page_title: Leonard B. Cresswell
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Leonard B. Cresswell / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: From left to right: Lieutenant colonel Leonard B. Cresswell (1st Battalion), Lieutenant colonel Edwin A. Pollock (Executive Officer 1st Marines), Colonel Clifton B. Cates (Commanding Officer 1st Marines), Lieutenant colonel William N. McKelvy (3rd Battalion) and Lieutenant colonel William W. Stickney (2nd Battalion) at Guadalcanal, October 1942.
context_page_description: Leonard Baker Cresswell was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 1st Marines during Guadalcanal Campaign. Cresswell later served as commanding general of Troop Training Unit, Atlantic Fleet and completed his career as Director of the Staff of the Inter-American Defense Board.
context_section_description: At the beginning of July 1941, Cresswell was promoted to the rank of major and transferred to the staff of 1st Marine Division as adjutant to commanding general, Philip H. Torrey. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, division began with the preparation for deployment to South Pacific and got the new division commander, Major General Alexander Vandegrift in March 1942.
  Cresswell was subsequently promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 1st Marines under Colonel Clifton B. Cates. The 1st Marine Division deployed to South Pacific in June 1942 and remained on New Zealand for few weeks, before moved to Koro Island, Fiji to rehearse for Guadalcanal Operation.
  The 1st Marines landed on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, and captured nearby airfield during the first day. During the night on August 21, Japanese troops launched a counteroffensive and attacked 2nd Battalion positions between Ilu and Tenaru rivers. Although dense jungle and difficult terrain made it impossible for the tanks assigned to his command to effect a crossing of the river, Lieutenant Colonel Cresswell advanced with his battalion to the other side of the Tenaru and, by the skillful disposal of his men over a large area, attacked the rear of enemy's regiment, succeeded in annihilating the Japanese force between the Ilu and the Tenaru Rivers with a minimum loss to his unit. The Japanese lost almost 770 soldiers killed in action as they attempted to cross the Tenaru River to gain control of the vital Henderson Airfield. Cresswell was decorated with the Navy Cross for his service on Tenaru.
  First Marine Division was ordered to Australia for rest and refit in December 1942, and Cresswell was appointed executive officer of 5th Marine Regiment under Colonel John T. Selden in January 1943. His tour of duty in the Pacific ended in September of that year, when he was ordered back to the United States. His old superior, Clifton B. Cates, who was meanwhile promoted to the rank of brigadier general and now served as commandant of the Marine Corps Schools Quantico, requested for Cresswell to be attached to his staff.
  Cresswell was subsequently appointed commander of the Reserve Officers School, which trained and sent to combat duty all newly commissioned Marine Corps Reserve officers. He served in that capacity until January 1945, when he was appointed commander of Platoon Leaders School. Cresswell also took part in the training of officers of the Royal Netherlands Marine Brigade and received Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau, rank Commander.
  In May 1945, Cresswell returned to the Pacific Area and assumed command of 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division again under General Clifton B. Cates. However regiment did not see combat anymore and Cresswell served on Maui, Hawaii until the end of war. During October 1945, 23rd Marines relocated to Camp Pendleton, where they were disbanded during the following month.
caption: From left to right: Lieutenant Colonel Leonard B. Cresswell (1st Battalion), Lieutenant Colonel Edwin A. Pollock (Executive Officer 1st Marines), Colonel Clifton B. Cates (Commanding Officer 1st Marines), Lieutenant Colonel William N. McKelvy (3rd Battalion) and Lieutenant Colonel William W. Stickney (2nd Battalion) on Guadalcanal, October 1942
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