in the Office of the Fiscal Director, Headquarters Marine Corps. In this capacity, Shoup served under Major General William P. T. Hill, the Quartermaster General. Shoup was ordered by the Marine Corps Commandant General Lemuel C. Shepherd to establish a new fiscal office independent of Hill's authority. Shoup and Hill clashed frequently, but Shoup was nonetheless able to establish a new, independent Fiscal Division. He was promoted to brigadier general in April 1953, and in July he became Fiscal Director of the Marine Corps. He was involved in fiscal strategy hearings before the U.S. Congress, and established a programming system where officers researched and thought out programs before bringing them to Congress.[47] This idea met with resistance from Marine leaders who favored going to the Hill to figure out the details of programs. While serving in this capacity, he was promoted to major general in September 1955.[47]

Shoup began a brief assignment as inspector general for recruit training in May 1956 after being ordered to do so by Commandant Randolph M. Pate following the Ribbon Creek incident, which involved the accidental drowning of six recruits during a training march. As Marine leaders were investigating, they favored Shoup's recommendation of not covering up the incident. He supported an overhaul of recruit training for the Marine Corps in response.[48]

Following this, he served as Inspector General of the Marine Corps from September 1956 until May 1957. He returned to Camp Pendleton in June to become commanding general of the 1st Marine Division. He became commanding general of the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa in March 1958. Following his return to the United States in May 1959, he served as commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, until October 1959.[46] During this time, he also served as president of the 2nd Marine Division Association.[49]

Shoup (right) with the other Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1961

While still a major general, Shoup was unexpectedly nominated to become Commandant of the Marine Corps by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the behest of Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates, Jr.[48] To prepare for this duty he was promoted to lieutenant general on November 2, 1959, and briefly assigned duties as chief of staff, Headquarters Marine Corps.[1] He was elevated to general on January, 1 1960, upon assuming the post as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps. He would later serve under the administration of John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963, and the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1963.[48][50]

Budget strategy

Shoup (center) congratulates Marines William McMillan and James Enoch Hill, who had won medals in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

During the first year of Shoup's service as commandant, he served under the Eisenhower administration, in which military budget policy was dominated by the "New Look" policy, under which a strong nuclear deterrent was favored over conventional warfare forces. Eisenhower focused on containment without entangling the United States in proxy wars such as the Korean War. The result of this was spending cuts and force reductions within the Marine Corps.[48] The 1960 election of Kennedy ushered in a major change in military strategy with the adoption of the "Flexible Response" strategy, which saw a return to conventional military forces as a deterrent to nuclear war. Under the Kennedy administration there was increased civilian participation in defense policy-building, and the new secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, sought more inter-service cooperation.[51]

Shoup favored a more frugal approach to the military budget, feeling the military was too susceptible to influence from large corporations arguing for expensive and unnecessary programs.[54] As the Kennedy administration brought more emphasis on conventional warfare, Shoup sought to use increased funds to improve military logistics.[57] He is credited with formulating an entirely new system of financial management, supply, and inventory management. He also created a new Data Processing Division to centralize the data processing functions of several combat service support branches.[58]

Retiring from the military in December 1963, Shoup took a job at a life insurance company, but remained influential in the administration. Johnson considered taking Shoup as an adviser on a February 1964 trip to South Vietnam, but did not, either because he never made the invitation or because Shoup declined.[70] Johnson appointed Shoup to the National Advisory Commission on Selective Service in early 1966. It disbanded on January, 1 1967 after submitting a report.[71]

Shoup was unable to directly influence the Johnson administration, which expanded U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.[67] He became increasingly wary of what he felt was undue influence by the CIA and big businesses on foreign policy. In 1964 during the debate over the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Senator Wayne Morse wanted to call Shoup to testify against the measure, but was blocked by Senator J. William Fulbright.[72] On May, 14 1966, Shoup began publicly attacking the policy in a speech delivered to community college students at Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California, for their World Affairs Day.[73]

I believe that if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar-soaked fingers out of the business of these nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own—and if unfortunately their revolution must be of the violent type because the "haves" refuse to share with the "have-nots" by any peaceful method, at least what they get will be their own, and not the American style, which they don't want and above all don't want crammed down their throats by Americans.[67]

The forum was relatively small and initially received little publicity, but in February 1967 Shoup submitted the text of the speech to Senator Rupert Vance Hartke, who entered it into the Congressional Record. The speech grew in popularity, and Shoup did an interview for ABC News where he elaborated that, while he was not a pacifist, he felt the war was "not worth the life or limb of a single American."[71] He remained firmly opposed to the involvement in Vietnam for the rest of his life.[59]

Although other retired high-ranking officers, including Lieutenant General James Gavin and General Matthew Ridgway, joined Shoup in this, it was Shoup's pointed criticisms that regularly made the front pages of newspapers, because they went beyond the war to American government, business and military leadership. He feared the conflict had endangered the nation's historical identity, and argued increasing the troop levels in Vietnam would only aggravate the strategic problems there.[74] Historian Robert Buzzanco noted that Shoup may have been the most vocal former military member to oppose the war.[5]

Shoup argued that among the Vietnamese forces involved in the civil war there were nationalists opposed to foreign military intervention.[72] He opposed many of the strategies associated with troop escalation, notably the air campaign over North Vietnam, which he saw as an aggressive measure causing civilian casualties that could draw the People's Republic of China or the Soviet Union into the conflict. He also feared that other American interests, including the economy, were suffering due to U.S. involvement in the war and that the U.S. was losing prestige internationally.[75]

Shoup's opposition to the war only increased over time; he initially pushed for a negotiated settlement, but later supported a unilateral pullout from the country.[76] As the Vietnamization strategy took effect and the U.S. increased its air operations, he remained opposed to any strategy that risked a nuclear war with China or the Soviet Union. His criticism attracted more press as the war became a stalemate.[77] It also became highly publicized through discourse among the anti-war movement.[78]

In 1968, in testimony before Congress, Shoup made many of the same points as he had in his 1966 speech, saying he felt opposition to the war had likely increased since then.[79] In April 1969, along with retired Colonel James Donovan, he broadened his criticism to national security policy. In an article published in Atlantic Monthly, he accused America of becoming militaristic and aggressive, a country that was ready to "execute military contingency plans and to seek military solutions to problems of political disorder and potential Communist threats in areas of our interest."[67] He said that anticommunism had given way to a new, aggressive defense establishment in the United States.[1]

In a book titled Militarism U.S.A. (1970), Shoup and Donovan elaborated their criticisms.[80] Shoup said the country was seeking military solutions to issues that could be resolved politically. He accused military leaders of propagating the war for their own career advancement, and accused the veterans group Veterans of Foreign Wars of propagandizing for the armed forces establishment. Shoup blamed the American education system for what he saw as discouraging independent thought and stressing obedience.[77]

Shoup joined the Business Executives Move for Vietnam Peace.[78] By 1971, Shoup publicly endorsed the anti-war veteran group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.[1] As Vietnamization had reduced the visibility of the anti-war movement, and Shoup's criticism was not as prominent in the public arena. Fulbright and other senators urged the White House to listen to his criticisms, but Shoup's broader critique of American society and militarism was seen as more extreme than other officers who had simply criticized the strategy of the war.[81]

Shoup's opposition to the war garnered resentment from many of the other officers in the Marine Corps, and was met with criticism that he was becoming mentally unfit or was treasonous in his actions. He was sharply criticized by journalist and former Marine Robert Heinl in several articles of the Detroit News where Heinl said Shoup was "going sour." General Rathvon M. Tompkins, one of Shoup's close friends, stopped speaking to him for several years.[67] By December 1967, he had lost favor with the Johnson administration, his activities were monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and his patriotism was called into question in the media.[82]

After 1971, Shoup's speaking and writing diminished, and he faded from the public eye after the U.S. military withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973. After the war, he stayed out of the public spotlight.[76] He suffered from illness late in life, and he died on 13 January 1983 in Alexandria, Virginia.[83][32] He was buried in section 7-A of Arlington National Cemetery.[23] One of Shoup's service dress uniforms is on display at the armory of the Artillery Company of Newport in Newport, Rhode Island.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86) was named for Shoup in 1999. Additionally, he received the following decorations:[23]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, and Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943.
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to COLONEL DAVID M. SHOUP
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops in action against enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Although severely shocked by an exploding enemy shell soon after landing at the pier and suffering from a serious, painful leg wound which had become infected, Col. Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific and relentless artillery, machine gun, and rifle fire from hostile shore emplacements. Rallying his hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism, he gallantly led them across the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforce our hard-pressed, thinly held lines. Upon arrival on shore, he assumed command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant, withering enemy fire during the next 2 days, conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions despite innumerable obstacles and heavy casualties. By his brilliant leadership, daring tactics, and selfless devotion to duty, Col. Shoup was largely responsible for the final decisive defeat of the enemy, and his indomitable fighting spirit reflects great credit upon the U.S. Naval Service.[84]

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David M. Shoup.

• "Col David M. Shoup, Medal of Honor, 1943, Commanding Officer, Betio Island, Tarawa (Medal of Honor citation)". Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on February 20, 2007.
• "General David Monroe Shoup". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. United States Marine Corps History Division. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012.