Frederick J. Karch
Frederick Joseph Karch | |
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Army Commendation Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal National Defense Service Medal |
Brigadier General Frederick Joseph Karch (August 9, 1917 – May 23, 2009) was United States Marine Corps officer who served during World War II and the Vietnam War, particularly notable in the latter for leading the Marine Corps onto Nam O Beach at the beginning of large-scale US involvement in Vietnam.
Biography
Early life
Karch was born in
Enlistment and World War II
After one year at the University of Illinois, where he was a member of
In 1941, while Karch was stationed in Iceland, America was brought into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, Karch rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel in a series of promotions in March 1942, May 1942, May 1943 and May 1945.[1]
In July 1942, Karch joined the
Inter-war period
From January 1946 until July 1947, the now Lieutenant Colonel Karch was the chairman of the Board of Review, Discharges and Dismissals in the Navy Department in Washington, D.C.[1] He then became an artillery instructor at Quantico's Marine Corps Schools until September 1949, where he became a member of the directing staff at the Canadian Army Staff College.[1]
Transferred to the
In March 1955, he was sent to Tokyo under the Far East Command as the chief of Intelligence Plans Section, where he was promoted to colonel and awarded the Army Commendation Medal.
Karch then completed the Senior Course at the Quantico Marine Corps Schools in June 1958, whereupon he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division as regimental commander of the 10th Marines as well as the assistant chief of staff until July 1961.
Karch graduated from the Army War College in June of the following year and was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as executive officer and assistant deputy chief of staff. In 1963, he received a master's degree from George Washington University, and in 1964 he was promoted to brigadier general.[1]
Vietnam
Karch was then sent to
The landing took place on 8 March 1965 on the coastline around the port of Da Nang in South Vietnam. In the few days preceding the landing, Karch commented that the weather was the worst that he had experienced. When inhabitants of the friendly beach greeted the arriving Marines and photographs were taken, Karch was never seen to smile. When this was queried, he replied "... if I had to do it over, that picture would have been the same. When you have a son in Vietnam and he gets killed, you don't want a smiling general with flowers around his neck as leader at that point."[3]
December 1965 saw Karch report back to the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, as director, Command and Staff College until June 1967, when he retired from active duty. For his final role at Quantico, he was awarded his third Legion of Merit.[1]
Awards and decorations
Among Karch's military decorations are the following:
    
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valor device
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Bronze Star w/ valor device | Army Commendation Medal | |||||||||
| Navy Presidential Unit Citation | Navy Unit Commendation | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | ||||||||
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
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Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 4 service stars
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World War II Victory Medal
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National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star | ||||||||
| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Vietnam Service Medal | Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation
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Vietnam Campaign Medal | ||||||||
Notes
References
- U.S. Marine Corps biography
- THE MARINE WAR: III MAF IN VIETNAM, 1965–1971
- Cawthorne, Nigel (2003). Vietnam A War Lost And Won. Arcturus Publishing. ISBN 0-572-02873-3.