page_title: Lewis J. Fields
section_title: Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: Lewis J. Fields / Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: English: Marine Corps Birthday 1969, Marine Corps Development and Educational Center Quantico, Commanding general Lewis J. Fields cutting the cake and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Wallace M. Greene (on the left) looks on.
context_page_description: Lewis Jefferson Fields was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He served with 1st Marine Division during Vietnam War and later as commanding general of United States Marine Corps Development and Education Command.
context_section_description: General Fields was ordered to Camp Pendleton, California, where he relieved Brigadier General Edward H. Hurst on August 11, 1965, as temporary commanding general of the 1st Marine Division. His division was transferred to Okinawa, Japan, on August 24 and Fields assumed the responsibilities as commanding general of Task Force 79 within U.S. Seventh Fleet at the same time.
  The several units of 1st Marine Division were deployed to South Vietnam during the rest of 1965 and participated in the amphibious operations as a part of Seventh Fleet landing force. Fields remained at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, where he oversaw the division's training for the combat deployment until the beginning of 1966. He ordered then the deployment of division headquarters at Chu Lai Base during March 1966 and assumed the Tactical area of responsibility over Chu Lai. He was also appointed deputy commander, III Marine Amphibious Corps under Lieutenant General Lewis W. Walt.
  Fields planned and directed Operation Hot Springs in April 1966, during which his Marines killed over 150 enemy soldiers and captured a large number of weapons. At the beginning of August 1966, he also launched Operation Colorado, focused on the Vietcong activity in Quế Sơn Valley. His last effort in Vietnam was the planning and coordination of the search and destroy mission Operation Fresno at the beginning of September 1966. Even though the operation produced modest results, Fields received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership. He also received the National Order of Vietnam, 5th Class and Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm from the government of South Vietnam.
  Major General Fields was relieved by Herman Nickerson Jr. on September 30, 1966, and returned to the United States under the rotation policy. He assumed command of the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California and participated in the training of all Marine reserve ground units. During March 1967, Fields assumed command of the 4th Marine Division and Camp Pendleton and continued in his work with training of reserve Marines.
  He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in July 1968 and relieved James M. Masters Sr. as commanding general of United States Marine Corps Development and Education Command at Quantico, Virginia. Fields received his second Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
  His official citation reads:
  ... Responsible for the education of all Marines, with particular emphasis on the professional training of Marine Corps officers in all aspects of amphibious operations, Lieutenant General Fields skillfully implemented a comprehensive, progressive program of basic, intermediate, and advanced instruction, contributing significantly to the high level of leadership and readiness of the Corps by providing highly competent commanders and staff officers for the air-ground forces. During this period, more than 26,000 Marines, as well as officers of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and over forty foreign countries, successfully advanced their military education and professional competence in courses of instruction that visibly reflected Lieutenant General Fields' own personal character, experience, and refined capacity for planning, organization, and management. Under his dynamic leadership, a Computer Science School initiated training of local personnel in programming and computer operations and provided professional education in computer science to selected officers and enlisted personnel in support of vital Marine Corps-wide systems requirements.
caption: Marine Corps birthday 1969, Marine Corps Development and Educational Center Quantico, Commanding general Lewis J. Fields cutting the cake and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Wallace M. Greene (on the left) looks on.
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385", "Image DateTime": "2016:11:02 09:55:50", "Image ExifOffset": "2200", "Image Padding": "[]", "EXIF Padding": "[]"}