Lawrence H. Livingston

No relation to Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret)

Major General Lawrence H. Livingston (born November 5, 1940) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer. Livingston is a highly decorated combat veteran &mdash; receiving the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War, as well as the Silver Star, the two Legions of Merit, four Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts.

Biography
Lawrence Livingston was born on November 5, 1940, in Defiance, Ohio, he attended Defiance College prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1960 and was initially assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In late 1966, he was transferred to the 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a squad leader, platoon sergeant, platoon commander and company gunnery sergeant. Ordered to Officer Candidate School, Quantico, Virginia, after the Tết Offensive in 1968, then a staff sergeant, he was commissioned via the Meritorious NCO Program. Upon completion of The Basic School in 1968, he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division, 5th MEB, and 3rd Marine Division, where he served as a platoon commander.

General Livingston was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, as company commander and battalion and regimental operations officer. He attended Chapman College and received a B.A. degree in both Economics and Business Administration.

In late 1976, he was assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, where he served as company commander, battalion operations officer, and battalion executive officer. He was subsequently reassigned to Director of Division Schools. During this tour, he was promoted to major in July 1978.

Upon completion of the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia, in 1980, General Livingston was assigned to Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), Quantico, where he served as Tactics Group Chief and Operations Officer of The Basic School until May 1983. His next assignment was Operations Officer, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1983.

Ordered to the 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, upon completion of his exchange assignment, he served briefly as Regimental Executive Officer of the 6th Marine Regiment and then two years as Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines.

From 1986 to 1987, he was a student at the National War College in Washington, D.C. He was next assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, where he served as Head of both the Joint Strategic Planning Branch and the Eastern Regional Branch of the Plans Division. While at Headquarters, he was promoted to colonel in September 1989. He was assigned duty as the Commanding Officer, 6th Marines at Camp Lejeune in 1990. His regiment spearheaded the assault into Kuwait and the recapture of Kuwait City for the 2nd Marine Division during Operation Desert Storm. While serving in this capacity, he was selected in December 1991 for promotion to brigadier general. General Livingston was assigned duty as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Structure Implementation, Plans, Policies and Operations Department, Headquarters, Marine Corps in February 1992. He assumed duties as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in July 1992. He was advanced to his final grade in February 1995. He assumed his last assignment in June 1995 as the Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces, Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. MajGen Livingston retired from the Marine Corps on November 1, 1997.

Awards and honors
His personal decorations include:

Navy Cross citation
LIVINGSTON, LAWRENCE H. Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Advisor (Attached), 1st Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion Date of Action: July 11, 1972


 * The Navy Cross is presented to Lawrence H. Livingston, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism on 11 July 1972 while serving as Senior Advisor to the 1st Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion during a heliborne assault into enemy-held territory northeast of Quang Tri City, Republic of Vietnam. When the battalion encountered unexpectedly heavy enemy fire while disembarking into the landing zone, and sustained numerous casualties, Captain Livingston moved throughout the hasty positions taken by the scattered and hesitant element and formed the Marines into an assault force. Despite the continuing heavy concentration of hostile fire, he began the assault on the initial objective - a treeline approximately 50 yards distant. Although blown from his feet by explosions and periodically delayed to reform and redirect his casualty-riddled force, he forged ahead, leading the Vietnamese Marines into the enemy-infested trench lines of the objective and a subsequent hand-to-hand battle. Upon seizure of the initial portion of the trench line, Captain Livingston shed his combat equipment, emerged from the trench line, and exposed himself to a hail of enemy fire to reach and carry his wounded naval gunfire spotter to a position of relative safety. Captain Livingston's repeated acts of heroism in the face of heavy enemy fire reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.