Alan Shapley Lieutenant General Alan Shapley ( February 9 , 1903 - May 13 , 1973 ) was a United States Marine Corps officer who survived the sinking of the USS " Arizona " during the World War II Attack on Pearl Harbor , and went on to serve with distinction in the Pacific Theater and later in the Korean War . He was awarded the Silver Star for his gallantry on December 7 , 1941 , and later the Navy Cross for his extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Guam . His last command was as the commanding general of the Fleet Marine Force , Pacific . The general , who competed in football , basketball and track at the U . S . Naval Academy , was active in athletics throughout his career . He coached and played on the All - Marine Corps football teams of 1927 and 1928 , refereed U . S . Fleet boxing events for three years , and coached or participated in football , basketball , baseball and boxing at most of his duty stations before World War II . Early years . Alan Shapley was born on February 9 , 1903 in New York City . His early schooling was received at Vallejo , California , and he was graduated from the Peddie School at Hightstown , New Jersey in 1922 . He then entered the U . S . Naval Academy where he was a star football player . He graduated from the Academy on June 2 , 1927 , receiving his commission as a Marine second lieutenant . Marine Corps career . After further training at the Academy , duty at Quantico , Virginia , and completion of the Marine officers ' Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard , Lieutenant Shapley sailed for Hawaii in January 1929 to begin almost three years of duty at the Marine Barracks , Pearl Harbor . He returned to the United States in October 1931 , and served in various capacities at San Diego , California before taking command of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS " San Francisco " in January 1934 . He was promoted to first lieutenant that same month . Detached from the " San Francisco " in June 1936 , he returned to Quantico where he served as aide - de - camp to the Commanding General of the Marine Barracks . He was promoted to captain in July 1936 . In June 1937 , Captain Shapley entered the Junior Course of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico . He completed the course in May 1938 , and was ordered to San Francisco , California as aide - de - camp to the Commanding General , Department of the Pacific . After serving in that capacity until July 1939 , he served as Operations , Training and Intelligence Officer of the Department of the Pacific until May 1940 . A month later he departed for Hawaii where he took command of the Marine Detachment on the USS " Arizona " . He was promoted to major in August 1941 . World War II . On December 7 , 1941 , Major Shapley was the senior Marine on board the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor . The previous day , he had been relieved as detachment commander , but had stayed on the ship to play on the ship ' s baseball team ' s scheduled game against the " Enterprise " team . When a torpedo hit the port bow of the " Arizona " , Shapley was thrown from the foremast at least 100 feet through the air into the water ; he was able to swim to Ford Island and to rescue two shipmates along the way . He was one of eight Marine Corps survivors from the " Arizona " , becoming the ranking Marine Corps officer in the Pacific at the time . For his gallantry on that day , he was awarded the Silver Star . Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor , he sailed for San Diego to become personnel officer to the Amphibious Corps , Pacific Fleet . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in August 1942 . Lieutenant Colonel Shapley assumed a similar post with I Marine Amphibious Corps in October 1942 , and that same month he sailed with the 1st Corps for the Pacific area . Shapley was the commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion from March 22 , 1943 to August 30 , 1943 . He then commanded the 2nd Marine Raider Regiment ( Provisional ) , which included the 2nd Raider Battalion , in the fighting at Bougainville , earning the Legion of Merit with Combat " V " for outstanding service at Bougainville in November 1943 . After the Bougainville campaign , Shapley organized the new Fourth Marines from the disbanded Raider battalions , which he commanded at Emirau , Guam , and Okinawa . He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism as a lieutenant colonel , commanding the Fourth Marines ( Reinforced ) on Guam from July 21 to August 10 , 1944 . His Navy Cross citation states in part : During the Battle of Okinawa , Colonel Shapley lead the 4th Marines in the capture of Naha airfield . He was awarded a second Legion of Merit with Combat " V " for outstanding service at Okinawa from April to June 1945 . He was promoted to colonel in November 1944 . After World War II . Following the Okinawa campaign , Colonel Shapley returned to the United States in July 1945 to become Assistant Inspector in the Inspection Division at Marine Corps Headquarters , Washington , D . C . In that capacity , he accompanied Admiral William F . Halsey on an official goodwill tour of Central and South America from June to August 1946 , receiving decorations from Chile and Peru during that assignment . In September he entered the National War College in Washington . After graduation from the War College in June 1947 , Colonel Shapley served for two years at Norfolk , Virginia as Assistant Chief of Staff , G - 3 ( Operations and Training ) , of Fleet Marine Force , Atlantic . Subsequently , he was ordered to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego in June 1949 , and after serving as personnel officer of the depot , became its chief of staff in September 1949 . In January 1951 , Colonel Shapley was ordered again to Washington where he served on the International Planning Staff of the Standing Group , North Atlantic Treaty Organization , until June 1953 . Korean War . In 1953 Shapley was ordered to Korea ; he served as Chief of Staff , 1st Marine Division , earning the Bronze Star with Combat " V " for meritorious achievement during this period . For subsequent service as Senior Advisor to the Korean Marine Corps , he was awarded the Republic of Korea ' s Ulchi Medal with Silver Star . 1954 to retirement . From Korea , Colonel Shapley was ordered to Japan in May 1954 . He served there as Commanding Officer and , subsequently , Commanding General , Troop Training Team , Amphibious Group , Western Pacific . He was promoted to brigadier general in July 1954 . In July 1955 , on his return to the United States , General Shapley became Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California . Following his detachment from the 1st Division in May 1956 , he commanded the Recruit Training Command at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for a brief time prior to being ordered to the Far East . Upon his promotion to major general in September 1956 , he assumed duties on Okinawa as Commanding General , 3rd Marine Division , Fleet Marine Force . General Shapley returned to the United States in July 1957 , reporting to Headquarters Marine Corps , Washington , as Director of the Marine Corps Reserve . After holding this post for over two years , he returned to the West Coast in November 1959 , and served as Commanding General , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , until March 1961 . He was promoted to his final rank of lieutenant general in April 1961 upon assuming duties as Commanding General , Fleet Marine Force , Pacific , with headquarters at Camp H . M . Smith , Hawaii , and served in this capacity until his retirement on July 1 , 1962 . Medals and decorations . A complete list of the general ' s medals and decorations included : Final days . Lieutenant General Shapley died from a lung tumor on May 13 , 1973 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland at age 70 .