Thomas R . Morgan General Thomas R . Morgan ( born January 6 , 1930 ) served as the Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from June , 1986 until he retired on July 1 , 1988 after completion of more than 36 years of active service . Biography . Thomas R . Morgan was born on January 6 , 1930 in Allentown , Pennsylvania . He completed high school in Slatington , Pennsylvania in 1948 . Morgan graduated from Colgate University in Hamilton , New York , earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science in 1952 . He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity . He also holds an Master of Arts degree in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia , Charlottesville , Virginia ( June 1973 ) . Morgan was commissioned a Marine Corps second lieutenant on June 6 , 1952 and entered The Basic School , Quantico , Virginia . Following Basic School , he was ordered to flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1954 . Ordered to MCAS El Toro , California , he served as Assistant Maintenance Officer of Marine Night Fighter Squadron 542 , Marine Aircraft Group 15 , 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing , El Toro . In July 1955 , he was ordered to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the Western Pacific and served as Personnel Officer of Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513 , Marine Aircraft Group 11 , and subsequently as Aide - de - Camp to the Commanding General of the Wing . He was promoted to captain in August 1955 . He returned to Hawaii for duty as Aide to the Deputy Commander , Fleet Marine Force ( FMF ) , Pacific from July 1956 to July 1957 and was then assigned as Assistant Operations Officer of Marine Attack Squadron 214 , Marine Aircraft Group 13 , at Marine Corps Air Station , Kaneohe Bay . General Morgan was ordered to NAS Olathe , Kansas in January 1959 as a flight instructor in the Navy ' s Jet Transitional Training Unit . When the unit was disestablished in October 1959 , he reported for duty to Marine Aircraft Group 32 , at Marine Corps Air Station , Beaufort , South Carolina . He served as Personnel Officer and Aircraft Maintenance Officer of Marine Fighter Squadron 333 until November 1961 . Ordered to WestPac , he served as Executive Officer , Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 11 , Marine Aircraft Group 11 , NAS Atsugi , Japan until January 1962 . From January 1962 to July 1965 , he served as the Fleet Liaison Officer at Marine Corps Air Station , Yuma , Arizona , coordinating aviation weapons training . He was promoted to major in July 1963 . Reassigned to Quantico , he entered the Command and Staff College , completing the course in June 1966 . Morgan was ordered to Marine Aircraft Group 32 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Beaufort , South Carolina in July 1966 , where he served as Group Operations and later as Commanding Officer , Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July 1967 . In August 1968 , he reported to Marine Aircraft Group 13 at Chu Lai , serving as Group Operations Officer and then as Officer - in - Charge of the DaNang DASC in Vietnam . He returned to the United States in September 1969 and was assigned as Executive Officer of Marine Corps Air Station , Quantico , and later as G - 3 Marine Corps Base . From July 1971 until July 1973 , he was assigned to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit at the University of Virginia , where he served as Executive Officer . Promoted to colonel in July 1973 , General Morgan was ordered to the U . S . European Command Headquarters in Stuttgart , Germany , where he served as the Chief of War Plans Branch , J - 5 . He remained in that position until he was assigned duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements and Programs , Headquarters Marine Corps , Washington , D . C . While serving in this capacity , he was selected in February 1977 for promotion to brigadier general . He was promoted to brigadier general on March 18 , 1977 and assumed duty as Assistant Division Commander , 3rd Marine Division , on Okinawa , Japan from April 1977 to April 1978 . On June 17 , 1978 , he was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff C - 5 of the Combined Forces Command , Seoul , Korea . He served in this capacity until assuming duty as Deputy Commander , FMF , Pacific , Camp H . M . Smith , Hawaii , in July 1980 . On May 1 , 1981 , Morgan was promoted to major general with date of rank of August 1 , 1977 . He was assigned duty as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements and Programs , Headquarters Marine Corps on May 26 , 1981 . On June 13 , 1985 , he was advanced to lieutenant general and assumed the duty as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans , Policies and Operations . He was assigned additional duties as Acting Chief of Staff on November 16 , 1985 . General Morgan was nominated by the President to the grade of general and assignment as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in March 1986 . Upon advancement to general on June 1 , 1986 , he assumed his final assignment . He retired on July 1 , 1988 after completion of more than 36 years of active service . Awards and decorations . General Morgan ' s personal awards and decorations include :