Reginald H. Ridgely Jr.

Reginald Heber Ridgely Jr. (August 18, 1902 – June 28, 1979) was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese during World War II and was one of the few survivors of the infamous "hell ships."

Early life and career Reginald H. Ridgely was born on August 18, 1902, in Lexington, Virginia. He was raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and attended St. John's College, where his father was a professor.

Upon graduating in 1923, Ridgely was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He took part in the occupations of Haiti and Nicaragua during the Banana Wars. He also spent time overseas in the Mediterranean before he was attached to the 4th Marine Regiment in Shanghai, China, in June 1941. In November of that year, the regiment relocated to the Philippines.

The prisoners were held on Corregidor for the next several weeks, where they were placed on a starvation diet. They also were required to bow to any Japanese soldier they crossed paths with, and would be beaten for various reasons, sometimes for no apparent reason at all. On May 24, the prisoners were loaded onto landing barges and transported to Manila, where they were forced to march in a Japanese "Victory Parade" through the city. Major Ridgely and his fellow prisoners were tightly packed into cattle cars and shipped to a prisoner of war camp at Cabanatuan, where he stayed for the next two years. Only 400 of the original 1,600 prisoners of war loaded on the hellships survived the war.

Post-war career Following the war, Ridgely served as the commanding officer of the 8th Marine Regiment & Fleet Force in the Mediterranean from 1947 to 1948. Later, from 1948 to January 1951, he was the commanding officer of the Naval disciplinary barracks at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He then served as the commanding general of MCRD San Diego from 1951 to 1952. Tombstone for Reginald Heber Ridgely Jr and his wife, Josephine Dalton Ridgely. Located in Section 11 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Decorations and awards Reginald H. Ridgely's military awards include: