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Acquisition Information
Preferred Citation
Biographical Note
Scope and Content of Collection
Title: David Monroe Shoup papers
Date (inclusive): 1904-1983
Collection Number: 76027
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
31 manuscript boxes, 4 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder, 22 sound recordings, 9 motion picture film reels
(18.0 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Correspondence, memoranda, writings, printed matter, photographs, sound recordings, and motion picture film relating to the
Tarawa campaign, other World War II campaigns in the Pacific Theater, post-war activities of the Marine Corps, service as
the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Vietnam War.
Creator:
Shoup, David M. (David Monroe), 1904-1983
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1976.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], David Monroe Shoup papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
1904 |
Born, Battle Ground, Indiana |
1926 |
Graduate of DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana |
1926 July 20 |
Commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps |
1926-1941 |
Various postings within the Marine Corps, including an atypical post with the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933-1934; promoted
through ranks to Major
|
1942 |
Arrived in New Zealand; served as G-3, Operations and Training Officer of the 2nd Marine Division |
1943 |
Promoted to Colonel, placed in command of the 2nd Marines, the spearhead of the assault on Tarawa; earned the Medal of Honor
and a Purple Heart
|
1944 |
Served as Chief of Staff, 2nd Marine Division |
1944-1947 |
Returned to the U.S.; served as Logistics Officer, Division of Plans and Policies, Headquarters Marine Corps |
1947 |
Served as Commanding Officer, Service Command, Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Pacific |
1949 |
Served as Division Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California |
1950-1952 |
Commanding Officer of the Basic School, Quantico, Virginia |
1953-1955 |
Served as Fiscal Director of the Marine Corps |
1956-1957 |
Promoted to Major General, served as Inspector General for Recruit Training |
1957-1958 |
Served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, and 3rd Marine Division, Okinawa |
1959 |
Commanding General of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina |
1959 August 12 |
Nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to be the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps |
1960-1963 |
Served as 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps; promoted to four-star general rank; served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
1963 |
Retired to Arlington, Virginia; became an outspoken critic of the war in Vietnam |
1983 |
Died; buried in Arlington National Cemetery |
Scope and Content of Collection
The papers document the military career of World War II veteran General David S. Shoup, along with his post-military speaking
and writing, in personal files, correspondence, speeches, writings, sound recordings, and film footage.
Materials include documentation of the many military positions Shoup held as he steadily rose through the ranks of the Marine
Corps, taking on responsibilities in training, fiscal reorganization, and logistics, a process well described in his personal
files, correspondence, speeches, and photographs.
The collection also contains documentation relating to Shoup's World War II tours, particularly the assault against well-entrenched
Japanese defenders at Tarawa, where Shoup, as the senior officer ashore, directed the costly suppression of Japanese resistance.
Marines, landing on boats that often became lodged on coral reefs, had to wade in for hundreds of yards in the face of withering
fire. His heroism on Tarawa earned Shoup the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart. Materials about the campaign include a military
diary, photographs, research materials, and articles.
There is significant documentation of Shoup's tenure as the 22nd Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1960 to 1963 in speeches,
correspondence, and photographs. Shoup's leadership brought changes to the Marine Corps: he eliminated the use of swagger
sticks, minimized base ceremonies during commandant visits, and upgraded the combat readiness of all Marine units. Vietnam
became a pressing policy issue during this time, and Shoup opposed any commitment of U.S. combat forces in Southeast Asia.
After retirement, Shoup's skepticism about involvement in Vietnam deepened and became public as he wrote and spoke out about
his concerns. His writings and collected printed materials display his desire to speak out against escalating the Vietnam
War in the print media, as well as testifying before Congress.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Sound recordings
Motion pictures
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Ocean
Officers
Tarawa, Battle of, Kiribati, 1943
United States. Marine Corps
United States. Marine Corps. Marine Division, 2nd