William P. Upshur

Major General William Peterkin Upshur (October 28, 1881 – July 21, 1943) was a United States Marine Corps officer and the recipient of the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his actions in 1915 during the Haitian Campaign.

Biography William Upshur was born October 28, 1881, in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1902.

After graduating from VMI he was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on February 1, 1904, and subsequently served aboard several vessels of the United States Navy, at foreign stations throughout the world, and at various posts and stations in the United States.

His foreign shore duty included service with an expeditionary force to Havana, Cuba, in October 1906, and duty at Camp Evans, Deer Point, Guantanamo, Cuba, from January 9, to February 8, 1907. He again was detailed to expeditionary duty with a force of Marines on the Isthmus of Panama from June 19, to August 8, 1908. Arriving at Olongapo, Philippine Islands, in January 1912, he joined the 1st Brigade of Marines and was again detached in February 1914, this time to the Marine detachment, American Legation, Peking, China, where he served until October 16, 1914. where he participated in engagements against Haitian rebels known as cacos. Decorations earned during this deployment included the Haitian Campaign Medal and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. For his bravery during a six day mission against the cacos, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was one of six men, including Smedley Butler to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during the occupation of Haiti.

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, he was again detailed for foreign shore duty, this time with the 13th Regiment in France from September 1918 to August 1919, during which time he was in command of the American Military Prison, Casino des Lilas, Bordeaux and the American Guard Camp.

He was a graduate of the Marine Corps School of Application, the Army Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and of the Army War College and the Naval War College.

Honors and awards A partial list of Upshur's awards includes:

Medal of HonorPurple HeartMarine Corps Expeditionary MedalCuban Pacification MedalPhilippine Campaign MedalChina Service MedalHaitian Campaign Medal (1917)World War I Victory MedalArmy of Occupation of Germany MedalHaitian Campaign Medal (1921)

Medal of Honor citation Citation:

In company with members of the 15th Company of Marines all mounted, Capt. Upshur left Fort Liberte, Haiti, for a six-day reconnaissance. After dark on the evening of 24 October 1915, while crossing the river in a deep ravine, the detachment was suddenly fired upon from three sides by about 400 Cacos concealed in bushes about 100 yards from the fort. The marine detachment fought its way forward to a good position, which it maintained during the night, although subjected to a continuous fire from the Cacos. At daybreak, Capt. Upshur, in command of the three squads which advanced in three different directions, led his men forward, surprising and scattering the Cacos, and aiding the capture of Fort Dipitie.

Other honors Camp Upshur, dedicated to Medal of Honor recipient General William P. Upshur, is a training area in Virginia aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico. It became the official location of the Basic School in 1947 and remained in that capacity until 1958. It was utilized by the Officer Candidate School until 1987 and is now a training area for Marine Reserve units, the Naval Academy's Leatherneck summer course, The Marine Corps Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy, and various other programs. It also serves as the home of a reserve LAR unit.

The , a troop and dependent transport which was placed into service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) during the Korean War, was named in his honor.