Keller E. Rockey
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Keller Emrick Rockey (September 22, 1888 – June 6, 1970) commanded the Fifth Marine Division in the battle of Iwo Jima
in World War II and the Third Amphibious Corps during the occupation of North China following the war.
For outstanding services with the Third Amphibious Corps, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Army), and for exceptionally meritorious service with the Fifth Marine Division, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Navy)
. The citation for the latter reads in part:
. He was a graduate of Gettysburg College
with a Bachelor of Science degree, and was a student at Yale University
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, November 18, 1913.
His first duty assignment as a Marine Corps junior officer was a student under instruction at the Officers Basic School, Norfolk, Virginia
. Following graduation there in May, 1915, he went to sea; first as a member of the Marine Detachment aboard , then a member of the Marine Detachment aboard .
).
He was awarded the Navy Cross
for his actions at Château-Thierry where, on July 6, 1918, he performed distinguished service by bringing up supports and placing them in the front lines at great personal exposure, showing exceptional ability and extraordinary heroism.
Rockey also received the Distinguished Service Cross
and was cited in the General Orders of the Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces. He was entitled to wear the French Fourragère
.
as a member of the Haitian Constabulary, where he remained until 1921, then returned to this country to join Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
Following duty at Headquarters Marine Corps
, Washington, D.C., he became a student in the Field Officers' Course, Marine Corps Schools, MCB Quantico
, Virginia
. After graduation in July 1925, he was again assigned to school, this time as a student at the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
. Upon graduation in June 1926, he became an instructor in the Department of Tactics, Marine Corps Schools.
From January to November 1928, he was Commanding Officer, First Battalion, Eleventh Artillery Regiment, Second Marine Brigade, stationed in Nicaragua
, where he was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross for outstanding services.
Rockey next became Base Intelligence, Operations and Training Officer of the MCB San Diego
, California
, and later Chief of Staff of the Base.
In June 1934, he was assigned to duty as Chief of the War Plans Division, Marine Corps Headquarters, following which he became Force Marine Officer, U.S. Battle Force aboard the .
He returned to Washington in July 1939, to assume duties with Operations, Navy Department (War Plans) and in August 1941, became Chief of Staff of the Second Marine Division
in which position he was found upon the country's entry into World War II.
. In February 1944, he went to the Pacific
where he was successively Commanding General of the Fifth Marine Division and the Third Amphibious Corps.
Following deactivation of the Third Amphibious Corps, he assumed command of the First Marine Division (Reinforced), with headquarters at Tientsin, China. He returned to the United States and became Commanding General of the Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, California
, in September 1946.
(temporary), and the following day assumed command of the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic
with headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. On July 1, 1949, when he was detached to again become Commanding General, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, California, he returned to his permanent rank of major general
. He retired as a lieutenant general on September 1, 1950.
General Rockey died of a heart attack
, aged 81, June 6, 1970, in Harwich Port, Massachusetts
.
Funeral services with full military honors were held June 11, 1970 at Arlington National Cemetery
, Arlington, Virginia.
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
in World War II and the Third Amphibious Corps during the occupation of North China following the war.
For outstanding services with the Third Amphibious Corps, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Army), and for exceptionally meritorious service with the Fifth Marine Division, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Navy)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
. The citation for the latter reads in part:
Early life and career
Keller Rockey was born September 22, 1888, in Columbia City, IndianaColumbia City, Indiana
Columbia City is a city in Columbia Township, Whitley County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,750 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Whitley County.-Geography:Columbia City is located at...
. He was a graduate of Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
with a Bachelor of Science degree, and was a student at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, November 18, 1913.
His first duty assignment as a Marine Corps junior officer was a student under instruction at the Officers Basic School, Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. Following graduation there in May, 1915, he went to sea; first as a member of the Marine Detachment aboard , then a member of the Marine Detachment aboard .
World War I
Following sea service, Rockey sailed for France in June 1917, and one year later, as a member of the Fifth Marine Regiment, participated in the Aisne-Marne Defensive (Château-ThierryChâteau-Thierry
Château-Thierry is a commune in northern France about east-northeast of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Aisne department in Picardy.-History:...
).
He was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his actions at Château-Thierry where, on July 6, 1918, he performed distinguished service by bringing up supports and placing them in the front lines at great personal exposure, showing exceptional ability and extraordinary heroism.
Rockey also received the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
and was cited in the General Orders of the Second Division, American Expeditionary Forces. He was entitled to wear the French Fourragère
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
.
Interwar years
Shortly after returning to the United States in 1919, Rockey went to foreign shore duty in HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
as a member of the Haitian Constabulary, where he remained until 1921, then returned to this country to join Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Following duty at Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions...
, Washington, D.C., he became a student in the Field Officers' Course, Marine Corps Schools, MCB Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. After graduation in July 1925, he was again assigned to school, this time as a student at the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Upon graduation in June 1926, he became an instructor in the Department of Tactics, Marine Corps Schools.
From January to November 1928, he was Commanding Officer, First Battalion, Eleventh Artillery Regiment, Second Marine Brigade, stationed in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, where he was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross for outstanding services.
Rockey next became Base Intelligence, Operations and Training Officer of the MCB San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and later Chief of Staff of the Base.
In June 1934, he was assigned to duty as Chief of the War Plans Division, Marine Corps Headquarters, following which he became Force Marine Officer, U.S. Battle Force aboard the .
He returned to Washington in July 1939, to assume duties with Operations, Navy Department (War Plans) and in August 1941, became Chief of Staff of the Second Marine Division
U.S. 2nd Marine Division
The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and headquartered at Julian C...
in which position he was found upon the country's entry into World War II.
World War II
Rockey was assigned duties as Director, Division of Plans and Policies at Headquarters Marine Corps, in August 1942, and one year later assumed duties as Assistant Commandant of the Marine CorpsCommandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
. In February 1944, he went to the Pacific
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
where he was successively Commanding General of the Fifth Marine Division and the Third Amphibious Corps.
Following deactivation of the Third Amphibious Corps, he assumed command of the First Marine Division (Reinforced), with headquarters at Tientsin, China. He returned to the United States and became Commanding General of the Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, in September 1946.
Post-war years
On January 1, 1947, he was advanced to lieutenant generalLieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
(temporary), and the following day assumed command of the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic
Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic
The United States Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic is the maritime landing force that are spread across the Atlantic Ocean and reports to the United States Atlantic Command...
with headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. On July 1, 1949, when he was detached to again become Commanding General, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, California, he returned to his permanent rank of major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
. He retired as a lieutenant general on September 1, 1950.
General Rockey died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, aged 81, June 6, 1970, in Harwich Port, Massachusetts
Harwich Port, Massachusetts
Harwich Port is an affluent beach resort census-designated place in the town of Harwich in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a very popular vacation spot on Cape Cod. The population was 1,809 at the 2000 census. In addition to the village of Harwich Port, the village...
.
Funeral services with full military honors were held June 11, 1970 at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Arlington, Virginia.
Decorations and medals
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| Navy Cross Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all... w/ 1 award star Award star An award star is a decoration issued to personnel of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in lieu of multiple awards of the same award. An award star is very similar to an oak leaf cluster, which serves the same purpose in the United States Army and United States Air Force... |
Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Cross (United States) The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree... |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast... |
Army Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (Army) The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great... |
French Fourragère Fourragère The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :... |
| Navy Presidential Unit Citation | Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal The Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal is a decoration of the United States Marine Corps which was first created on 8 May 1919. Originally known as the Marine Corps Expeditionary Ribbon, a full-sized medal was authorized in July 1921 by Presidential Order of Warren G. Harding... |
Mexican Service Medal Mexican Service Medal The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military which was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917... |
World War I Victory Medal w/ Aisne & Defensive Sector clasps Medal bar A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the... |
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| Haitian Campaign Medal (1921) Haitian Campaign Medal The Haitian Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States Navy which was issued in the year 1917 and again in the year 1921. The decoration was intended for service members of both the Navy and Marine Corps who had participated in Haitian peacekeeping actions between the years of... |
Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933) Nicaraguan Campaign Medal The Nicaraguan Campaign Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy which was authorized by Presidential Order of Woodrow Wilson on September 22, 1913. The medal was again authorized by an act of the United States Congress on November 8, 1929... |
American Defense Service Medal American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military, recognizing service before America’s entry into the Second World War but during the initial years of the European conflict.-Criteria:... |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was... w/ 2 service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... s |
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| World War II Victory Medal | Nicaraguan Medal of Merit | Order of the Cloud and Banner Order of the Cloud and Banner The Order of the Cloud and Banner is a military award of the Republic of China. It was instituted on June 15, 1935 and is awarded in nine grades for contributions to national security. It is also sometimes referred to as the Order of the Resplendent Banner.... , Second Class |
Legion of Honor, Officer Légion d'honneur The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802... |
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