Francis M. McAlister

Francis Marion McAlister (March 29, 1905 – September 2, 1965) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general.

He distinguished himself several times during World War II and later received the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Korean War.

McAlister concluded his career as commanding general of Department of the Pacific.

Francis M. McAlister was born on March 29, 1905, at Houck, Arizona, but his family later moved to Mississippi.

He attended Mississippi Heights Academy at Blue Mountain and following graduation in 1922, he spent a year at Mississippi State College, before he entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

Following the four years of studies, McAlister graduated on June 2, 1927, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on the same date.

Many of his classmates became general officers later: George W. Anderson, Jr., Glynn R. Donaho, John C. Munn, Herbert D. Riley, Alan Shapley, John Thach, Clarence E. Coffin, Samuel H. Crittenden Jr., Marion L. Dawson, Timothy F. Donohue, Thomas J. Hamilton, Herbert L. Hoerner, William P. Chilton, Alexander M. Kowalzyk, William L. Knickerbocker, Leland R. Lampman, William H. Leahy, William F. Royall, Willard A. Saunders, Brooke Schumm, Samuel S. Jack, Jack P. Juhan, David F. O'Neill, Henry R. Paige, George H. Potter, Walter L. J. Bayler, Joseph W. Earnshaw, Harold D. Hansen, Archie E. O'Neil, Richard P. Ross Jr., Miles S. Newton and Earl S. Piper.

He was ordered to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for his officer training and after finishing the instruction in January 1928, he was assigned to the 11th Marine Regiment under Colonel Robert H. Dunlap at Norfolk, Virginia.

His regiment had been recently reactivated and attached to the 2nd Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Logan Feland.

The 2nd Marine Brigade subsequently sailed to Nicaragua and participated in the operations against rebel forces under Augusto César Sandino in the vicinity of Corinto.

McAlister distinguished himself and received the Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit with a Diploma from the Government of Nicaragua.

The 11th Marines were ordered stateside in August 1929 and subsequently deactivated.

After a brief stay at Marine Corps Base Quantico, McAlister was assigned to the Marine detachment at President Hoover summer camp near Criglersville, Virginia, in September 1929.

He remained in this capacity until the end of October 1932, when he received orders for another tour of expeditionary duty.

McAlister was assigned to the 4th Marine Regiment under Colonel Emile P. Moses and sailed for China.

While there, he participated in the guard duties at Shanghai International Settlement and was promoted to first lieutenant in November 1933.

One month later, McAlister was appointed commander of the Marine detachment aboard the gunboat USS Asheville.

This vessel had already served within Special Service Squadron, Asiatic Fleet in the Chinese waters and was tasked with the "protection of American lives and property".

He finally returned stateside in June 1935, when he was assigned to the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

McAlister received a promotion to captain in July 1936 and remained in Quantico until he was transferred to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., in July 1937.

While there, he served with the War Plans Section until July 1940.

McAlister subsequently embarked for Hawaii and following his promotion to major in July 1941, he was appointed commanding officer of the Marine barracks at Naval Ammunition Depot, Oahu.

He served in this capacity when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

He returned stateside during the summer 1942 and following the activation of the I Marine Amphibious Corps (I MAC) under Major General Clayton B. Vogel at San Diego, California, at the beginning of October 1942, he was appointed Corps Engineer Officer.

Meanwhile, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in August 1942.

He sailed with that command to the South Pacific Area in October 1942 and after a brief stay at Hawaii and later at New Caledonia, he took part in the fighting in Southern Solomons, Bougainville and New Georgia.

For his service in this capacity, McAlister was decorated with the Legion of Merit with Combat "V".

When I MAC was redesignated the III Marine Amphibious Corps in April 1944 under Major General Roy Geiger, he served in the same capacity as with I MAC.

During the Battle of Guam in July 1944, he commanded all engineer units and distinguished himself again and was decorated with his second Legion of Merit.

McAlister later took part in the Peleliu Operation in September 1944 and after high casualties suffered in this operation, units of the III MAC was sent to Russell Islands for rest and refit.

His command was designated the leading force of all Marine ground units for the upcoming Battle of Okinawa at the beginning of April 1945.

McAlister took part in the planning phase and skillfully combined engineer units of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps into an effective engineer group.

He later went ashore and personally directed the construction of the bridges and roads despite adverse weather conditions.

His units also participated in defusing land mines placed by the Japanese defenders.

For his service on Okinawa, McAlister received a Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" and a Navy Presidential Unit Citation.

Colonel McAlister returned to the United States in July 1945 and served for the next two years as officer in charge of Engineer Supply Division, Marine Corps Depot of Supplies, at San Francisco under Brigadier General Arnold W. Jacobsen.

He subsequently attended the logistics course at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and later the senior course at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

He completed all courses in August 1949 and assumed duties as assistant chief of staff for logistics at Camp Pendleton under the command of Major General Graves B. Erskine.

He was attached to the staff of 1st Marine Division under Major General Oliver P. Smith in July 1950 and sailed for Korea as assistant chief of staff for logistics.

McAlister participated in the Inchon Landing at the beginning of September.