LIEUTENANT GENERAL
JOHN C. MUNN, USMC (DECEASED) 

Lieutenant General John Calvin Munn, who served as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1960 to 1963, retired from active service in the Marine Corps, 1 July 1964. A 1927 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a veteran Marine aviator, General Munn served as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, from May 1963 until his retirement. On the occasion of his retirement, General Munn was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Commendation Medal by the Secretary of the Navy for outstanding service during his latter two assignments as well as for his distinguished contribution to the United States during over 37 years as a Marine officer. 

General Munn was born on 17 October 1906, at Prescott, Arkansas, and graduated from high school there in 1923. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy the same year and, upon graduation, was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant, 2 June 1927. In January 1928, after further instruction at Annapolis and completion of the Marine Officers' basic course at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, he joined the 2d Marine Brigade in Nicaragua. 

Returning from Nicaragua in September 1929, Lieutenant Munn reported to Quantico, Virginia, and during October and November served with the Marine detachment at former President Herbert Hoover's summer camp near Criglersville, Virginia. That December, he was designated a student Naval aviator and ordered to Hampton Roads, Virginia, for preliminary training. From there, he was assigned to Pensacola, Florida, in May 1930. Following his designation as a Naval aviator in January 1931, he remained at Pensacola for two months of advanced training, then served for six months at the Naval Air Station, San Diego, California. 

In October 1931, Lieutenant Munn joined Scouting Squadron 14-M, which went aboard the USS Saratoga the following month, as one of the first two Marine squadrons to serve aboard Navy carriers. He was promoted to first lieutenant in January 1934. He remained on the Saratoga until June 1934, then returned to San Diego. There, he joined Bombing Squadron 4-M for two years' duty aboard theLexington and Langley. Leaving the West Coast in June 1936, he was assigned aviation duty at Quantico. He was promoted to captain in August 1936. 

In May 1938, Captain Munn sailed for Colombia to served as Naval Attache and Naval Attache for Air, at the American embassies in Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru. 

He returned to the United States in March 1941,and was stationed briefly in Washington. In June, he was assigned to Marine Observation Squadron 151 of Marine Aircraft Group 11, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, at Quantico, and also saw duty aboard the Ranger. He was promoted to major in July 1941. 

Major Munn was ordered to San Diego with Squadron 151 in December 1941 when the United States entered World War II. In August 1942, upon his promotion to lieutenant colonel, he departed for the Pacific area. On 3 September 1942, he arrived on Guadalcanal in the first transport plane to land there. While on Guadalcanal, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, respectively. 

Lieutenant Colonel Munn was awarded the Navy Commendation Ribbon with Combat "V" for service on Guadalcanal. In March 1943, he assumed command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 in the New Hebrides. He returned to the United States in July 1943. From September 1943 until February 1945, he served in Washington as Assistant Head of the Aviation Planning Section, Headquarters, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. While serving in this capacity, he was promoted to colonel in November 1943. 

In March 1945, Colonel Munn returned to the Pacific area to take command of Marine Aircraft Group 31. This group, under his command, destroyed 180 Japanese planes in the Okinawa campaign. For service in this capacity, he was awarded both the Silver Star Medal and his first Legion of Merit with Combat "V". After the war's end, he commanded the group in Japan. He returned briefly to the United States in April 1946 for temporary duty in Washington. 

Colonel Munn reported to Pearl Harbor in June 1946 as Aviation Plans Officer on the staff of the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, and as Fleet Marine Officer. He returned from Hawaii in June 1948. During the next two years, he served at Cherry Point, North Carolina, as Commander of Marine Wing Service Group Two (Provisional), and Chief of Staff of Air, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, respectively. He entered the National War College, Washington, in August 1950, and graduated the following summer. 

In June 1951, Colonel Munn was named a member of the Joint Strategic Plans Group, Joint Staff. He served in that capacity until February 1952, when he was assigned to the Division of Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps, as Executive Officer and, later, as Assistant Director. 

Colonel Munn embarked for Korea in April 1953 to become Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. For outstanding service in that capacity, he was awarded his second Legion of Merit with Combat "V". On his return from Korea in April 1954, he assumed command of the Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. While there, he was promoted to brigadier general in August 1954. 

In October 1954, General Munn was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia, as Assistant Commanding General, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. Ordered to Washington in February 1955, he was assigned to the Office of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, as Marine Corps Liaison Officer, until October of the same year. He then served as Inspector General of the Marine Corps until January 1956, when he returned to Cherry Point to assume command of the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. He was promoted to major general in August 1956. 

Upon his detachment from Cherry Point in February 1958, General Munn became Director of Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps. 

On 1 January 1960, he assumed the post of Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, with the temporary grade of lieutenant general, and served in this capacity through March 1963. 

Assigned next to the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, he reverted to his permanent grade of major general while serving as Commanding General of the Base. Upon his retirement, he was appointed by the President, and confirmed by the Senate, to the grade of lieutenant general on the retired list, effective, 1 July 1964. General Munn died 14 April 1986 in Encinitas, California. 

A complete list of General Munn's medals and decorations includes: the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Navy Commendation Ribbon with Combat "V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, the American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze stars, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with one bronze star, the United Nations Service Medal, the Colombian Cruz de Boyaca with certificate, the Ecuadoran Diploma of the Star of Abdon Calderon, the Nicaraguan Medal of Merit, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.

Assistant Commandants of the Marine Corps