William P . Upshur Major General William Peterkin Upshur ( October 28 , 1881 – July 21 , 1943 ) was the recipient of his nation ' s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in 1915 during the Haitian Campaign . Biography . William Upshur was born October 28 , 1881 in Richmond , Virginia and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute ( VMI ) in 1902 . After graduating from VMI he was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on February 1 , 1904 and subsequently served aboard several vessels of the United States Navy , at foreign stations throughout the world , and at various posts and stations in the United States . His foreign shore duty included service with an expeditionary force to Havana , Cuba , in October 1906 , and duty at Camp Evans , Deer Point , Guantanamo , Cuba , from January 9 , to February 8 , 1907 . He again was detailed to expeditionary duty with a force of Marines on the Isthmus of Panama from June 19 , to August 8 , 1908 . Arriving at Olongapo , Philippine Islands , in January 1912 , he joined the 1st Brigade of Marines and was again detached in February 1914 , this time to the Marine Detachment , American Legation , Peking , China , where he served until October 16 , 1914 . On August 4 , 1915 , he assumed command of the 15th Company , 2nd Regiment , Port - au - Prince , Haiti , where he participated in engagements against Haïtian rebels known as cacos . Decorations earned during this deployment included the Haitian Campaign Medal and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal . For his bravery during six day mission against the cacos , he was awarded the Medal of Honor . He was one of six men , including Smedley Butler to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during the occupation of Haiti . When the United States entered World War I , he was again detailed for foreign shore duty , this time with the 13th Regiment in France from September 1918 to August 1919 , during which time he was in command of the American Military Prison , Casino des Lilas , Bordeaux and the American Guard Camp . He was on temporary duty at the Naval Station , Saint Thomas , U . S . Virgin Islands , in July and August 1921 . He also served in Haiti for a period of two years with the 1st Brigade of Marines , from 1922 - 24 . In January and March 1929 , he was on temporary duty as Chief Umpire , Fleet Training Exercise No . 5 , Culebra , Puerto Rico , and again in January , February , and March 1940 . In September 1939 he was assigned to the Marine Corps Base , San Diego , California . In addition to his foreign shore stations he served aboard the , , , and the . Other duties consisted of Commandant of the Marine Corps Schools at the Marine Barracks , Quantico , Virginia ; Director of the Marine Corps Reserve ; on duty with the War Plans Division , Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , Navy Department ; and as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Base in San Diego . He was a graduate of the Marine Corps School of Application , the Army Command and General Staff School , Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , and of the Army War College and the Naval War College . His last station of duty was that of the Department of the Pacific , where he served as Commanding General with headquarters in San Francisco , California , from January 1 , 1942 until the time of his death . Major General Upshur died from injuries suffered in a July 21 , 1943 airplane crash near Sitka , Alaska , while on an inspection tour of his command which included Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands . In September 1948 , his remains were removed from his Alaskan burial plot and reinterred at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis , Maryland . Honors and awards . A partial list of Upshur ' s awards includes : Medal of Honor citation . Citation : In company with members of the Fifteenth Company of Marines all mounted , Captain Upshur left Fort Liberte , Haiti , for a 6 - day reconnaissance . After dark on the evening of 24 October 1915 , while crossing the river in a deep ravine , the detachments was suddenly fired upon form three sides by about 400 Cacos concealed in bushes about 100 yards from the fort . The Marine detachment fought its way forward to a good position , which it maintained during the night , although subjected to a continuous fire from the Cacos . At daybreak , Captain Upshur , in command of the three squads which advanced in three different directions , led his men forward , surprising and scattering the Cacos , and aiding the capture of Fort Dipitie . Other honors . Camp Upshur , dedicated to Medal of Honor recipient Captain William P . Upshur , was a training area in Virginia for the Basic School / ROC during World War II . It became the official location of the Basic School in 1947 and remained in that capacity until 1958 . The , a troop and dependent transport which was placed into service with the Military Sea Transportation Service ( MSTS ) during the Korean War , was named in his honor .