James D. Hittle

James Donald Hittle (June 10, 1915 – June 15, 2002) was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. He is most noted for his service as legislative assistant to the commandant of the Marine Corps, between June 1952 and January 1960. Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Hittle served as United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) from March 1969 until March 1971.

Hittle was also a member of so-called "Chowder Society", a special Marine Corps Board, which was tasked to conduct research and prepare material relative to postwar legislation concerning the role of the Marine Corps in national defense.

Early career and World War II

James D. Hittle was born on June 10, 1915, in Bear Lake, Michigan, as the son of Harry F. and Margaret Jane Hittle. He attended the public schools in Lansing and East Lansing and subsequently graduated from Michigan State College in the summer of 1937, having completed a pre-law course, with Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science. During his time at the college, Hittle completed ROTC advanced course and was commissioned reserve second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Cavalry on June 14, 1937.

Hittle was promoted to the rank of major in August 1942 and ordered to the Division Officer's course at Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He completed the course in October of that year and assumed duty as an instructor on the staff of Marine Corps Schools, Quantico. While in this capacity, Hittle held additional duty as lecturer at Army and Navy Staff College in Washington, D.C., and received promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel in May 1944. During his time in Washington, Hittle wrote The Military Staff, Its History and Development, a work which presents an American-spin on the history and evolution of what is commonly called "the General Staff" in Prussia/Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States, and Russia up to the end of the 1940s.

Although he was slightly wounded, he remained in the combat area and kept organizing the arrival of supplies. Hittle was decorated with the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for his service on Iwo Jima and also received the Purple Heart for wounds.

Chowder Society

A milestone in his career was his assignment to the staff of Marine Corps Schools, Quantico under Brigadier General Oliver P. Smith. Hittle was appointed secretary of the academic board just during the uneasy time for the Marine Corps. President Harry S. Truman intended the reorganize the United States Armed Forces and due to cuts in Marine Corps budget, the threat of merging in the United States Army was more realistic. Hittle became a member of the so-called "Chowder Society", special Marine Corps Board under General Gerald C. Thomas, which was tasked by Commandant Alexander Vandegrift to conduct research and prepare material relative to postwar legislation concerning the role of the Marine Corps in national defense.

While in this assignment, Hittle had the opportunity to cooperate with great names of modern Marine history such as: Merrill B. Twining, Victor H. Krulak, Merritt A. Edson, Robert E. Hogaboom, James E. Kerr, James C. Murray, Jonas M. Platt, DeWolf Schatzel, Samuel R. Shaw, Robert D. Heinl, Edward H. Hurst or Marine Corps Reserve officers John R. Blandford, Arthur B. Hanson, Lyford Hutchins, and William McCahill.

1949-1960 Assistant Secretary of the Navy Hittle visited the commandant of the Marine Corps, Leonard F. Chapman Jr. in his office in Washington, D.C. Hittle was transferred to Salt Lake City in June 1949 and appointed executive officer of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps unit at the University of Utah. While in this capacity, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in November 1951 and also earned master's degree in Oriental History and Geography at the end of his tenure with Naval ROTC unit.

In March 1969, Hittle was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and was responsible for recruiting all of the personnel of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, including military personnel (both active and reserve), government civilians, contractors, and volunteers until March 1971.

Brigadier General James D. Hittle died on June 15, 2002, in his home at Arlington, Virginia, and is buried together with his wife, Edna Jane Hittle (1917–1969) at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. They had together two sons, Harry M. Hittle and James Hittle, Jr..

Decorations

This is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General James D. Hittle: