Richard H. Jeschke
Richard Hall Jeschke | |
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Marine Barracks, NB Pearl Harbor | |
| Battles/wars | World War I Yangtze Patrol World War II
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| Awards | Legion of Merit Navy Commendation Medal (2) |
| Relations | BG James Devereux, USMC (brother-in-law) |
Richard Hall Jeschke (December 22, 1894 – December 15, 1957) was a decorated officer of the
Early life
Richard H. Jeschke was born on 22 December 1894 in La Grange, Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago and graduated in 1917 with Bachelor of Science degree. While a student, Jeschke served with the Michigan Naval Militia, but following his graduation from the university, he resigned his commission in order to accept an appointment in the Marine Corps Reserve. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve on 21 May 1917 and immediately recalled to active duty. Jeschke was assigned first to the Marine Corps Rifle Range in Winthrop, Maryland and after two months of training there, he was assigned to the Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia.[1]
In October 1917, Jeschke was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and assigned to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship USS New York. He sailed to the Atlantic Ocean with that ship as a part of the United States Grand Fleet and participated in blockade and convoy duties. Jeschke returned to the Marine Barracks Quantico in 1918 and following his promotion to the rank of captain, he was assigned for duty with Overseas Depot.[1]
After the end of
The situation in China had quieted at the beginning of 1929 and Jeschke returned to the United States. He served for a brief period at
When World War II in Europe broke out, Jeschke was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was transferred to the Marine Barracks Parris Island to be appointed chief of staff to Major General James C. Breckinridge.
World War II
Upon the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Jeschke was appointed commanding officer of the
Jeschke arrived at
Colonel Jeschke remained with 8th Marines until the beginning of May 1943, when he was relieved by Colonel
Following the Sicily campaign, Jeschke was transferred to
His tour of duty in Europe ended in September 1944, when he was transferred back to the United States and assigned to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., as officer in charge of the Enlisted Performance Division and Decorations and Medals Division. Jeschke was later appointed Chief of the Performance Branch.[5]
Later career
Colonel Jeschke served at Headquarters Marine Corps until October 1945, when he was transferred to Hawaii and assumed command of the
Jeschke retired from the Marine Corps on 1 May 1949 and was advanced to the rank of brigadier general on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat. Jeschke died on December 15, 1957, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery together with his wife Margaret Mary Devereux Jeschke (1899–1974). They had one son, Richard Hall Jeschke Jr. (1921–2000), who also became a Marine officer and retired as colonel. His brother-in-law was James Devereux, brigadier general, USMC.[6]
Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General Richard H. Jeschke:[4]
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| 1st Row | Combat "V"
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Combat "V" and one star
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Navy Presidential Unit Citation with one star | World War I Victory Medal with two battle clasps | ||||||||||||
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| 2nd Row | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal | Yangtze Service Medal | American Defense Service Medal with Base Clasp | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two service stars
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| 3rd Row | American Campaign Medal | European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two service stars | World War II Victory Medal
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French Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 with Gilt Star
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References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Richard H. Jeschke Papers – USMC Military History Division". USMC Military History Division. Retrieved 2017-09-30.
- ^ a b c d "A Different War: Marines in Europe & Africa" (PDF). marines.mil. Marine Corps Websites. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Marine Corps Chevron, Volume 2, Number 21, 29 May 1943". historicperiodicals.princeton.edu. Marine Corps Chevron – Princeton University Library. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Valor awards for Richard H. Jeschke". valor.militarytimes.com. Militarytimes Websites. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ "Marine Corps Chevron, Volume 3, Number 31, 5 August 1944". historicperiodicals.princeton.edu. Marine Corps Chevron – Princeton University Library. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Find a Grave Memorial". findagrave.com. Find a Grave Memorial Websites. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.