George O. Van Orden
George Owen Van Orden | |
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3rd Marine Regiment 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines | |
Battles/wars | Haitian Campaign World War II
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Awards | Navy Cross Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart |
Other work | Gun Store Owner |
George Owen Van Orden (September 9, 1906 – May 13, 1967) was a decorated
He is considered to be the "Father of Marine Snipers" due to co-authoring in 1942 a Marine Corps report recommending adoption of the M70 rifle with Unertl 8X scope for military use (ultimately unsuccessful) and his subsequent role establishing the training program for USMC snipers.
Early career
George Owen Van Orden was born on September 9, 1906, at the Marine Barracks,
He was commissioned second lieutenant during that time and ordered to
Following his return to the United States, Van Orden served consecutively as commanding officer of Marine Rifle Ranges at Cape May, New Jersey, Wakefield, Massachusetts, and Quantico, Virginia. He graduated from the Artillery Course, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico and had extensive experience in naval antiaircraft and seacoast gunnery. Improving small arms marksmanship and techniques of weapons of all types were all consuming interest with him. A Distinguished Marksman, he has been active in competitive marksmanship, ordnance design, and weapons training, since early in his career.[1]
Van Orden was stationed as captain and Marine detachment commander at the
He was transferred to the Division of Plans and Policies at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., in 1939 and served as an Umpire during the Fleet Landing Exercise in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Late in that year, Van Orden was ordered for instruction to Ordnance Field Service School at Raritan Arsenal in Metuchen, New Jersey.[1]
World War II
Upon the completion of the course at
Within this capacity, Van Orden was also responsible for the Scout-Sniper School and together with Marine Gunner Calvin Lloyd, he worked out the manual "Equipping the American Sniper". This expert treatise defined sniper usage and made specific recommendations for their armament. Small schools opened in different locations, teaching the skills their treatise outlined and graduates were promptly dispatched to the Pacific.[1][2]
Van Orden was promoted to the rank of major and tasked with the organization of the Marine Corps Ordnance School of which he was the founding director in April 1942. This unique school had the job of training Marines to keep artillery weapons, fire control instruments, and ammunition functioning properly no matter how tough the going. Artillery weapons, anti-aircraft guns, fire control directors, range finders, gasoline-electric power plants, gyro-stabilized guns in light tanks – all came under the maintenance responsibilities of Ordnance School graduates.[1]
He was ordered to
The 3rd Marines were subsequently attached to the
He rejoined his regiment on Guadalcanal in October 1943 and subsequently sailed for Bougainville at Papua New Guinea in order to capture the island from Japanese troops. The Bougainville was held by almost 70,000 Japanese troops.[1]
Van Orden and 3rd Marine regiment took part in the
His official Navy Cross citation reads:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Colonel George Owen Van Orden (MCSN: 0-4335), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service while serving as Executive Officer of the Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Cape Torokina Area, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, on 1 November 1943. Landing in a free boat which was repeatedly struck by enemy fire during its approach to the beach, Lieutenant Colonel Van Orden discovered our fighting units in disorder and, fearlessly exposing himself to hostile gun emplacements, promptly reorganized the forces, appointed new leaders and reestablished control, enabling our troops to continue the attack. Later, when severe enemy machine-gun fire drove the shore party from the beach and interrupted ship unloading activities essential to the success of our landing operations, he unhesitatingly proceeded to the area and, with utter disregard for his own safety, inspired and encouraged the men to complete their vital task. Lieutenant Colonel Van Orden's intrepid leadership and resolute devotion to duty in the face of grave peril were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[4][2]
One Marine witnessed him,
blazing away in the direction of the enemy with his pistol ... After emptying a magazine at the invisible (at least to me) target, Van Orden stepped back from the rear wall of the bunker, cleared, reloaded, and holstered his pistol ... with a self-satisfied grin on his face as if he had just completed a successful string of rapid fire.
For his heroics, he earned the nickname "The Beast".[2]
Van Orden remained with the regiment during the
He was then attached to the I Marine Amphibious Corps Task Group (composed of
Despite the initial success of the landing, Japanese launched a counterattack during the night of July 25–26, and some enemy troops slipped through the front lines. General Turnage ordered Van Orden to assume command of two companies from 3rd Pioneer Battalion to eliminate this threat. In three hours the pioneers killed 33 of the assailants and lost three of their own men. Van Orden was slightly wounded and received the
Van Orden was ordered back to the United States in November 1944 and assumed command of Marine Barracks at Klamath Falls, Oregon, which served as the rehabilitation center for tropical diseases. He served in this capacity until July 1945, when he was ordered back to the Pacific area as commanding officer of 5th Field Service Depot at Guam. Within this capacity, he was responsible for the clothing, ordnance, equipment and supplies for the V Amphibious Corps units. He was also promoted to the rank of colonel for his new assignment.[1][9][10]
Postwar service
Following the
Although Inspector general of the Marine Corps, Robert Blake, didn't find the accusation legitimate, because Van Orden did what the letter of the order said, both quartermaster general William P. T. Hill and director of personnel Pedro del Valle, overruled him and Van Orden received a Letter of reprimand. Van Orden was subsequently transferred back to the United States and attached to the Marine Corps Base Quantico.[11]
He served with the Marine Corps Equipment Board under Brigadier General Louis R. Jones as its executive officer and remained in that capacity until mid June 1948. He then assumed his last duty as director of First Marine Corps Reserve District in Boston, Massachusetts and held this assignment until his retirement on September 1, 1949, after 25 years of Marine service. He was advanced to the rank of brigadier general on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.[1]
Retirement
Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, Van Orden settled in Quantico, Virginia, and opened a gun store, "Evaluators Limited" in Triangle, Virginia. The gun store specialized in selling firearms and equipment to military and law enforcement personnel including United States Coast Guard. He later served as a director of the National Rifle Association in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he died on May 13, 1967.[1][2] [12]
He is buried at
Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General George O. Van Orden:[4]
1st Row | Navy Cross | |||||||||||||
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2nd Row | Combat "V"
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Combat "V"
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Purple Heart | |||||||||||
3rd Row | Navy Presidential Unit Citation with one star | Navy Unit Commendation with two stars | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
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4th Row | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal | American Defense Service Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four 3/16 inch service stars
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5th Row | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal
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Navy Occupation Service Medal |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "George O. Van Orden Papers – USMC Military History Division". USMC Military History Division. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Watts, Kyle (July 18, 2014). "Gunpowder in Their Blood—Four Generations of George Van Ordens". Leatherneck Magazine.
- ^ a b "US Marine Corps in World War II – HyperWar (Bougainville)". ibiblio.org. HyperWar Websites. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Valor awards for George O. Van Orden". valor.militarytimes.com. Militarytimes Websites. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ "A Brief History of 3rd Marines". Marines.mil. Marine Websites. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ "US Marine Corps in World War II – HyperWar (Emirau)". ibiblio.org. HyperWar Websites. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "LIBERATION: Marines in the Recapture of Guam". ibiblio.org. HyperWar Websites. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ISBN 9781782892861. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "Col. Van Orden New CO at Klamath Falls – Marine Corps Chevron, 18 November 1944". historicperiodicals.princeton.edu. Marine Corps Chevron – Princeton University Library. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ Lodge, O.R. (1996). Securing the Surrender: Marines in the Occupation of Japan (PDF). Westport, Connecticut: Marines Websites. p. 192. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 1-4184-1155-8. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Military Model 70 – National Rifle Association". American Rifleman websites. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.