Evening star., 1947-11-23
By Erunk Acosto, Jr.

The officer who will become COM
mandant Of the Marine Corps on
January l is an energetic man of "a
who hates to think of taking a job
that will keep him at a desk all day.
Maj. Gen Clifton B. Gates is
proudest of the fact that he has
commanded under fire during his
career every type of tactical unit
pla toon, company, regiment and di-
vision. He has been wounded seven
times durnig 10 major engagements
in two wars.
Gen. Gates, now commanding gen.
eral of the Marine Corps base at
Quantico, will become a four star
general and replace Gen. A. A. Van
degrift as head of the postwar corps
of l08, 900 officers and men.
A Marine by Accident.
One of the most decorated men of
the corps, Gen. Gates became Ma
rine by accident. In 1917 when he
was, as he puts it, "just country
boy from Tiptonville. Tenn, fin
ishing law school at the University
of Tennessee" some one told him
the university had received word OF
an opening for Marine officers
training. He had no idea what the
Marine Corps was, but he thought
he'd take shot at it anyway"
As a young second lieutenant of
the Second Division during World
War L the Tennessee boy was
awarded a. Distinguished Service
Gross, a Navy Cross, and two SPur-
Pile Hearts for seven wounds. -
Old Marine officers still remember
a message that the young lieutenant,
wounded himself, sent back to his
regimantal commander during a
tough spot in the Aisne-Marne Of
fensive of July, 1918. 1t read:
Il am in an old abandoned French
trench. I have only two men out of
my company and 20 out of some
other company. We need support
but it is almost suicide to try and
get it here as We are swept by ma
chine gun fire and constant ma
chine gun barrage is on us. I have
no one on my left and only few
on my right. l will hold"
His Pants Blown OFF.
After help was sent him the fol-
lowing day a regimental officer in
specting his company found 1t.
Gates with his pants blown off by
a shell, only the belt and a few
shreds below remaining. Yesterday
the same officer. now retired gen.
eral, sent Gen. Gates the following
message of congratulations:
"It is a far cry from the day in
July, 1918 when your pants were
shot off today when you are called
upon to occupy the best pants in the
Marine Corps"
Gen. Gates was married to Jane
McIlhenny of Washington, in 1920.
They have one son, Clifton B. Gates,
jr., lieutenant In the Navy sta
toned at Norfolk, and daughter,
Ann Willis Gates, II. who attends
school in Connecticut.
During the years Of peace Gen.
Gates served at various posts, in
cluding three years in China, aboard
ships of the feet. and at various
schools and stations in this country
Served at Guadalcanal.
Early in 1942 Gen. Vandegrift put
him in command of the 1st Marine
Division for the Guadalcanal cam
paign and he stayed through that
desperate battle until the end.
These were without doubt the
darkest days of the war" Gen. Gates
says. Especially the nights of Oc-
tober 13 and IA, 1912 when the Jap
battleships bombed us numerically
and their bombers followed the next
day"
Many OF the generals voluminous
personal notes on the Guadalcanal
campaign were used by Richard
Tregaskis in his book, "GuadalcanAl
Diary" =
Gen. Gates was ordered to assume
command of the 4th Marine Divi-
sion during its attack on Saipan and
Tinian. The following February he
led the 4th on to Two Jirna and re-
manned with the division until its
deactivation late in 1945, when he
was ordered to Quantico. -.
Like most Marines. Gen. Gates is