page_title: John R. Lanigan
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: John R. Lanigan / Early career
caption_attribution_description: English: Title: John Lanigan, U. of Md. Abstract/medium: 1 negative&#160;: glass&#160;; 4 x 5 in. or smaller
context_page_description: John Ralph Lanigan was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. He is most noted as commanding officer of 25th Marine Regiment during Battle of Iwo Jima. Lanigan was a recipient of the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat.
context_section_description: John R. Lanigan was born on April 16, 1902, in Washington, D.C. His parents were James Michael Lanigan (b. 1856, Limerick, Ireland d. 1909, District of Columbia, USA) and Jennie L Finnegan (b. 1863 White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier, West Virginia, USA d. 1938 District of Columbia, USA. John was the 7th of eight children. He studied at the University of Maryland and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in the summer of 1926. During his time on the university, he was active in varsity football team and was known as “a substitute lineman whose aggressive play featured in nearly every game.”
  Lanigan was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on July 15, 1926, and ordered to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for further officer training. He completed the school in February 1927 and assumed duties with Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia,  where he was a member of All-Marine Corps football team.
  He was transferred to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. in October 1927 and remained there until March of the following year, when he sailed as a member of 2nd Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Logan Feland to Nicaragua. While in the Caribbean, Lanigan participate in skirmishes with Sandino rebels at San Lucas, San Juan del Río Coco and Chipote Peak.
  Lanigan returned to the United States in February 1929 and assumed duty with Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. He was subsequently ordered for his first sea duties in May 1930, when he was attached to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship USS California. While aboard that ship, he participated in the patrol cruises in the Pacific Ocean until October 1932, when he was ordered back to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.
  He was then stationed in Cape May, New Jersey from April to October 1934 and then served again in Washington, D.C. until February 1935, when he was ordered to Shanghai, China as a member of 4th Marine Regiment under the command of Colonel John C. Beaumont. Lanigan participated in guard duties in the Shanghai International Settlement until September 1937 and then returned to the United States.
  Lanigan was ordered to the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico and completed the Junior course in June 1939. He then served as an instructor at the Basic School  for officers at Philadelphia Navy Yard until August 1942.
caption: Lanigan while playing as lineman for the University of Maryland.
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