Lawrence H . Livingston No relation to Major General James E . Livingston , USMC ( Ret ) Major General Lawrence H . Livingston ( born November 5 , 1940 ) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer . Livingston is a highly decorated combat veteran — receiving the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War , as well as the Silver Star , the two Legions of Merit , four Bronze Stars and five Purple Heart s . Biography . Lawrence Livingston was born on November 5 , 1940 , in Defiance , Ohio , he attended Defiance College prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1960 and was initially assigned to Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . In late 1966 , he was transferred to the 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam , where he served as a squad leader , platoon sergeant , platoon commander and company gunnery sergeant . Ordered to Officer Candidate School , Quantico , Virginia , after the Tết Offensive in 1968 , then a staff sergeant , he was commissioned via the Meritorious NCO Program . Upon completion of The Basic School in 1968 , he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division , 5th MEB , and 3rd Marine Division , where he served as a platoon commander . General Livingston was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego , California , as company commander and battalion and regimental operations officer . He attended Chapman College and received a B . A . degree in both Economics and Business Administration . In late 1976 , he was assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Division , where he served as company commander , battalion operations officer , and battalion executive officer . He was subsequently reassigned to Director of Division Schools . During this tour , he was promoted to major in July 1978 . Upon completion of the Armed Forces Staff College , Norfolk , Virginia , in 1980 , General Livingston was assigned to Marine Corps Combat Development Command ( MCCDC ) , Quantico , where he served as Tactics Group Chief and Operations Officer of The Basic School until May 1983 . His next assignment was Operations Officer , Marine Aircraft Group 15 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1983 . Ordered to the 2nd Marine Division , Camp Lejeune , upon completion of his exchange assignment , he served briefly as Regimental Executive Officer of the 6th Marine Regiment and then two years as Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion , 4th Marines . From 1986 to 1987 , he was a student at the National War College in Washington , D . C . He was next assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps , where he served as Head of both the Joint Strategic Planning Branch and the Eastern Regional Branch of the Plans Division . While at Headquarters , he was promoted to colonel in September 1989 . He was assigned duty as the Commanding Officer , 6th Marines at Camp Lejeune in 1990 . His regiment spearheaded the assault into Kuwait and the recapture of Kuwait City for the 2nd Marine Division during Operation Desert Storm . While serving in this capacity , he was selected in December 1991 for promotion to brigadier general . General Livingston was assigned duty as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Structure Implementation , Plans , Policies and Operations Department , Headquarters , Marine Corps in February 1992 . He assumed duties as the Commanding General , Marine Corps Base , Camp Lejeune , North Carolina , in July 1992 . He was advanced to his final grade in February 1995 . He assumed his last assignment in June 1995 as the Commanding General , 2nd Marine Division , Marine Forces , Atlantic , Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . MajGen Livingston retired from the Marine Corps on November 1 , 1997 . Awards and honors . His personal decorations include : Navy Cross citation . LIVINGSTON , LAWRENCE H . Captain , U . S . Marine Corps Advisor ( Attached ) , 1st Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion Date of Action : July 11 , 1972