Leonard B. Cresswell
Leonard Baker Cresswell | |
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23rd Marine Regiment 1st Battalion, 1st Marines | |
Battles/wars | Yangtze Patrol World War II
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Awards | Navy Cross |
Relations | RADM Reginald R. Belknap (father-in-law) |
Leonard Baker Cresswell (July 18, 1901 – April 25, 1966) was a highly decorated officer of the
Early career
Leonard B. Cresswell was born on July 18, 1901, in Lexington, Mississippi, and attended high school in Oxford, Mississippi, before he was transferred to Tupelo Military Institute. He graduated from the institute in summer of 1919 and subsequently enrolled the Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Cresswell graduated with bachelor's degree in summer 1924.[1]
Cresswell was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on June 21, 1924, and ordered to
He was subsequently attached to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship
Upon his return, Cresswell served with the Marine barracks at
World War II
At the beginning of July 1941, Cresswell was promoted to the rank of major and transferred to the staff of
Cresswell was subsequently promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed commanding officer of
The 1st Marines landed on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, and captured nearby airfield during the first day. During the night on August 21, Japanese troops launched a counteroffensive and attacked 2nd Battalion positions between Ilu and Tenaru rivers. Although dense jungle and difficult terrain made it impossible for the tanks assigned to his command to effect a crossing of the river, Lieutenant Colonel Cresswell advanced with his battalion to the other side of the Tenaru and, by the skillful disposal of his men over a large area, attacked the rear of enemy's regiment, succeeded in annihilating the Japanese force between the Ilu and the Tenaru Rivers with a minimum loss to his unit. The Japanese lost almost 770 soldiers killed in action as they attempted to cross the Tenaru River to gain control of the vital Henderson Airfield. Cresswell was decorated with the Navy Cross for his service on Tenaru.[3][4]
First Marine Division was ordered to
Cresswell was subsequently appointed commander of the Reserve Officers School, which trained and sent to combat duty all newly commissioned Marine Corps Reserve officers. He served in that capacity until January 1945, when he was appointed commander of Platoon Leaders School. Cresswell also took part in the training of officers of the Royal Netherlands Marine Brigade and received Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau, rank Commander.[1]
In May 1945, Cresswell returned to the Pacific Area and assumed command of
Later career
Cresswell was subsequently ordered to Guam and appointed planning and ground forces operations officer on the staff of the commander, Marianas, U. S. Pacific Fleet. He returned to the United States in August 1947 and assumed duty as commanding officer of Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. and director of Marine Corps Institute. He left Washington in July 1949 in order to attend the Senior Course at Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.[1]
Following his graduation in July 1950, Cresswell was transferred to
During this time he was given temporary additional duty in command of a joint air-ground brigade which he organized and with which he executed a training maneuver of two months duration in the West Indies Area, culminating in a full-scale amphibious assault on the Onslow Beach Area.[1]
Cresswell was detached from 2nd Marine Division in June 1952 and ordered to Naval Station Norfolk for duty as commanding general of
He retired from the Marine Corps on June 30, 1956, after 32 years of active service and was advanced to the rank of major general for having been specially commended in combat. Major General Leonard B. Cresswell died on April 25, 1966, in Annapolis, Maryland, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. The housing building at his Alma mater, Mississippi State University was named in his honor – Cresswell Hall.[5]
Decorations
This is the ribbon bar of Major General Leonard B. Cresswell:
1st Row | Navy Cross | Navy Presidential Unit Citation with one star
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2nd Row | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal | Yangtze Service Medal | American Defense Service Medal | |||||||||||
3rd Row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two 3⁄16" service stars
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World War II Victory Medal
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4th Row | National Defense Service Medal | Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau, rank Commander | Inter-American Defense Board Medal |
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Leonard B. Cresswell (MCSN: 0-3940), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service as Commanding Officer of the First Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Tenaru Sector, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 21 August 1942. Although dense jungle and difficult terrain made it impossible for the tanks assigned to his command to effect a crossing of the river, Lieutenant Colonel Cresswell advanced with his Battalion to the other side of the Tenaru and, by the skillful disposal of his men over a large area, succeeded in annihilating the Japanese force between the Ilu and the Tenaru Rivers with a minimum loss to his unit. His brilliant leadership and fine tactical judgment were decisive factors in the accomplishment of a vital mission and reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Colonel Cresswell and the United States Naval Service.[3]
See also
- Guadalcanal Campaign
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Leonard B. Cresswell Papers – USMC Military History Division". USMC Military History Division. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- ^ "Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal – Chapter 4: The Battle of the Tenaru". ibiblio.org. HyperWar Websites. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Valor awards for Leonard B. Cresswell". valor.militarytimes.com. Militarytimes Websites. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "A Brief history of the 1st Marines – USMC Military History Division" (PDF). USMC Military History Division. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- ^ "Mississippi State University". housing.msstate.edu. Mississippi State University Housing Websites. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.