Louis Robertshaw Louis Bentham Robertshaw ( August 1 , 1912 - July 14 , 2003 ) was an American football player and lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps . He flew combat missions in World War II and the Korean War and flew an F - 4D Phantom fighter in the Vietnam War as commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . He received three Distinguished Flying Cross es , 11 Air Medal s , the Navy Distinguished Service Medal , and the Legion of Merit with Combat " V . " Biography . Early years and collegiate football . Robertshaw graduated from Haverford Township High School in Havertown , Pennsylvania in 1930 . He entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis , Maryland in 1932 , played center for Navy Midshipmen football team and was selected as a third - team All - American in 1935 . Early career . After graduating from the United States Naval Academy , Robertshaw was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in June 1936 . He was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where he completed The Basic School for Marine Corps officers in June 1937 . He served with the 6th Marine Regiment in Shanghai , China , and participated in the defense of the International Settlement in Shanghai from October 1937 to February 1938 . In July 1939 , he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant while serving in China with the 2nd Battalion , 4th Marines . In August 1940 , Robertshaw was assigned to the Naval Academy in Annapolis , where he served as the Executive Officer of the Marine Detachment and as a coach for the Navy Midshipmen in football and basketball . In October 1941 , while serving as an instructor at the Philadelphia Navy Yard , Robertshaw was promoted to the rank of captain . World War II . In February 1942 , two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor , Robertshaw entered flight school at the Pensacola Naval Air Station . He completed the course in August 1942 and became a naval aviator with the rank of major . In October 1942 , Robertshaw was assigned to serve at Noumea in New Caledonia . He assumed command of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 132 ( VMSB - 132 ) , an SBD Dauntless dive bomber squadron , in December 1942 , after the prior commanding officer became a casualty . At the end of October 1942 , VMSB - 132 landed at Henderson Field , Guadalcanal . Upon arrival , they became part of the Cactus Air Force and fought during the Battle of Guadalcanal until December 1942 when they were relieved by VMSB - 233 . Robertshaw ' s unit moved to Espiritu Santo where they became part of the Strike Command of the 13th Air Force , responsible for attacking nearby enemy bases and shipping and giving what was then considered close support to front - line units . The squadron returned to Guadalcanal in June 1943 . Robertshaw was awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross es and six Air Medals for his service in World War II , including an air attack on a group of Japanese transports in which Robertshaw scored a direct hit on one transport and severely damaged land installations in the area of the Solomon Islands in November and December 1942 . Robertshaw was promoted to lieutenant colonel in December 1943 . In January 1944 , Robertshaw returned to the United States where he became the commanding officer of Marine Base Defense Group 41 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California . In June 1945 , he was assigned to serve as Assistant G - 3 , Aircraft , Fleet Marine Force Pacific at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa , Hawaii . He was later assigned to serve as Marine Aviation Officer on the staff of the Commander of Naval Activities in Japan . Post - war assignments . Robertshaw returned to the United States in July 1946 and served at the Marine Corps Air Stations in Miramar , California , El Toro , and Willow Grove , Pennsylvania . He later served in the Division of Aviation at Marine Corps Headquarters . He was promoted to the rank of colonel in February 1951 . Korean War through the early 1960s . In August 1952 , Robertshaw was sent to Korea , where he became the commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 33 ( MAG - 33 ) . He flew 77 missions in Korea from September 1952 to May 1953 , flying an F9F Panther jet while stationed at Pusan Air Base . For his service in the Korean War , Robertshaw was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat " V , " a third Distinguished Flying Cross , and five Air Medals . From July 1954 to August 1956 , Robertshaw served on the staff of the Commander in Chief , Pacific ( CINCPAC ) at Pearl Harbor . From 1956 to 1957 , Robertshaw was a member of the Advanced Research Group , Marine Corps Educational Center , in Quantico . Beginning in 1957 , he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff , G - 3 , and later Chief of Staff of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 2nd MAW ) , at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina . During 1957 , Robertshaw also served as the Marine Corps Liaison Officer during Operation Deep Water in Turkey . In November 1959 , Robertshaw became the Assistant Wing Commander , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni , Japan . Upon his return from Japan he became the Commander of Marine Air Reserve Training at Naval Air Station Glenview , Illinois . Vietnam War . During the Vietnam War , he flew an F - 4D Phantom fighter and served as commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Da Nang , then as the Marine liaison for the Chief of Naval Operations . He rose to the rank of lieutenant general and was the Inspector General of the Marine Corps from July 1967 to March 1969 . He was the deputy chief of staff for manpower at Headquarters Marine Corps when he retired in 1971 . Personal life . Robertshaw died of cancer in 2003 at age 90 . He was survived by his wife , Marjo Robertshaw and four sons , Larry , Chad , David and Dan . Awards . Robertshaw received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal , the Legion of Merit with combat " V " and the Distinguished Flying Cross with two gold stars .