The Presidency: Marines’ Marine

Of all the fine fighting men of the U.S. Marine Corps, few have performed with greater gallantry and dogged skill under fire than a stocky (5 ft. 9 in., 175 Ibs.), spectacled Indianian named David Monroe Shoup. Right after he was made colonel in 1943, Dave Shoup (rhymes with troop) led the 2nd Marine Regiment in storming Tarawa, won the Medal of Honor. Last week, selecting a successor to retiring General Randolph Pate, 61, as Marine Corps Commandant, President Eisenhower passed over five lieutenant generals and four senior major generals, named Major General Shoup, 54.

Dave Shoup’s Medal of Honor citation describes a marines’ marine: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty . . . although suffering from a serious, painful leg wound . . . Colonel Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to terrific, relentless artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire … He assumed command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant, withering enemy fire during the next two days conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions . . . Colonel Shoup was largely responsible for the final, decisive defeat of the enemy . . .” Shoup’s first sergeant in that fight said it more simply: “He is the bravest, nerviest, best soldiering marine I have ever met.”

Out of Battle Ground. Marine Shoup was born in Battle Ground, Ind. (pop. 640), so named because it was there, in 1811, that General William Henry Harrison defeated Tecumseh’s Indians in the battle of Tippecanoe. A farmer’s son, he worked his way through nearby DePauw University, graduated (’26) as an “A” student with an ROTC Army commission, switched to the Marines. He married his childhood sweetheart, Zola De Haven (they have two grown children), stood peacetime duty on a dozen posts from Peiping to Iceland. In World War II he saw combat on Guadalcanal, New Georgia, Saipan, Tinian.

Since the war, Shoup has held almost every key post in the corps, including those of fiscal director (’53-56), inspector general (’56-57), commander of the ist Marine Division (’57-58), of the 3rd Division (’58-59) and, most recently, of the recruit depot at Parris Island, S.C.

Pass the Ammunition. As a marines’ marine, Shoup is not much of a speech-maker—but he has a way of making himself understood. His battle report from Tarawa was a classic: “Our casualties heavy. Enemy casualties unknown. Situation: we are winning.” His view of orders received: “If we can read it, we can do it.” When tapped to help establish the Marine Corps’ Fiscal Division, he went into isolation for days, emerged with a staff study that impressed everyone. Asked how he did it, he told the story of a sculptor who carved an elephant without ever having seen one: he simply knocked off all the pieces that did not look like an elephant.

Last week, facing Washington newsmen after the announcement of his appointment as commandant, Shoup was asked to name his favorite pastime. His answer came swiftly—and in the best Marine tradition. “Shooting,” said Dave Shoup. “It has a pretty direct relationship to my profession.”