=Division Commander=:
Brig. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., USMC
7-11Sept44.
Maj. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. USMC
12Sept44 to 23Dec45.
Maj. Gen. Archie F. Howard, USMC
24Dec45 to 31Mar46.
=Assistant Division Commander=:
Brig. Gen. William T. Clement, USMC
11Nov44 to 31Mar46.
=Chief of Staff=:
Col. John T. Walker, USMC
7Sept to 16Nov44.
Col. John C. McQueen, USMC
17Nov44 to 16Feb46.
Col. Harry E. Dunkelberger, USMC
17Feb to 31Mar46.
=Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1=:
Major Addison B. Overstreet, USMCR
7Sept44 to 22Jul45.
Col. Karl K. Louther, USMC
23Jul to 17Nov45.
Lt. Col. Frederick Belton, USMC
18Nov45 to 31Mar46.
=Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2=:
Lt. Col. August Larson, USMC
7Sept to 30Sept44.
Major William R. Watson, Jr., USMCR
1Oct to 9Nov44.
Lt. Col. Thomas E. Williams, USMCR
10Nov44 to 16Feb46.
Lt. Col. Carl V. Larsen, USMC
17Feb to 31Mar46.
=Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3=:
Lt. Col. Thomas A. Culhane, Jr., USMC
7Sept to 10Nov44.
Lt. Col. Victor H. Krulak, USMC
11Nov44 to 26Oct45.
Lt. Col. Wayne H. Adams, USMC
27Oct to 31Dec45.
Lt. Col. George W. Killen, USMC
1Jan to 31Mar46.
=Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4=:
Lt. Col. August Larson, USMC
1Oct44 to 17May45.
Lt. Col. Wayne H. Adams, USMC
18May45 to 31Dec45.
Lt. Col. Samuel R. Shaw, USMC
1Jan to 31Mar46.
=CO Hq Bn=:
Lt. Col. Floyd A. Stephenson, USMC
(Activated 25Sept44)
25Sept44 to 31Mar46.
=CO Service Troops=:
Lt. Col. Floyd A. Stephenson, USMC
(Activated 24Oct44)
24Oct to 11Nov44.
Col. William W. Orr, USMC
12Nov44 to 3Dec45.
=CO 6th Motor Transport Bn=:
Major Ernest H. Gould, USMCR
(Activated 23Sept44)
23Sept44 to 30Mar45.
Lt. Col. Ernest H. Gould, USMCR
30Mar to 24Jul45.
Lt. Col. Robert E. McCook, USMC
25Jul45 to 31Mar46.
=CO 6th Service Bn=:
Lt. Col. Floyd A. Stephenson, USMC
(Activated 24Oct44)
24Oct to 12Nov44.
Major Charles N. Hulvey, Jr., USMCR
13Nov to 17Dec44.
Lt. Col. Erma A. Wright, USMC
18Dec44 to 26Jan45.
Lt. Col. George B. Bell, USMC
27Jan to 26Mar45.
Lt. Col. Alexander N. Entringer, USMC
27Mar45 to 19Mar46.
Lt. Col. Robert E. McCook, USMC
20-31Mar46.
=CO 6th Medical Bn=:
Lt. Comdr. John S. Cowan, USN(MC)
(Activated 24Nov44)
24Nov44 to 18Jun45.
Commander John S. Cowan, USN(MC)
19Jun45 to 27Jan46.
Lt. Comdr. Rich H. Pembroke, USNR(MC)
28Jan to 26Mar46.
=CO 6th Engineer Bn=:
Capt. Wm. C. McLaughlin, USMC
(Activated 1Nov44)
1-13Nov44.
Major Elliot B. Robertson, USMC
14Nov to 28Dec44.
Major Paul F. Sackett, USMCR
29Dec44 to 23Jul45.
Major Robert S. Mayo, USMC
24-31Jul45.
Major Paul F. Sackett, USMCR
1Aug to 22Sept45.
Lt. Col. Orin C. Bjornsrud, USMC
23Sept45 to 25Mar46.
=CO 6th Pioneer Bn=:
Lt. Col. Samuel R. Shaw, USMC
(Activated 10Nov44)
10Nov44 to 10May45.
Major John G. Dibble, USMC
11May to 22Jun45.
Lt. Col. Samuel R. Shaw, USMC
23Jun to 21Oct45.
Lt. Col. Harry A. Schmitz, USMC
22Oct45 to 31Mar46.
=CO 6th Tank Bn=:
Major Harry T. Milne, USMC
29Sept to 16Oct44.
Lt. Col. Robert L. Denig, Jr., USMC
17Oct44 to 26Mar46.
=CO 15th Marines=:
Col. Wilburt S. Brown, USMC
(Activated 23Oct44)
23Oct to 17Nov44.
Lt. Col. Robert B. Luckey, USMC
18Nov to 23Dec44.
Col. Robert B. Luckey, USMC
24Dec44 to 15Mar46.
=CO 4th Marines=:
Col. Alan Shapley, USMC
7Sept44 to 3Jul45.
Lt. Col. Fred D. Beans, USMC
4Jul45 to 28Jan46.
=CO 22d Marines=:
Col. Merlin F. Schneider, USMC
(Activated Jun42)
7Sept44 to 16May45.
Col. Harold C. Roberts, USMC
17May to 18Jun45.
Lt. Col. August Larson, USMC
19-24Jun45.
Col. John D. Blanchard, USMC
25Jun45 to 31Mar46.
=CO 29th Marines=:
Col. Victor F. Bleasdale, USMC
(Activated 1May44)
7Sept44 to 14Apr45.
Col. William J. Whaling, USMC
15Apr45 to 31Mar46.
APPENDIX “C”
Sixth Marine Division Insignia
The basic design for the shoulder patch of the Sixth Marine Division was
submitted by Colonel Victor Bleasdale of the Twenty Ninth Marines. The
design as finally adopted, incorporated ideas of Corporal Michael W.
Pawl and Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. The artist who actually
drew and colored the design was Lieutenant George Thompson.
The outside diameter of the patch is three inches and the diameter of
the inner circle is two and one fourth inches. Embroidered on the red
outer border are the words Melanesia—Micronesia—Orient. Superimposed
upon a crusader sword in the center of the patch is a one and a quarter
inch block numeral “6”, two inches long. The shading of the “6” is in
the same color as the outer border. The “6” and the lettering of the
words on the border is golden yellow. Cobalt blue is the color of the
center background and the crusader sword is silver white.
To commemorate the fighting in the Solomons of the Raider Battalions,
from which the Fourth Regiment was formed, the word Melanesia was
chosen. Similarly, the word Micronesia commemorates the fighting of the
Twenty Second Marines at Eniwetok, the First Provisional Brigade on
Guam, and the First Battalion, Twenty Ninth Marines, at Saipan.
The board of officers, representing all units of the division, which
adopted the patch selected the word Orient for two reasons: First,
because China was the home of the old Fourth Marine Regiment, lost in
the early days of the war on Bataan. The Raider Battalions were the
units used to reactivate the Fourth Marines. The second reason advanced
by the board was, that it was their belief that in its final stages, the
war against Japan would have to be fought in the Orient. It is
significant that the division took part in the last campaign, which was
fought on Okinawa, and, as predicted, in the Orient.
The crusader’s sword was chosen as a symbol of the Sixth Marine
Division’s crusade against the tyrannical principles of the axis powers.
In a special order, dated 17 October 1944, General Shepherd brought the
insignia into official existence.
● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
○ Footnotes have been moved to follow the lectures in which they are
referenced.