HRES 79 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 79
Honoring the life, service, and accomplishments of Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, United States Marine Corps.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2009
Mr. ISSA submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life, service, and accomplishments of Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, United States Marine Corps.
Whereas Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, United States Marine Corps, was born in Denver, Colorado, on January 7, 1913, and passed away on December 29, 2008;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak was commissioned a Marine Second-Lieutenant upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy on May 31, 1934;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak’s Marine Corps service included--
(1) sea duty aboard the battleship USS Arizona;
(2) an assignment at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland;
(3) duty with the 6th Marines in San Diego and the 4th Marines in China from 1937 to 1939;
(4) completion of the Junior School in Quantico, Virginia; and
(5) an assignment with the 1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, later called the 1st Marine Division;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak was a Captain serving as aide to the Commanding General, General Holland M. Smith, of the Amphibious Corps, Atlantic Fleet, at the outbreak of World War II, and after volunteering and completing parachute training was ordered to the Pacific area as Commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, 1st Marine Amphibious Corps, and went into action at Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, with the 2nd New Zealand Brigade;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak, as a Lieutenant Colonel in the fall of 1943, earned the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart Medal on Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands, where his battalion staged a week-long diversionary raid to disguise the invasion of Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak later joined the newly formed 6th Marine Division and took part in the Okinawa campaign and the surrender of Japanese forces in the China area, earning the Legion of Merit with Combat ‘V’ for combat service, and the Bronze Star Medal;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak served as Assistant Director of the Senior School in Quantico, Virginia, and later as Regimental Commander of the 5th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak was serving as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, when the Korean Conflict erupted, and subsequently served in Korea as Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Division, earning a second Legion of Merit with Combat ‘V’ for combat service and the Air Medal;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak served at Headquarters Marine Corps as Secretary of the General Staff, then rejoined Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, as Chief of Staff from 1951 to 1955, and in July 1956 he was promoted to Brigadier General and designated Assistant Commander, 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak served as Director, Marine Corps Educational Center, in Quantico, Virginia, from 1957 to 1959, and was promoted to Major General in November 1959 and the following month assumed command of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak was presented a third Legion of Merit by General Maxwell D. Taylor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for exceptionally meritorious service from 1962 to 1964 as Special Assistant for Counter Insurgency Activities, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak was designated on March 1, 1964, as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and promoted to Lieutenant General, and for the next four years was responsible for all Fleet Marine Force units in the Pacific, including some 54 trips to the Vietnam theater;
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak retired on June 1, 1968, receiving a Distinguished Service Medal for his performance as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; and
Whereas Lieutenant General Krulak has had a tremendous positive impact on the United States Marine Corps: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives, on the occassion of the death of Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak--
(1) honors Lieutenant General Krulak for his exemplary service as a Marine officer and for displaying the highest levels of leadership, professional competence, integrity, and moral courage throughout his distinguished military service of over 34 years;
(2) commends Lieutenant General Krulak for his dedication and commitment to excellence as an infantry officer and leader of Marines; and
(3) recognizes the tremendous dedication and fortitude with which Lieutenant General Krulak led an exemplary career in public service, having been awarded numerous citations and medals, including three Legions of Merit, a Bronze Star, and a Meritorious Service Medal.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.Res.79 as Introduced in House Honoring the life, service, and accomplishments of Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak,...
