Robert E. Hogaboom

Robert Edward Hogaboom (November 13, 1902 – November 11, 1993) was a decorated United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as chief of staff, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps between 1957 and 1959. Hogaboom was promoted to four-star rank upon retirement as a "tombstone general".

Early career

Robert Edward Hogaboom was born on November 13, 1902, in Meridian, Mississippi, as the son of late Army Colonel George E. Hogaboom and former Mary Mayerhoff. He graduated from Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama, in summer of 1920 and enrolled the Mississippi State College in Starkville. Hogaboom completed two years before received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

Hogaboom was subsequently ordered to the Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for basic officer training, which he completed five months later. He then joined the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Quantico, Virginia and embarked for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hogaboom has returned to the United States in September of that year and was ordered to Richmond, Virginia, where he took part in the Mail guard duty during a nationwide wave of mail robberies.

He later described his experiences under Turner:

His reports were forwarded to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, Vice Admiral Donald B. Duncan, who distributed it through the command structure of the navy. Hogaboom and his effort helped to promote the use helicopters for future combat operations.

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, Samuel R. Shaw, James E. Kerr, James C. Murray, Jonas M. Platt, DeWolf Schatzel, James D. Hittle, Robert D. Heinl, Edward H. Hurst or Marine Corps Reserve officers John R. Blandford, Arthur B. Hanson, Lyford Hutchins, and William McCahill.

General's duty

Hogaboom was ordered to Washington, D.C., in June 1949 and attended the National War College, where he graduated one year later. He then served on its staff until his promotion to the rank of brigadier general on July 1, 1951. He was subsequently appointed Marine Corps liaison officer in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations under Admiral William M. Fechteler and remained in that capacity until July 1952, when he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for duty as assistant division commander, 2nd Marine Division under future commandant Randolph M. Pate.

While in this capacity, Hogaboom twice commanded multi-nation NATO landing forces in Mediterranean maneuvers. As Commanding General of the Landing Force in Operation Longstep in November 1952, he directed U.S. Marines, French, Greek and Italian Forces in landings on the coast of Turkey. In Operation Weldfast in October 1953, British, Greek and Italian troops joined the Marines under his command.

When General Pate was ordered to Korea in May 1953, Hogaboom assumed temporary command of the division and held it for one month, when new commanding general, George F. Good Jr., relieved him. He then resumed his duties as assistant division commander and remained in that capacity until January 1954, when he was transferred to the same capacity with 1st Marine Division in Korea.

The Marine Corps Association's Marine Corps Gazette General Robert E. Hogaboom Leadership Writing Contest is named in his honor.

Decorations and honors

General Hogaboom's medals and decorations include: