Charles F . B . Price Charles F . B . Price ( September 18 , 1881 - January 23 , 1954 ) was a Lieutenant General of the United States Marine Corps , who saw service during Cuban Pacification , Spanish - American War , World War I and World War II . Retired Marine Lieutenant General Charles F . B . Price , who was awarded the Legion of Merit by Admiral Chester W . Nimitz , in recognition of his " outstanding work in successfully coordinating and supervising the defense of the Samoan Islands , " died in 1954 at the age of 72 in the Naval Hospital in San Diego . " The expeditious manner in which he carried out his assignment was a material contribution toward the success of the South and later Central Pacific offensives . " Early Life and Early Career . Price was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in February 1906 and ordered to the School of Application at Annapolis , Maryland for instruction . Within six months the revolt in Cuba heated up , and President Theodore Roosevelt ordered a Marine expeditionary force to Cuba in September . This force included Price , and he remained in Cuba with the Army of Pacification until 31 December 1908 . Two months before transferring back to stateside duty , he was promoted to first lieutenant . In January 1909 , Lt Price served at the Marine Barracks , Navy Yard , Washington , D . C . , for a brief period before being ordered to expeditionary duty in Central America . After serving in Nicaragua a few months , the expedition settled in Panama in 1910 during the construction of the Panama Canal . Price returned to the United States in April 1910 , and was ordered to duty at the Rifle Range , Winthrop , Maryland . He assumed command of that post a few months after his arrival . He served in this position for three years and then three more at Winthrop , Maryland , as Adjutant of the Basic School for Marine Officers at Portsmouth , Virginia . He also went on temporary foreign shore duty in Mexico , where he took part in the landing of Marines at Vera Cruz during the Mexican Intervention of 1914 . Price received his promotion to captain on 25 September 1916 . Two months after his promotion , he became Commanding Officer , Marine Detachment , USS Arkansas . World War I . Price was promoted to Major in May , 1917 and sailed for Brest , France in October , 1918 . After the armistice , Price remained in France as the commander of the 15th Separate Battalion , that had been organized for expeditionary duty in Europe . Upon his return to the U . S . he entered the Field Officers ' Course , Marine Corps Schools , Quantico , Virginia , and graduated in June , 1922 . He eventually received diplomas from the Line and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , for the years 1922 and 1923 where he also served several months as an instructor in the Department of Tactics at the Marine Corps Schools . Inter - War Period . When the United States Asiatic Fleet began maneuvers in the Hawaiian Islands in 1925 , General Price was temporarily detached from Quantico in order to participate . Following the exercises he was assigned to duty as Post Intelligence Officer and Officer in Charge of Operations and Training with the Marine Detachment at the American Legation in Peking , China . He returned to Quantico in September 1927 . Following the signing of peace in Nicaragua , Price helped supervise the elections . He joined the Second Brigade Marines in Nicaragua in July , 1928 as a member of the American Electoral Mission . For his outstanding work he received praise from President Calvin Coolidge , the Secretary of State and from the Nicaraguan Government . This type of work also took the Price back to Nicaragua in 1930 , 1931 , and 1932 . He was advanced to lieutenant colonel in October 1931 . Price assumed command of the Rifle Range , Quantico from December 1932 to August 1934 , and he had participated in fleet maneuvers aboard the at Culebra , Puerto Rico . China Duty . Lt Col Price joined the Fourth Marines at the American Legation in Shanghai , China on 25 April 1935 and served there during the Sino - Japanese fighting until November 1938 . The Secretary of the Navy awarded him the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his excellent tact , judgement , initiative , and administrative ability of a high order , in handling the situation at Shanghai , where the major Chinese forces defending Shanghai made their last stand . Following his return to the U . S . , the president promoted him to brigadier general effective 1 August 1940 while he served as a member of the Naval Examining Board at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington , DC . World War II . On 15 February 1941 then Brigadier General Price assumed command of the Department of the Pacific with headquarters in San Francisco . On 1 November 1941 he was placed in command of the Second Marine Division in addition to his duties in San Francisco . The president promoted him to major general on 1 February 1942 at the conclusion of this assignment . He assumed command of the Defense Force , Samoan Group , in April 1942 . In May 1944 , he assumed command of the San Diego Area , and later to his last command at the Marine Training and Replacement Command . He entered the retired list on 1 October 1945 . On 25 October 1948 he was advanced on the retired list to Lieutenant General for having been specially commended in the performance of duty in actual combat .