Robinson of Lejeune
W lion lie* assumed command last
year, tlio division was reduced
to a skeleton by the manpower
needs of the Korean front. He
lias rebuilt it into a hard hitting
team at full war strength.
Know Your Generals
Major General Ray A. Robinson,
a veteran of two world wars and serv¬
ice in every corner of the globe, holds
the dual post of Commanding Gener¬
al. Second Marine Division and Marine
Barracks, at Camp Lejeune, N. C.
Me directs both with the cool pre¬
cision that has brought him three per¬
sonal decorations and promotion from
private to general officer in 34 years
of professional soldiering,
a
Shortly after he assumed command
in June 1950, General Robinson saw
his division reduced to a skeleton by
the manpower needs of the Korean
front. Using reservists and a sprink¬
ling of regulars, he rebuilt and re¬
trained it into a hard hitting team at
full war strength.
At the same time, he supervised
Camp Lejeune's multi-million dollar
construction program and the mush¬
room growth of its training and house¬
keeping facilities.
Throughout his career the stocky,
square - jawed Marine general has
thrived on difficult assignments. As
chief of staff for the Third Marine
Division in World War II he won a
Legion of Merit for his part in the re¬
capture of Guam.
Assigned to the same post with the
Fifth Marine Division, he added a Gold
Star in lieu of a second Legion of
Merit during the epic battle for Iwo
Jima.
Promoted to assistant division com¬
mander of the Fifth after Iwo Jima,
General Robinson was among the first
to land in defeated Japan. For or¬
ganizing and commanding the Fukuo¬
ka Occupation Force he was awarded
the Bronze Star Medal.
A native of Los Angeles, Calif.,
General Robinson enlisted as a pri¬
vate on May 21, 1917, and was
commissioned a second lieutenant the
following October. After training at
Quantico, Va., he sailed for France in
September 1918, and remained over¬
seas until July 1919.
In the peacetime years, General
Robinson commanded a battleships
Marine detachment, served with the
historic Marine mail guard, and in 1929
built President Hoover's camp on the
Rapidan.
Between tours of duty in this coun¬
try and professional schooling, the
general was stationed in Hawaii and
China. In June 1941, he returned
from Peiping and was on duty at Ma¬
rine Corps Headquarters, Washington,
D. C. until he joined the Third Ma¬
rine Division for the Guam invasion.
After the war General Robinson
served on the staff of the Command¬
er in Chief, Pacific Ocean Area, and
as Chief of Staff, Fleet Marine Force,
Pacific.
From August 1947, until his pres¬
ent assignment, the general was Di¬
rector. Division of Plans and Policies,
and Inspector General at Marine Corps
Headquarters.
General and Mrs. Robinson reside
in the commanding general’s quarters
at Camp Lejeune’s Paradise Point.
They have a son, Ray Albert. Jr.
The first town in the Union to honor
the name of La Fayette was Fayette¬
ville, North Carolina. This town was
first known as Campbclltown and then
as Cross Creek. In 1783 the name was
changed to Fayetteville.
THE STATE. JULY 14. 1951
