Archie F. Howard

Archie Franklin Howard (January 29, 1892 – June 24, 1964) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general who is most noted as commanding general, 6th Marine Division during the Chinese Civil War. He also served as Island Commander at Guadalcanal and later at New Georgia during World War II.

Early career

Archie F. Howard was born on January 29, 1892, at Clay Center, Kansas, as the son of Wilbur A. and Susan Viola Howard. Following the high school, he received appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in summer of 1911 and graduated with bachelor's degree four years later. During his time at the academy, he was active in football and crew teams.

Upon his return to the United States, Howard was attached to the Marine Barracks Quantico in November 1918 and was stationed there for one year, before he was ordered to Houston, Texas, for recruiting duty. He was ordered for expeditionary duty in Santo Domingo in February 1922 and participated in the anti-guerilla operations with 2nd Marine Brigade under Colonel Harry Lee.

During May 1937, Howard was transferred to the staff of United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, as the senior Marine officer in the Naval Training Squadron, the summer training sessions for the Naval Academy. He was later appointed Atlantic Squadron officer under Rear Admiral Alfred Wilkinson Johnson and took part in the patrol cruises in the Atlantic Ocean aboard battleship USS New York.

World War II

Howard served in that capacity until May 1941 and then joined 2nd Marine Division under Major General Clayton B. Vogel at San Diego as Divisional Chief of Staff. He became Vogel's protégé and followed him to the staff of 2nd Joint Training Force and subsequently to I Marine Amphibious Corps as chief of staff. Howard was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in August 1942 and sailed to the Pacific area in October of that year.

He was stationed at Noumea, New Caledonia, and was co-responsible for the administrative matters for all Marine forces in Southwest Pacific area, including all logistical and personnel matters affecting combat operations. General Vogel did not meet expectation of Commandant Holcomb and was relieved by general Alexander Vandegrift in July 1943. Vandegrift brought his own personnel to the staff of I Marine Amphibious Corps and Howard was succeeded by Gerald C. Thomas.

Howard (right) and 6th Marine Division staff in China, January 1946. He was ordered back to the United States in June 1944 and assumed command of the Marine Corps Base San Diego as substitute for retiring Brigadier General Matthew H. Kingman. Howard was responsible for the recruit training of replacements for the units in Pacific area until June 1945. He was then ordered to Hawaii and appointed inspector general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific under Lieutenant General Roy S. Geiger. For his new assignment, Howard was promoted to the rank of major general on July 26, 1945.

Howard was ordered to China in December 1945, and replaced Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. as commanding general, 6th Marine Division. His new unit was located in Qingdao area and was tasked with the repatriation of Japanese prisoners-of-war and refugees back to their country. The situation was complicated by the fact of the ongoing Chinese Civil War during which Kuomintang forces were attacked by Chinese communist guerrillas.

General Howard was ordered back to the United States in June of that year and detached from duty at San Diego and ordered home to be relieved from active duty. He retired from the Marine Corps on November 1, 1946, after 31 years of commissioned service.

Retirement

Howard settled in San Diego and was active with the San Diego Chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association. He suffered a huge loss, when his beloved wife, Dorothy, died during the crash of United Airlines Flight 608 in Bryce Canyon, Utah on October 24, 1947. Howard moved to his daughter Mary's house at the El Cordova Hotel in Coronado, California.

Major General Archie F. Howard died on June 24, 1964, in Naval Hospital, San Diego, and is buried with his wife at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Archie F. Howard: