Henry W. Buse, Jr.

Henry William Buse Jr. (April 12, 1912 – October 18, 1988) was an highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. He is most noted as Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps and later as Commanding General of the Fleet Marine Force Pacific. Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Buse served as Assistant to three former presidents of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Early years
Henry W. Buse Jr. was born on April 12, 1912 in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania and attended local high school in 1929. He was subsequently enrolled at Severn Preparatory school, a preparatory school for the Naval Academy, where he spent one year, before he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in June 1930. He spent next four years in Annapolis and graduated on May 31, 1934. Buse was commissioned Second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on the same date and sent to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for further officers course. After he completed the course in April 1935, he was attached to the Marine Detachment aboard the cruiser USS Oklahoma and spent following year with sea duties.

During the June 1936, Buse was transferred to the Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia for duties with 1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force and remained in this capacity until March 1937. He was subsequently ordered to the Marine Barracks within Naval Station Pearl Harbor and promoted to the rank of First lieutenant in July 1937.

World War II
In September 1939, Buse has been sent for the instruction at Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, which he completed in February 1940. He was subsequently ordered back to Marine Barracks Quantico and assigned as Company Commander to the 5th Marine Regiment under Colonel Charles D. Barrett. While in this capacity, Buse was promoted to the rank of Captain in July 1940 and sailed with his regiment attached to the 1st Brigade to Guantánamo, Cuba two months later.

While in Cuba, he was appointed Commander of the 1st Division's Scout Company and subsequently returned to Quantico in April 1941. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, 1st Marine Division began preparing for combat deployment. Buse was transferred to the 1st Tank Battalion as its Executive officer in April 1942 and promoted to the rank of Major one month later. The 1st Marine Division under Major General Alexander Vandegrift was subsequently ordered to the South Pacific Area in June 1942 and following the arrival to Wellington, New Zealand, Buse was transferred to the staff of the division as Assistant Operations officer.

Major Buse participated in the landing on Guadalcanal in August 1942 and following its capture, he took part in the island defense. For his service during the Guadalcanal campaign, he was decorated with Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V".

Buse was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant colonel in April 1943 and subsequently participated in the Battle of Cape Gloucester in December 1943. During the same battle in January 1944, he took temporary command of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. The 3rd Battalion was trying to capture heavily fortified Hill 660, but its advance was halted by the enemy machine gun fire. Buse assumed command of the battalion on January 8, 1944 and led his unit to the victory. Buse was able to capture the strategic objectives of the operation with a minimum of casualties on his side. For his excellent leadership and gallantry in action, he was decorated with Silver Star.

He remained with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines until February 20, when he was transferred to the 5th Marine Regiment as its Executive officer. When the regimental commander, Colonel Oliver P. Smith was promoted to the capacity of Division Assistant Commander, Buse assumed temporary command of 5th Marine Regiment on April 10, 1944. He led 5th Marines during the final phase of the Cape Gloucester campaign and subsequently received his second Bronze Star Medal for the securing of Talasea village.

Buse was succeeded by Colonel William S. Fellers and after two months of service with 5th Marine Regiment, he was ordered back to the United States in July 1944. Following his return, he was transferred to Washington, D.C. and assigned to the Headquarters Marine Corps, where he was appointed Executive officer of the Plans and Operations Section.

Later career
Buse remained in that capacity until July 1946, when he was ordered to Japan and assumed duties as Regimental Combat Team Instructor within Troop Training Unit, Amphibious Training Command. He subsequently participated in the amphibious trainining of the 8th Army units. Buse was transferred to Pearl Harbor in February 1947 and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Supply within Fleet Marine Force Pacific under Lieutenant general Allen H. Turnage.

He returned to the States in February 1949 and subsequently attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. Upon his graduation in June 1949, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Schools in Quantico, Virginia and appointed Commanding Officer of the 22nd Marine Regiment, which served as training unit for new Marine Corps Officers at the Basic School. The 22nd Marines were inactivated at the beginning of October 1949 and its troops were incorporated into the School Troops. Buse was promoted to the rank of Colonel on the same time and appointed Commanding officer of the School Troops. He remained at Quantico and later commanded Special Training Regiment located there.

Colonel Buse has been transferred to Camp Lejeune in September 1950 and assummed command of the 6th Marine Regiment stationed there. The 6th Marines were attached to the 2nd Marine Division and Buse was transferred to the division staff and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for operations and training.

However next combat duty came for him at the end of September 1952, when he was ordered to Korea and assigned to the staff of 1st Marine Division under Major general Edwin A. Pollock. Buse subsequently succeeded Colonel Austin R. Brunelli as Division Chief of Staff on October 11, 1952 and later participated in the defense of the Western front. Buse participated in the battles of the Samichon River and Outpost Vegas. For his service in this capacity, he was decorated with Legion of Merit with Combat "V".

Buse was replaced by Colonel Lewis W. Walt on June 14, 1953 and transferred back to the United States the following month. His next assignment was again with the Plans and Operations Section at Headquarters Marine Corps. In July 1954, Major general Edwin A. Pollock was appointed Commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina and aware of Buse's quality as an staff officer, he chose him as his Chief of Staff.

A career of Bill Buse remained associated with Pollock for next three years. General Pollock has been appointed Commanding general Fleet Marine Force Pacific on Hawaii at the beginning of August 1956 and Buse followed him as his Chief of Staff. When Pollock was transferred to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia as Commanding general Fleet Marine Force Atlantic in December 1957, Buse went with him again as his Chief of Staff. While in this capacity, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in August 1958. Buse was transferred to Washington, D.C. during the following month and appointed Marine Corps liaison officer in the office of Vice Chief of Naval Operations under Admiral James S. Russell. He was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps in September 1961 and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. Buse succeeded Brigadier general Sidney S. Wade in this capacity and Wade went to the office of Vice Chief of Naval Operations as Marine Corps Liaison Officer.

General Buse was transferred to Okinawa and assumed command of 3rd Marine Division at the beginning of June 1962. As the senior Marine Commander in the Western Pacific area, he was designated Commander of Task Force 79, the amphibious striking army of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. While in this capacity, Buse was promoted to the rank of Major General on July 1, 1962.

This duty with 3rd Division was terminated at the beginning of May 1963, when he was ordered back to Washington, D.C., where he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs in the Officer of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Wallace M. Greene. This post was upgraded by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Buse was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on December 29, 1964. He later received his second Legion of Merit.

Highlight of his military career came at the beginning of July 1967, when he was appointed Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps. However this assignment lasted until May 31, 1968, when he received Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service in this capacity and was transferred to Hawaii.

There he was appointed Commanding General Fleet Marine Force Pacific. In this capacity, he was in charge of all marines units in Pacific and frequently visited the combat zone in Vietnam and always moved immediately to forward areas to assess operational requirements, investigate problem areas, and encourage and assist his Marines in every way possible. Under Lieutenant General Buse's dynamic leadership, Marine infantry units were reorganized into well-coordinated, mobile elements, the command's electronic warfare operational capability increased to a degree unparalleled in Marine aviation history, and numerous major amphibious operations were planned and executed with tremendous success.

Lieutenant general Buse was relieved by General William K. Jones on July 1, 1970 and subsequently retired from the military service. He distinguished himself in his last assignment and received his second Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

Retirement
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Buse served on the U.S. Olympic Committee, where he was on the Executive committee and later was Secretary and also assistant to three former presidents of the committee. He then settled in Severna Park, Maryland and served there as member of the school board. Buse was also a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Naval Academy Chapel.

Lieutenant general Henry W. Buse died on October 18, 1988 at his home in Severna Park, Maryland. He is buried at United States Naval Academy Cemetery together with his wife, Dorothy Snow Buse (1914–2012). They had together a daughter Barbara and son, Henry W. Buse III who also served in the Marine Corps and retired as Colonel.

Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Lieutenant General Henry William Buse, Jr.: