Holland Smith

Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. His nickname, "Howlin' Mad" Smith, had been given to him by his troops in the Dominican Republic in 1916.^[1]

On the eve of World War II, General Smith directed extensive

During the Marianas operation, besides the V Amphibious Corps, he commanded all Expeditionary Troops, including those that recaptured Guam. He then served as the first commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and headed Task Force 56 (Expeditionary Troops) at Iwo Jima, which included all the assault troops in that battle.

Early life

Holland Smith was born on April 20, 1882, in

In April 1906, after completing the

Smith's 8th Machine Gun company was assigned to the French Chasseurs Alpins to learn the tactics of the War from the experienced French troops. After this time the 8th was assigned to a camp to offload arriving American vessels, where Smith became second in command of the camp.

Smith was detached from the 5th Marines and sent to the Army General Staff College at

Smith returned to the United States in April 1919. His next four years included duty at Norfolk, Virginia; study at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island; and service in Washington, D.C., with the War Plans Section of the Office of Naval Operations, where he was the first Marine officer to serve on the Joint Army-Navy Planning Committee. Leaving Washington in May 1923, he served aboard the battleships Wyoming and Arkansas as Fleet Marine Officer, U.S. Scouting Fleet, until September of that year.

In February 1924, after serving at

In April 1931, Smith began another tour of sea duty, this time aboard the

Smith served as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps under Major General Thomas Holcomb from April to September 1939, during which he was promoted to brigadier general.^[4]

World War II

General Smith then assumed command of the 1st Marine Brigade at Quantico, taking that unit to

La Jolla, California, where he pursued his hobby, gardening

.

Smith's wife, the former Ada B. Wilkinson, died in 1962. Following a long illness, Smith died on January 12, 1967, at the

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Chapel. The retired general was interred with full military honors in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery overlooking San Diego harbor and North Island. Smith was survived by a son, Rear Admiral

John V. Smith.

Military awards

Smith was awarded the following military decorations and awards:

	Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ three 5⁄16 inch gold stars	Purple Heart Medal
Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal w/ three 3⁄16 inch bronze stars	Mexican Service Medal	Dominican Campaign Medal
World War I Victory Medal w/ five campaign clasps	Army of Occupation of Germany Medal	American Defense Service Medal w/ "BASE" clasp
American Campaign Medal	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ five 3⁄16 bronze stars	World War II Victory Medal
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath	Dominican Order of the First Merit	Croix de guerre (WWI) w/ palm

Honors and recognitions

Camp H. M. Smith, located on Oahu, Hawaii, is a Marine Corps base named after Smith. It is home to the Pacific Command, Marine Forces Pacific and other commands.

There are two Marine Corps League Detachments in General Smith's name:

• Detachment #93 – Howlin Mad – Hobart, Indiana
• Detachment #592 – Howlin' Mad Smith – Birmingham, Alabama

In the film Flags of Our Fathers, General Smith is portrayed by actor Gordon Clapp.

In 1964, Smith received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.^[6]

See also

• List of 1st Marine Division commanders
• Battle of Tarawa
• Battle of Saipan

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

1. ^ p.87 Hearn, Chester G. Marines: An Illustrated History : The U.S. Marine Corps from 1775 to the 21st Century Zenith Imprint, 15/11/2007
2. OCLC 5170569.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)^{[permanent dead link}
   ]
3. ^ p.38 Venzon, Anne Cipriano From Whaleboats to Amphibious Warfare: Lt. Gen. "Howling Mad" Smith and the U.S. Marine Corps Greenwood Publishing Group, 28/02/2003
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Smith, Holland M". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
5. ISBN 978-0-307-26351-3
   .
6. American Academy of Achievement
   .

Further reading

• "General Holland McTyeire Smith, USMC". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
• Gailey, Harry A. (1987). Howlin' Mad Vs. the Army: Conflict in Command Saipan 1944. New York: Dell Publishing Co.
• Smith, General Holland M., USMC (Ret.) (1949). "Chapter 2: The Early Year". Coral and Brass. Washington, D.C.: United States Marine Corps. p. 24.
  OCLC 5170569.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
  ) Holland Smith's autobiography, online.
• Venzon, Anne Cipriano. From Whaleboats to Amphibious Warfare: Lt. Gen. "Howling Mad" Smith and the U.S. Marine Corps (Praeger, 2003). 164 pp.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holland Smith.

• Historical Marker Database - Holland McTyeire Smith

Military offices
Preceded by Formed	Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division 1 February 1941 – 14 June 1941	Succeeded by Philip H. Torrey
Preceded by Activated	Commanding General of the V Amphibious Corps 25 August 1943– 11 July 1944	Succeeded by Harry Schmidt
Preceded by Activated	Commanding General of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific 17 September 1944 – July 1945	Succeeded by Roy Geiger