Lt. Gen. Victor H. "Brute" Krulak (January 7, 1913 – December 29, 2008)
Gen Krulak, nicknamed "Brute" for his direct, no-nonsense style, was a decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Legendary in the Corps, he is the father of the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak. Considered a visionary by Marines he authored First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps
Upon graduation from the Naval Academy he was commissioned a 2ndLt on 31 May, 1934. His early service included sea duty on the USS Arizona, duty at the Naval Academy and assignments with the 4th Marine Regiment in China (37-39). Additionally, he completed assignments with 6th Marines, 1st Marine Brigade and the 1st Marine Division prior to WWII.
Service during WWII
General Krulak volunteered for parachute training and was ordered to the Pacific as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Parachute Battalion. He saw action at Vella Levella with the 2nd New Zealand Brigade. In the fall of 1942 his battalion conducted a week-long diversionary raid on Choiseul Island to cover the invasion of Bougainville. He was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his action on Choiseul. Later in the war he served in the 6th Marine Division and participated in the Okinawa campaign and the surrender of Japanese forces in China for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit ("V") and the Bronze Star.
Post-war WWII
General Krulak's assignments following WWII included Commanding Officer, 5th Marines. He was the G-3, FMF PAC when the Korean War war began. He subsequently served in Korea as the Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Division.
In July of 1956 he was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as the Assistant Division Commander, 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa. He served from 1957-59 as the Director Marine Corps Education Center at Quantico. Promoted to Major General in 1959 he was assigned as the Commanding General Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
From 1962-64 General Krulak served as the Special Assistant for Counter Insurgency Activities on the Joint Staff. He was awarded his third Legion of Merit by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Maxwell D. Taylor.
Vietnam War
Promoted to Lieutenant General on 1 March 1964 he served as the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Pacific from 1964 until his retirement in 1968. Responsible for all Fleet Marine Force units in the Pacific, Gen Krulak made 54 trips to Vietnam.
General Krulak promoted the Spreading Inkblot Theory of small unit action to pacify South Vietnam village by village. He also called for intensive bombing of North Vietnam and the mining of Haiphong Harbor. His plans were rejected by Westmoreland and the Johnson Administration. He also opposed Westmoreland's decision to establish the Marine outpost at Khe Sanh.
Legacy
LtGen Krulak was the recipient of the U.S. Naval Academy's Distinguished Graduate award. The award honors alumni who have "provided a lifetime of service to the nation or armed forces, have made significant and distinguished contributions to the nation via their public service and have demonstrated a strong interest in supporting the Navy or Marine Corps and the United States Naval Academy. These individuals are the embodiment of the Naval Academy's mission to provide graduates who will be ready - to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government."
In 2007 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recounted "Krulak's was, of course, a legendary career: Navy Cross; counterinsurgency advisor to the Joint Staff; commander of the Fleet Marines in the Pacific during the Vietnam War; and father of a future Marine Commandant, Chuck Krulak.... Victor Krulak's story of accomplishments teach us a good deal:
-About learning from the experiences and setbacks of the past;
-About being open to take ideas and inspiration from wherever they come; and
-About overcoming conventional wisdom and bureaucratic obstacles thrown in one's path."
His book First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps
Resources
First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps
Victor H. Krulak dies at 95; retired Marine Lieutenant General
Remarks about General Krulak by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
Categories: Notable Leaders, Leadership ~ Books, Legacy
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