Ray A . Robinson General Ray Albert Robinson ( June 1 , 1896 - March 26 , 1976 ) was a United States Marine Corps general who served in the Corps more than 40 years . His long and colorful career included service in France during the First World War ( as Aide - de - Camp to Smedley D . Butler ) , action at Guam and Iwo Jima in World War II , sea duty , and China service between World Wars . He also served in 1929 as Officer in Charge of the Marine Detachment which built President Herbert Hoover ' s Rapidan Camp mountain retreat near Criglersville , Virginia . Robinson twice earned the Legion of Merit with Combat " V " during World War II — the first for outstanding service in July and August 1944 , as Chief of Staff of the 3d Marine Division during the planning and execution of the recapture of Guam ; and the second for outstanding service from October 1944 to March 1945 , as Chief of Staff of the 5th Marine Division during the preparation and combat phases of the Iwo Jima campaign . After the Iwo Jima campaign General Robinson was made Assistant Commander of the 5th Marine Division , earning the Bronze Star for his service in that capacity during the occupation of Japan . Biography . Ray Albert Robinson was born on June 1 , 1896 , in Los Angeles , California , where he attended the University of Southern California before enlisting in the Marine Corps on May 21 , 1917 . After completing his recruit training he was commissioned a second lieutenant on October 9 , 1917 , and during the next year , he completed the course at the Officer ' s Training School , Quantico , Virginia , and joined the newly activated 13th Marine Regiment . World War I . After intensive training with the 13th Marines he embarked with that regiment for France in September 1918 . Overseas he saw service as Aide - de - Camp to Brigadier General Smedley D . Butler . Inter - war years . Robinson returned from France in July 1919 , and was stationed at Quantico until September 1921 . He sailed shortly afterward to begin a two - year tour of duty at the Marine Barracks , Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . Returning to the Mainland in December 1923 , he served briefly at Headquarters , Department of the Pacific , San Francisco , California , before he was ordered to San Diego , California , in February 1924 . There he served in a number of capacities , including duty with the Staff of the Commanding General , Western Mail Guard , during a wave of railway mail robberies . On completing that assignment , he joined the 4th Marine Regiment in January 1927 , sailing with that unit for China the following month . In China , he later served on the staff of the Commanding General , 3rd Marine Brigade , at Shanghai , and at Tientsin as the Chinese Koumingtang Army advanced northward . Robinson returned from China in March 1929 , and the following month , he reported to Quantico , where he was attached while serving that summer as Officer in Charge of the Marine Detachment at President Hoover ' s summer camp . In September 1929 , he entered the Company Officers Course in the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico , which he completed in June 1930 . He then served briefly at San Diego before going to sea in October 1930 , as commander of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS " Colorado " . Completing that tour of duty in September 1932 , he was ordered to the Marine Barracks at the Puget Sound Navy Yard , Bremerton , Washington , where he served in various capacities for almost three years . In August 1935 , Robinson was again ordered to Quantico , where he served as Post Maintenance Officer and Safety Engineer before entering the Senior Course in August , 1938 . Graduating in May 1939 , he was ordered once more to China . There he served successively as Executive and Operations Officer of the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy , Peiping ; as commander of the Marine Detachment at Tientsin , and as commander of Marine Forces , North China , and the embassy detachment at Peiping . He returned to the United States in June 1941 , and the following month , he reported to Marine Corps Headquarters , Washington , D . C . , to become Assistant Officer in Charge of the Personnel Section , Division of Plans and Policies . He took charge of that section in April 1942 . Thus , in 1942 , when the Commandant of the Marine Corps issued orders to recruit and train African Americans , the task of recruiting and training new African - American Marines fell to then - Colonel Robinson . Robinson sought the help of the Selective Service in this task . He served in the Personnel Section until October 1943 , when he named Officer in Charge of the Operations and Training Section . World War II . Leaving Washington in January 1944 , the Robinson embarked for the Pacific theater , where he became Chief of Staff of the 3rd Marine Division the following month . He was named Chief of Staff of the 5th Division in October 1944 , serving in that capacity until June 1945 , when he was named Assistant Commander of the 5th Division . He returned with that division from Japan in December 1945 , and after the division was disbanded , he went back overseas in March 1946 , as Fleet Marine Officer on the Staff of the Commander in Chief , Pacific Ocean Area . He held that position until September 1946 , when he became Chief of Staff , Fleet Marine Force . Post - war service . In August 1947 , Robinson reported again to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington , where he served as Director of the Division of Plans and Policies for almost two years . After that he was Inspector General of the Marine Corps from July 1949 , until June 1950 , when he took command of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . He served in that capacity until December 1951 , and subsequently , as Commanding General of Camp Lejeune until August 1952 , when he was appointed Commanding General of the Department of the Pacific at San Francisco , California . He left San Francisco in June 1954 , and two months later was ordered to The Hague as Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group to the Netherlands . Transferred to Norfolk in October 1956 , the Robinson served there as Commanding General of Fleet Marine Force , Atlantic , from November 1 , 1956 until his retirement from the Marine Corps on November 1 , 1957 . He was advanced to four - star rank on retirement by reason of having been specially commended for heroism in combat . General Robinson died in Seattle , Washington , on March 26 , 1976 at age 79 . Awards and decorations . General Robinson ' s awards include :