thedrifter
04-01-06, 06:58 AM
Kenneth J. Houghton -- 'a Marine Corps legend'
- Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, April 1, 2006
Kenneth J. Houghton, a retired Marine Corps major general who was one of the country's most dedicated military officers, died Monday of natural causes at his home in La Jolla (San Diego County). He was 85.
Gen. Houghton, who was born and raised in San Francisco, distinguished himself in three wars. He spent 35 years in the Marines, rising through the ranks to command two Marine divisions.
"He was a Marine Corps legend,'' said retired Maj. Gen. Michael Myatt, president of the Marines' Memorial Association in San Francisco.
Gen. Houghton participated in some of the most important campaigns in Marine Corps history -- the invasions of Japanese-held islands in the Pacific in World War II, and the battles for the Pusan Perimeter and the capture of Seoul in the Korean War.
Kenneth Houghton was born in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 1920, and as a young man was a batboy for the Seals baseball team. He graduated from Polytechnic High School and earned a degree in political science and economics from the University of San Francisco in 1942.
He immediately joined the Marine Corps and was selected for Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Va. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and was shipped to the South Pacific, where he saw action at the bloody invasion of Tarawa Island in the Marshall Islands and on Saipan. By the end of 1944, he was a captain.
At the conclusion of the war, he was assigned to sea duty as commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard a Navy cruiser.
When the Korean War began in 1950, he was a rifle company commander at Camp Pendleton (San Diego County). He and his men were shipped to the Far East and thrown into the desperate battles to hold the so-called Pusan Perimeter against the invading North Korean forces. He was a member of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade -- which was called the Fire Brigade because it was sent to the hottest part of the fighting. The Fire Brigade was credited with the first defeats of North Korean forces in the war.
Once the perimeter was held, American forces staged an end run around the North Korean defenses with a daring landing at Inchon, not far from Seoul. Once again Capt. Houghton distinguished himself. Enemy forces had destroyed the bridges across the vital Han River, on the approaches to Seoul, and Capt. Houghton's reconnaissance forces were sent on the risky mission of feeling out the North Korean defenses across the river. Capt. Houghton and his handpicked men swam across the river and overpowered enemy sentries, paving the way for the Marines to cross the waterway in force.
He was wounded in that action, and received the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals for gallantry in Korea.
After a series of assignments, he was promoted to colonel in 1964, and in 1967, was commanding officer of the 5th Marine Regiment in Vietnam. He had a major role in Operation Union near Que Son, an action that was considered an important victory at the time. He also commanded another action, called Operation Union II, an intense battle that included South Vietnamese forces.
The 5th Marines received a presidential unit citation awarded in person by President Lyndon Johnson in a ceremony at the White House in 1968. Col. Houghton received the Navy Cross, a gold star in lieu of a second Bronze Star and two other awards in lieu of a second and third Purple Heart. He was promoted to brigadier general in the summer of 1968 and to major general in 1973. He also held the Legion of Merit with a Combat V, and several South Vietnamese medals.
He later commanded both the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Marine Division, and was commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego at the time of his retirement in 1977.
Gen. Houghton is survived by two sons, Samuel Houghton of San Clemente (Orange County), and Kenneth Houghton of Kauai, Hawaii; two daughters, Pamela Robles of Honolulu and Penny Dudek of Solana Beach (San Diego County); and six grandchildren.
A memorial service for Gen. Houghton will be held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego at 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
Rest In Peace
Ellie
- Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, April 1, 2006
Kenneth J. Houghton, a retired Marine Corps major general who was one of the country's most dedicated military officers, died Monday of natural causes at his home in La Jolla (San Diego County). He was 85.
Gen. Houghton, who was born and raised in San Francisco, distinguished himself in three wars. He spent 35 years in the Marines, rising through the ranks to command two Marine divisions.
"He was a Marine Corps legend,'' said retired Maj. Gen. Michael Myatt, president of the Marines' Memorial Association in San Francisco.
Gen. Houghton participated in some of the most important campaigns in Marine Corps history -- the invasions of Japanese-held islands in the Pacific in World War II, and the battles for the Pusan Perimeter and the capture of Seoul in the Korean War.
Kenneth Houghton was born in San Francisco on Oct. 17, 1920, and as a young man was a batboy for the Seals baseball team. He graduated from Polytechnic High School and earned a degree in political science and economics from the University of San Francisco in 1942.
He immediately joined the Marine Corps and was selected for Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Va. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and was shipped to the South Pacific, where he saw action at the bloody invasion of Tarawa Island in the Marshall Islands and on Saipan. By the end of 1944, he was a captain.
At the conclusion of the war, he was assigned to sea duty as commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard a Navy cruiser.
When the Korean War began in 1950, he was a rifle company commander at Camp Pendleton (San Diego County). He and his men were shipped to the Far East and thrown into the desperate battles to hold the so-called Pusan Perimeter against the invading North Korean forces. He was a member of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade -- which was called the Fire Brigade because it was sent to the hottest part of the fighting. The Fire Brigade was credited with the first defeats of North Korean forces in the war.
Once the perimeter was held, American forces staged an end run around the North Korean defenses with a daring landing at Inchon, not far from Seoul. Once again Capt. Houghton distinguished himself. Enemy forces had destroyed the bridges across the vital Han River, on the approaches to Seoul, and Capt. Houghton's reconnaissance forces were sent on the risky mission of feeling out the North Korean defenses across the river. Capt. Houghton and his handpicked men swam across the river and overpowered enemy sentries, paving the way for the Marines to cross the waterway in force.
He was wounded in that action, and received the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals for gallantry in Korea.
After a series of assignments, he was promoted to colonel in 1964, and in 1967, was commanding officer of the 5th Marine Regiment in Vietnam. He had a major role in Operation Union near Que Son, an action that was considered an important victory at the time. He also commanded another action, called Operation Union II, an intense battle that included South Vietnamese forces.
The 5th Marines received a presidential unit citation awarded in person by President Lyndon Johnson in a ceremony at the White House in 1968. Col. Houghton received the Navy Cross, a gold star in lieu of a second Bronze Star and two other awards in lieu of a second and third Purple Heart. He was promoted to brigadier general in the summer of 1968 and to major general in 1973. He also held the Legion of Merit with a Combat V, and several South Vietnamese medals.
He later commanded both the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Marine Division, and was commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego at the time of his retirement in 1977.
Gen. Houghton is survived by two sons, Samuel Houghton of San Clemente (Orange County), and Kenneth Houghton of Kauai, Hawaii; two daughters, Pamela Robles of Honolulu and Penny Dudek of Solana Beach (San Diego County); and six grandchildren.
A memorial service for Gen. Houghton will be held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego at 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
Rest In Peace
Ellie