LT. GEN. LOUIS H. WILSON, JR. COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON NOMINATION OF LT. GEN. LOUIS H. WILSON, JR., TO BE COMMANDANT OF 53-271 MAY 6, 1975 Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1975 KF26 .A7 1975d 142 NOMINATION OF LT. GEN. LOUIS H. WILSON, JR. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in room 212, Richard B. Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John C. Stennis (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Stennis, Leahy, Thurmond, Goldwater, and Taft. Also present: T. Edward Braswell, Jr., chief counsel and staff director; W. Clark McFadden II, counsel; Charles Cromwell, George H. Foster, Jr., Edward B. Kenney, Don L. Lynch, Francis J. Sullivan, professional staff members; and John T. Ticer, chief clerk. The CHAIRMAN. All right, gentlemen, let us start our proceedings at this time. General, please have a seat. General WILSON. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. This is an open hearing, members of the committee and visitors, and everyone, of course, is welcome to attend the open hearing on the nomination of Lt. Gen. Louis Wilson. Of course, we will then proceed into our markup of the fiscal year 1976 military procurement authorization bill and all the circumstances in closed session. We are getting into missiles and everything else this morning. Senator McIntyre's R. & D. matter was presented, as you will remember, but not discussed too much, so I proposed last week, if it is agreeable with the committee, that we go into discussion of his subcommittee matters. Senator McIntyre is making an early morning flight back from his home State in order to be here. Members of the committee, we have before us, and I placed the matter before the committee, the nomination of Lt. Gen. Louis H. Wilson, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, to be Commandant of the Marine Corps with the rank of general for a period of 4 years pursuant to title 10, United States Code, section 5201, and we have the customary letter here from General Cushman, the Commandant now, with reference to the officer personnel numbers and everything. We have a résumé before us of General Wilson's career with the Marine Corps and I am not going to say anything further by way of introduction, but, I do want to read something that is of interest to me and I think to all of us. I am not being personal with him, but General Wilson is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. This goes back to July 25 and 26, 1944. One reason I am reading part of this is that he survived and is here with us and taking this top place. We pay tribute at the same time to those who didn't survive in this particular battle that he was in. This citation reads, and I will just read about three or four of the sentences, "Shortly thereafter"-that is, after this part of this mission. was over and he had been wounded three times-Shortly thereafter when the enemy launched the first of a series of savage counterattacks lasting all night, he volunteered to rejoin his besieged units," and so forth. "He dashed 50 yards into the open on one occasion to rescue a wounded marine lying helpless beyond the front lines. Fighting fiercely in hand-to-hand encounters, he led his men in furiously waged battle for approximately 10 hours, tenaciously holding his line and repelling the fanatically renewed counterthrusts until he succeeded in crushing the last efforts of the hard-pressed Japanese in the early morning following. Then, organizing a 17-man patrol-and here is the tribute to those who are not here "he immediately advanced upon a strategic slope essential to the security of his position and, defying intense mortar, machinegun, and rifle fire which struck down 13 of his men"-that is, 13 of 17-"drove relentlessly forward with the remnants of his patrol to seize vital ground." So, for the committee and for all of us, I want to pay tribute not only to him, the survivor, who has come to this position, but to those who didn't make it through this battle. Their memory is sacred to all of us, I am sure, certainly written high in the annals and heritage of our great country. It has always been-unfortunate, but it is truenecessary for some men to die in just this way. It has been so more recently and will be in the future, which is an admonition for us here at this table certainly to carry on our part to see that they are prepared. Without objection, I will include in the record at this point, members of the committee, General Wilson's service record, this citation, and other relevant matters. [The material follows:] NOMINATION REFERENCE AND REPORT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, April 30, 1975. Ordered, That the following nomination be referred to the Committee on Armed Services: Lt. Gen. Louis H. Wilson, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, to be Commandant of the Marine Corps with the rank of general for a period of 4 years pursuant to title 10, United States Code, section 5201. May 6, 1975. Reported by Mr. Stennis with the recommendation that the nomination be confirmed. 66 MEDAL OF HONOR as Commanding Officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Fonte Hill, Guam, Mariana Islands, July 25 and 26, 1944. Ordered to take that portion of the hill within his zone of action Captain Wilson initiated his attack in midafternoon, pushed up the rugged, open terrain against terrific machine-gun and rifle fire for 300 yards and successfully captured the objective. Promptly assuming command of other disorganized units and motorized equipment in addition to his own company and one reinforcing platoon, he organized his night defenses in the face of continuous hostile fire and, although wounded three times during the five-hour period, completed his disposition of men and guns before retiring to the company command post for medical attention. [Shortly thereafter when the enemy launched the first of a series of savage counterattacks lasting all night, he voluntarily rejoined his besieged units and so forth repeatedly exposed himself to the merciless hail of shrapnel and bullets, dashing fifty yards into the open on one occasion to rescue a wounded Marine lying helpless beyond the front lines. Fighting fiercely in hand-to-hand encounters, he led his men in furiously waged battle for approximately ten hours, tenaciously holding his line and repelling the fanatically renewed counterthrusts until he succeeded in crushing the last efforts of the hard-pressed Japanese early in the following morning. Then, organizing a seventeen-man patrol, he immediately advanced upon a strategic slope essential to the security of his position and, boldly defying intense mortar, machinegun, and rifle fire, which struck down thirteen of his men, drove relentlessly forward with the remnants of his patrol to seize the vital ground.] By his indomitable leadership, daring combat tactics and dauntless valor in the face of overwhelming odds, Captain Wilson succeeded in capturing and holding the strategic high ground in his regimental sector, thereby contributing essentially to the success of his regimental mission and to the annihilation of 350 Japanese troops. His inspiring conduct throughout the critical periods of this decisive action enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." LT. GEN. LOUIS H. WILSON, USMC Lieutenant General Louis H. Wilson, holder of the Nation's highest honor for heroism in combat, the Medal of Honor, assumed his current assignment as Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, Sept. 1, 1972. Louis Hugh Wilson was born Feb. 11, 1920, in Brandon, Miss., the son of the late Louis H. and Bertha B. Wilson. After graduating from Brandon elementary and secondary schools, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1941 from Millsaps College at Jackson, Miss., where he participated in football and track. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in May 1941, was assigned to active duty that June, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in November 1941. His first assignment after completing officers' basic training was at San Diego, Calif., where he joined the 9th Marine Regiment. He went overseas with the 9th Marines in February 1943, stopping at Guadalcanal; Efate; New Hebrides, Bougainville; British Solomon Islands; and returning to Guadalcanal. In action on Guam July 25 and 26, 1944, he earned the Medal of Honor for repelling and later destroying a massive Japanese force while commanding Company F of the Second Battalion, 9th Marines. Because of wounds (three) he received in that battle, he was evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego. On Oct. 15, 1944, he returned to duty as Commanding Officer of Company D, Marine Barracks, Camp Pendleton, Calif. In December 1944, he was transferred to Washington, D.C., where he served as Detachment Commander of the Marine Barracks. While serving in Washington, he was formally presented the Medal of Honor by President Truman. He was promoted to captain in June 1943 and to major in March 1945. In June 1946, Maj. Wilson was assigned to the Marine Corps Institute in Washington, D.C., where he served successively as Dean and Assistant Director. His next assignment was to Pearl Harbor where he served as Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General A. H. Turnage, Commanding General of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Returning to the United States in January 1949, he assumed duties as Officer in Charge, District Headquarters Recruiting Station, New York City, remaining there until August 1951. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in November 1951 while stationed at Quantico, Va., where he served consecutively as Commanding Officer of the Basic School's 1st Training Battalion, Commanding Officer of Camp Barrett, and Executive Officer of The Basic School all prior to completing the officers' Senior Course in August 1954. After a brief tour as a Senior School Instructor, he departed for Korea to serve as Assistant G-3, 1st Marine Division. Returning to the United States with the division, he filled the post of Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, until August 1955, when he was named Commanding Officer of the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines. In March 1956, LtCol. Wilson was again assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps where he served for two years as Operations Officer, G-3 Division. Upon completion of that tour, he returned to Quantico and served first as Commanding Officer of the Training and Test Regiment, Basic School, until June 1960, when he was designated Commanding Officer of The Basic School. He was promoted to colonel in July 1960. From August 1961 until June 1962, Col. Wilson attended the National War College in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation, he was assigned in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Plans and Programs), at Headquarters Marine Corps |