# 3961 - 2005 37c Distinguished Marines: John A. Lejeune
37¢ John Lejeune
Distinguished Marines
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 60,000,000
Printing Method: Lithographed
Color: Multicolored
Birth Of John A. Lejeune
Lejeune was the son of a Confederate Army Captain. He graduated second in his class from the US Naval Academy in 1888 before completing a two-year cruise as a midshipman. Lejeune was then appointed to Naval Engineering but wanted to join the Marines.
During World War I, Lejeune received the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre from the French and Distinguished Service Medals from the US Army and the Navy. He was the second Marine general to command an Army division – leading the US Army 2nd Division at the Battle of St. Mihiel.
On July 1, 1920, Lejeune was promoted to major general and made Commandant of the Marine Corps. Lejeune was determined to make the Marine Corps into an important amphibious force for expeditionary use by the Navy. As commandant, he emphasized equipping and training the Marines to be instantly ready to support the naval fleet in time of war, in the air, on land, and sea.
Lejeune, often called “the greatest of all leathernecks,” died on November 20, 1942. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is named in his honor.
37¢ John Lejeune
Distinguished Marines
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 60,000,000
Printing Method: Lithographed
Color: Multicolored
Birth Of John A. Lejeune
Lejeune was the son of a Confederate Army Captain. He graduated second in his class from the US Naval Academy in 1888 before completing a two-year cruise as a midshipman. Lejeune was then appointed to Naval Engineering but wanted to join the Marines.
During World War I, Lejeune received the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre from the French and Distinguished Service Medals from the US Army and the Navy. He was the second Marine general to command an Army division – leading the US Army 2nd Division at the Battle of St. Mihiel.
On July 1, 1920, Lejeune was promoted to major general and made Commandant of the Marine Corps. Lejeune was determined to make the Marine Corps into an important amphibious force for expeditionary use by the Navy. As commandant, he emphasized equipping and training the Marines to be instantly ready to support the naval fleet in time of war, in the air, on land, and sea.
Lejeune, often called “the greatest of all leathernecks,” died on November 20, 1942. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is named in his honor.