GENERAL
THOMAS R. MORGAN, USMC (RETIRED) 

 

General Thomas R. Morgan served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, from June 1986 until he retired on 1 July 1988 after completion of more than 36 years of active service. 

General Morgan was born 6 January 1930, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He completed high school in Slatington, Pennsylvania, in 1948, and entered Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, where he attained a B.A. degree in History and Political Science in 1952. He also holds an M.A. degree in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (June 1973). 

He was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant 6 June 1952 and entered The Basic School, Quantico, Virginia. Following Basic School, he was ordered to flight training at NAS, Pensacola, Florida, and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1954. Ordered to El Toro, California, he served as Assistant Maintenance Officer of Marine Night Fighter Squadron 542, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, El Toro. 

In July 1955, he was ordered to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the Western Pacific and served as Personnel Officer of Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513, Marine Aircraft Group 11, and subsequently as Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the Wing. He was promoted to captain in August 1955. He returned to Hawaii for duty as Aide to the Deputy Commander, FMF, Pacific, from July 1956 to July 1957 and was then assigned as Assistant Operations Officer of Marine Attack Squadron 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay. 

General Morgan was ordered to NAS, Olathe, Kansas in January 1959 as a flight instructor in the Navy's Jet Transitional Training Unit. When the unit was disestablished in October, 1959, he reported for duty to Marine Aircraft Group 32, at Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South Carolina. He served as Personnel Officer and Aircraft Maintenance Officer of Marine Fighter Squadron 333 until November 1961. Ordered to WestPac, he served as Executive Officer, Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 11, Marine Aircraft Group 11, NAS Atsugi, Japan until January 1962. 

From January 1962 to July 1965, he served as the Fleet Liaison Officer at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona, coordinating aviation weapons training. He was promoted to major in July 1963. Reassigned to Quantico, he entered the Command and Staff College, completing the course in June 1966. 

General Morgan was ordered to Marine Aircraft Group 32, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS, Beaufort, South Carolina, in July 1966, where he served as Group Operations and later as Commanding Officer, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July 1967. In August 1968, he reported to Marine Aircraft Group 13 at Chu Lai, serving as Group Operations Officer and then as Officer-in-Charge of the DaNang DASC in Vietnam. 

He returned to the United States in September 1969 and was assigned as Executive Officer of Marine Corps Air Station, Quantico, and later as G-3 Marine Corps Base. From July 1971 until July 1973, he was assigned to the NROTC Unit at the University of Virginia, where he served as Executive Officer. 

Promoted to colonel in July 1973, General Morgan was ordered to the U.S. European Command Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, where he served as the Chief of War Plans Branch, J-5. He remained in that position until he was assigned duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. While serving in this capacity, he was selected in February 1977 for promotion to brigadier general. He was promoted to brigadier general on 18 March 1977, and assumed duty as Assistant Division Commander, 3d Marine Division, on Okinawa, Japan, from April 1977 to April 1978. On 17 June 1978, he was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff C-5 of the Combined Forces Command, Seoul, Korea. He served in this capacity until assuming duty as Deputy Commander, FMF, Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, in July 1980. On 1 May 1981, he was promoted to major general with date of rank 1 August 1977. He was assigned duty as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Marine Corps on 26 May 1981. On 13 June 1985, he was advanced to lieutenant general and assumed the duty as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations. He was assigned additional duties as Acting Chief of Staff on 16 November 1985. 

General Morgan was nominated by the President to the grade of general and assignment as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in March 1986. Upon advancement to general on 1 June 1986, he assumed his final assignment. 

General Morgan's personal awards and decorations include: the Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; the Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. 

Assistant Commandants of the Marine Corps