George R. E. Shell

George Richard Edwin Shell (October 20, 1908 – October 30, 1996) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier General, who is most noted as commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines during World War II. He later served as 9th Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute.

Early career
George R. E. Shell was born on October 20, 1908, in Phoebus, Virginia, and later attended high school in Hampton, Virginia. During the summer of 1927, he entered Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, and graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in June 1931. Shell was subsequently commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on June 11th of that year and assigned for officers training to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard.

He finished the school in June 1932 and spent following months with service at Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia. Shell was transferred to San Diego, California at the end of March 1933 and spent one year of service there. He was attached to the Marine detachment aboard the newly commissioned heavy cruiser USS Astoria in March 1934 and took part in the shake-down cruise in the Pacific Ocean with the stops on Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia and Hawaii. While aboard that vessell, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in November 1934.

Shell was detached from the USS Astoria in June 1935 and spent following three years of service at Marine Corps Base San Diego and with the headquarters Department of the Pacific in San Francisco. He was promoted to the rank of captain in July 1938 and assigned to the Battery Commanders' course at Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in September of that year.

World War II
Upon the graduation from the course in June 1939, Shell joined 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel John B. Wilson at San Diego. He served as battery commander and took part in the exercise at San Clemente Island. Shell served with that unit until September 1940, when he was appointed commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard the patrol gunboat USS Charleston. He took part in the patrol cruises to Alaska and Aleutian Islands. He was promoted to the rank of major in May 1942 and subsequently rejoined the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines as executive officer in July of that year.

The 2nd Battalion already returned from Iceland and conducted training and preparation for combat deployment for another eight months. Meanwhile, Shell was appointed battalion commanding officer and led his unit overseas as a part of 2nd Marine Division under Major General John Marston in October 1942. They arrived to Wellington, New Zealand, on October 19 and remained there until the end of December 1942.

Shell finally sailed for Guadalcanal at the beginning of January 1943 and took part in the final drive against Japanese forces. His battalion provide support artillery fire to the advancing Marine and Army units during the attack on Cape Esperance and remained in combat area until February 19th. The 2nd Battalion then sailed back to New Zealand for recuparation and Shell received promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel in March of that year.

The 10th Marines remained in New Zealand until November 1943, when they embarked for their new missions, Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The main task was to capture Japanese air base, which could be used for the next advance toward the Marshall Islands. Shell and his battalion subsequently took part in the amphibious landing on Tarawa on November 23rd.

Shell remained in command of his battalion for next several months and took part in the amphibious landing on Saipan in Mariana Islands in June 1944. He was wounded by the mortar fragments during the night attack on the second day of the battle and evacuated from the island. His wounds requested special care and Shell was ordered to the United States in July 1944. He subsequently received Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for his leadership of 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines in Pacific theater and also Purple Heart for his wounds. Shell then spent several months in Naval Hospital in San Diego.

Later career
In July 1946, Shell was ordered to the course at Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and upon the graduation in June 1947, he was appointed an instructor there. He subsequently received orders for transfer to Washington, D.C. in May 1949, when he was assigned to the Joint Staff of the recently established Joint Chiefs of Staff under General Omar Bradley. While in this capacity, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel in August 1949.

While he served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Shell also served as a member of the Joint Strategic Plans Group, a member of National Security Council Staff or Staff Assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Representative to the National Security Council.

He was ordered to Paris, France in February 1951 and appointed Staff Planning Officer in the Policy Branch within Operations Division at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Shell spent next a year and half in Europe, before he was ordered back to the United States at the end of August 1952.

His next assignment was at Marine Corps Schools Quantico, Virginia, where he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations first and later as Chief of Staff. While in Quantico, he also served as a member of Advanced Research Group. This group was tasked with the development of the recommendations on how the MAGTF should evolve structurally to meet the challenges of atomic warfare and new technologies such as helicopters and jet aircraft. The members of the group were Thomas J. Coolley, John P. Condon, August Larson Joseph N. Renner, Carson A. Roberts, Samuel R. Shaw, Eustace R. Smoak, William J. Van Ryzin, and Richard G. Weede.

Shell was ordered to the headquarters of Fleet Marine Force Atlantic at Norfolk, Virginia, where he was appointed Chief of Staff under Lieutenant general Oliver P. Smith in July 1954. However, Shell left Norfolk during June 1956; he was ordered to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where he assumed command of 1st Marine Brigade. For this new capacity, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general one month later.

In April 1957, Shell was transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, where he was appointed Deputy Commander and commanding general of Recruit Training Command. He also served as Deputy to Base Commander, Robert B. Luckey until August 1958. He then spent tour of duty at Headquarters Marine Corps as Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development.

General Shell returned one more to Parris Island in October 1959, when he succeeded Major General David M. Shoup as depot commander. However, Shell's career in the Marine Corps ended in June 1960, when he was offered the capacity of superintendent of Virginia Military Institute.

He served at VMI until June 30, 1971, when he was relived by Major General Richard L. Irby. Shell died on October 30, 1996, and is buried at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery in Lexington, Virginia, together with his wife, Alice Reid Cushing Shell (1912-2002).

Decorations
This is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General George R. E. Shell: