Product Code Database
Holland McTyeire " Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a General officer in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern United States amphibious warfare. His nickname, "Howlin' Mad" Smith, had been given to him by his troops in the Dominican Republic in 1916.p.87 Hearn, Chester G. Marines: An Illustrated History : The U.S. Marine Corps from 1775 to the 21st Century Zenith Imprint, 15/11/2007
On the eve of World War II, General Smith directed extensive Army, United States, and Marine amphibious training, which was a major factor in successful U.S. landings in both the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. He subsequently helped prepare U.S. Army and Canadians troops for the Kiska and Attu Island landings, then led the V Amphibious Corps in the assaults on the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, the island of Saipan, and Tinian in the Marianas.
During the Marianas operation, besides the V Amphibious Corps, he commanded all Expeditionary Troops, including those that recaptured Guam. He then served as the first commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and headed Task Force 56 (Expeditionary Troops) at Iwo Jima, which included all the assault troops in that battle.
In April 1906, after completing the School of Application at Annapolis, Maryland, Smith sailed for the Philippines, where he served on expeditionary duty with the 1st Marine Brigade until September, 1908. He returned to the United States the following month and was stationed at the Marine Barracks, Annapolis, until December 1909, when he embarked for expeditionary duty in Panama. Returning from Panama in April 1910, he served at Annapolis, Puget Sound, Washington, San Diego, California, and the Recruiting Station, Seattle, Washington, before sailing in September 1912, to rejoin the 1st Marine Brigade in the Philippines.
He remained with the 1st Brigade until April 1914, when he took command of the Marine Detachment aboard . He served in that capacity in waters until July 1915. He returned to the United States the following month for duty at the Navy Yard, New Orleans, Louisiana. From there, he was ordered to the Dominican Republic in June 1916, as a member of the 4th Marine Regiment. During that unit's operations against native insurgents, he saw action in the march to Santiago and engagements at La Pena and Kilometer 29. Returning to the United States on May 30, 1917, he sailed for France and World War I just two weeks later as commander of the 8th Machine Gun Company, 5th Marines.
Smith was detached from the 5th Marines and sent to the Army General Staff College of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) at Langres, from which he graduated in February 1918. He was the first of only six Marines ever to complete this course. He was then named adjutant of the 4th Marine Brigade, which was a part of the U.S. Army's 2nd Division, serving in a relatively quiet sector, southeast of Verdun. During the fighting in and around Belleau Wood, he played "a vital though undramatic" role as brigade liaison officer, overseeing internal communications within the brigade. Transferred to the I Corps, First Army, in July 1918, he served as assistant operations officer in charge of liaison during the Aisne-Marne, Oisne-Aisne Offensive, St. Mihiel and Meuse–Argonne offensives. On 25 November 1918, two weeks after the Armistice with Germany, Smith was promoted to the temporary rank of major.p.38 Venzon, Anne Cipriano From Whaleboats to Amphibious Warfare: Lt. Gen. "Howling Mad" Smith and the U.S. Marine Corps Greenwood Publishing Group, 28/02/2003
After the Armistice, he participated in the March to the Rhine through Belgium and Luxembourg as an assistant operations officer with the U.S. Third Army; during the occupation of the Rhineland, he served with the General Staff, U.S. Army.
For his service at Belleau Wood, Smith was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm by the French government. He also received a Meritorious Service Citation from General John J. Pershing, commander-in-chief of the AEF, for which he was later awarded (in 1932) the Purple Heart, one of the first awarded for merit.
In February 1924, after serving at Marine Corps Headquarters and in the West Indies in connection with joint Army-Navy maneuvers, Smith joined the Marine Brigade on expeditionary duty in Haiti, serving as that unit's chief of staff and officer in charge of operations and training. He returned in August 1925 to serve as chief of staff of the 1st Marine Brigade at Quantico, Virginia. From September 1926 to June 1927, he was a student in the Marine Corps School, Quantico, then served as post quartermaster of the Marine Barracks, Philadelphia Navy Yard, from July 1927 to March 1931.
In April 1931, Smith began another tour of sea duty, this time aboard the as aide to the commander and Force Marine Officer of the Battle Force, U.S. Fleet. From June 1933 to January 1935, he commanded the Marine barracks at the Washington Navy Yard, then and served the following two years at San Francisco, California, as chief of staff, Department of the Pacific. He was ordered to Marine Corps Headquarters in March 1937 to serve two years as director of the Division of Operations and Training.
Smith served as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps under Major General Thomas Holcomb from April to September 1939, during which he was promoted to brigadier general.
Moving to San Diego in August 1942, the general took command of the Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, under which he completed the amphibious indoctrination of the 2d and 3d Marine Divisions before they went overseas, and the 7th Army Division and other units involved in the Aleutians operation. The Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet, was later redesignated the V Amphibious Corps, and in September 1943, as commander of that unit, Smith arrived at Pearl Harbor to begin planning for the Gilbert Islands campaign. Promoted to lieutenant general in February 1944, he continued to lead the V Amphibious Corps until August 1944, when he was named commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, at Pearl Harbor. Subsequently, he commanded the Fleet Marine Force. In addition to that post, he commanded Task Force 56 in the Battle of Iwo Jima before returning to the United States in July 1945 to head the Marine Training and Replacement Command at Camp Pendleton, California. Holland was known for the quote "In our corps without responsibility and discipline we would not have won the Battle of Iwo Jima."
While planning for the 1945 assault on Okinawa, U.S. Navy Admirals Raymond Spruance and Richmond Turner wanted Smith to command the invasion forces. They were overruled by Admiral Chester Nimitz, CINCPAC, because Smith had sacked a U.S. Army general, Ralph Smith, during the Saipan campaign, and justifiable animosity between senior U.S. Army staff existed towards Smith due to his service chauvinism. U.S. Army General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. was appointed to command the Okinawa invasion, with Buckner being killed during the battle.
Smith's wife, the former Ada B. Wilkinson, died in 1962. Following a long illness, Smith died on January 12, 1967, at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, California, aged 84. Funeral services were held on January 14 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Chapel. He was interred with full military honors in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery overlooking San Diego harbor and North Island. Smith was survived by a son, Rear Admiral John V. Smith.
| Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ three inch gold stars | Purple Heart Medal | |
| Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal w/ three inch service star | Mexican Service Medal | Dominican Campaign Medal |
| World War I Victory Medal w/ five campaign medal bar | Army of Occupation of Germany Medal | American Defense Service Medal w/ "BASE" clasp |
| American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ five bronze stars | World War II Victory Medal |
| Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath | Dominican Order of the First Merit | Croix de guerre (WWI) w/ palm |
There are two Marine Corps League Detachments in General Smith's name:
In the film Flags of Our Fathers, General Smith is portrayed by actor Gordon Clapp.
In 1964, Smith received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
|
|
