William E. Riley
| William Edward Riley | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 2, 1897 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Died | April 28, 1970 (aged 73) Annapolis, Maryland |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1917 - 1953 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General
|
| Service number | 0-829 |
| Commands held |
UNTSO 3rd Marine Division |
| Battles/wars |
United States occupation of Haiti 1948 Arab–Israeli War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (2) Purple Heart (2) |
United States occupation of Haiti
William Edward Riley (February 2, 1897 - April 28, 1970) was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General, who served on the staff of admiral William Halsey Jr. during World War II. He is also noted as a Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine.
William E. Riley was born on February 2, 1897 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the College of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota and graduated in June 1917 with Bachelor of Arts degree. Riley decided to enlist as Private to the United States Marine Corps during his studies and after graduation, he was commissioned Second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He was subsequently assigned to the Marine Corps Rifle Range in Winthrop, Maryland for basic training.
After the finnishing of his training, Riley was appointed a Platoon leader within the 74th Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and sailed for France in October 1917. The 6th Regiment participated in the further training activities after its arrival, before entered the trenches in Toulon sector near Verdun in March 1918. During the April of the same year, Germans used combat gas and 74th Company was almost wiped out. Second lieutenant Riley was also wounded, but he was able to return soon to the frontline, but was transferred to the 95th Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
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