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Japanese forces in the vicinity of
Matanikau, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 September 1942. With the only other field officer of the battalion killed that morning, and with his men greatly outnumbered and almost completely surrounded by the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Griffith moved forward to a position where he could reconnoiter the ground in front of him, in order to effectively employ the troops and weapons under his command. While on this mission, he was painfully wounded by an enemy sniper bullet. Refusing to relinquish command of his troops or leave them without a field officer to control the situation, he returned to his post and personally directed the movements of the battalion throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Later, when relieved by a superior officer, he was finally evacuated to a hospital. By his outstanding leadership, great personal courage, and utter disregard for his own safety in a desperate situation, he maintained the confidence of his subordinate officers and the morale of his troops who fought valorously throughout the remainder of the day. By his dauntless leadership, sustained valor and self-sacrificing devotion to duty under critical combat conditions, Lieutenant Colonel Griffith upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
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operations against an armed enemy while
Commanding the FIRST Marine Raider Battalion in the attack on an enemy shore battery at Enogai Point, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, from 7 to 10 July 1943. Colonel Griffith frequently went alone on reconnaissance through areas covered by enemy fire as he skillfully led his battalion in its advance through swamp and dense jungle toward the objective. Although his men had been without food or water for thirty-six hours, his brilliant leadership and courage infused them with fresh energy to deliver paralyzing blows in the final assault during which four naval guns were seized and 350 of the enemy were killed. The outstanding heroism and skill displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Griffith on this occasion reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.
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The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Blair Griffith, II (MCSN: 0–4436), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military
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in 1963. The latter is much more than a mere translation. It incorporates numerous ancient
Chinese commentaries on "The Art of War," and also culls a variety of ancient sources for the chapters on Sun Tzu's biography, the evolution of the text, the Warring States period, ancient warfare, and a
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in
Newport from 1947 to 1950. From 1951 to 1952, he was chief of staff, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and from 1953 to 1956, General Griffith was on the staff of the U.S. Commander in Chief, Europe. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1956, after completing more than 25 years of active service.
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The
President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Blair Griffith, II (MCSN: 0–4436), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service while leading the FIRST Marine Raider Battalion against enemy
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From 1946 to 1947, he held staff positions in
Qingdao, China, giving him a front-row seat to observe the escalating Chinese Civil War. After participating in the post-World War II occupation of North China, where he commanded the
241:. Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1929, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Prior to World War II, he took part in the
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comparison with Mao Zedong's military thought. The word choice is perhaps evocative of both the hard work of translation and of the author's experiences at
Guadalcanal and New Georgia.
438:, and Marine Corps Schools. General Griffith was a life member of the 1st Marine Raider Association and the 1st Marine Division Association. He died unexpectedly on March 27, 1983, in
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and retired from service in 1956. After his retirement, Griffith wrote several books and numerous articles on military history and lectured widely. He died on March 27, 1983, in
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and a member of the
Institute for Defense Studies in London. General Griffith published widely in such journals as
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in 1961. With an interest in China and the Chinese language dating back to pre-World War II days, he translated
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Edson's Raiders: The 1st Marine Raider Battalion in World War II
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709:"FROM MAKIN TO BOUGAINVILLE: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War"
540:. Champaign, Illinois, US: University of Illinois Press. 1976.
506:. Champaign, Illinois, US: University of Illinois Press. 1963.
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and served as executive officer and later commander of the 1st
209:(May 31, 1906 – March 27, 1983) was a brigadier general in the
288:. For his exploits in July in New Georgia, he was awarded the
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
688:"BRIGADIER GENERAL SAMUEL BLAIR GRIFFITH II, USMC (DECEASED)"
426:. He has also lectured widely at such establishments as the
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Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle
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524:. New York, NY, USA: BPC McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1967.
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History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II
753:"First Offensive: The Marine Campaign For Guadalcanal"
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Hough, Frank O.; Ludwig, Verle E.; Shaw, Henry I. Jr.
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United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
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217:. He served in and commanded Marine units in the
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532:. New York, NY, US: Praeger Publishers. 1966.
476:. Praeger Publishers. 1963. ASIN: B000BWCGJ0.
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821:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
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757:Marines in World War II Commemorative Series
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337:and later the U.S. Marine Forces in
312:Distinguished Service Cross citation
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826:People from Lewistown, Pennsylvania
390:Griffith also wrote the definitive
237:Griffith was born May 31, 1906, in
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538:The War for American Independence
362:) and was awarded his D.Phil. in
718:. Marine Corps Historical Center
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400:In Defense of the Public Liberty
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733:"Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal"
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773:"The Guadalcanal Campaign"
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645:. New York: Random House.
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392:The Battle for Guadalcanal
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274:New Georgia
270:Guadalcanal
146:Banana Wars
795:Categories
712:(brochure)
604:References
368:Mao Zedong
278:Navy Cross
186:Navy Cross
75:Allegiance
46:1906-05-31
722:March 19,
698:March 19,
317:Citation:
301:Citation:
100:1929–1956
762:July 25,
637:(1990).
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482:Sun, Wu
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