Following his graduation, he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and ordered to The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico for basic officer training. His first combat assignment was when Riseley was assigned to the 8th Marine Regiment and sailed within 1st Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Ben H. Fuller to Haiti. He was stationed at Port-au-Prince until October 1925, when he was ordered back to the United States. Assigned back to the Naval Academy, Riseley was appointed quartermaster of the local marine barracks and served in that capacity until February 1927.
He was subsequently transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina and appointed Aide-de-camp to commanding general of the 2nd Brigade of Marines, Brigadier General Logan Feland. The 2nd Brigade was sent to Nicaragua in January 1928, but Riseley has been transferred back to Haiti in April of that year. He was subsequently appointed captain within Garde d'Haïti and commanded constabulary unit of the Pétion-Ville district. Riseley spent next five years in that capacity and was decorated with Haitian Distinguished Service Medal with Diploma for his service there.
Riseley has returned to the United States in May 1933 and was ordered to the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico Base, where he attended Company Officers Course. He later attended Army Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas. Upon the graduation in June 1937, Riseley returned to Quantico and was appointed an instructor in the Marine Corps Schools. In August 1939, he was appointed Senior Marine Officer on the staff of the Battleship Division Three.
World War II
BG Merritt A. Edson, Assistant Division Commander, 2nd Marine Division, confers with Colonel James P. Riseley (CO 6th Marines) and LtCol Kenneth F. McLeod (XO 6th Marines) in June 1944 at Saipan.
He was subsequently assigned duties as assistant chief of staff and operations officer of the 2nd Marine Division, now under Major General Julian C. Smith and was tasked with the special assignment to experiment with the landing of tanks, amphibious tractors, and rubber boats on coral reefs under various surf conditions. Information gained in these tests was applied at Tarawa and later landings.[2] He has been decorated with second Navy Presidential Unit Citation for Tarawa campaign.
Riseley remained in this capacity until December 17, 1943, when he relieved Colonel Maurice G. Holmes as commanding officer of the 6th Marine Regiment. During the summer of 1944, Colonel Riseley led his regiment ashore during the combats at Saipan and Tinian. He was subsequently decorated with the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and third Navy Presidential Unit Citation for his leadership during the campaign. However, at the beginning of September 1944, Riseley relinquished his command to Colonel Gregon A. Williams and returned to the United States the following month.
Following his return, Riseley reported to the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., and subsequently was appointed commanding officer of the Marine barracks at Camp Pendleton, California in November 1944. He remained in this capacity until March 1945, when he attended the Army and Navy Staff College. Upon the graduation in September 1945, Riseley was assigned to the staff of Fifth Fleet under admiral Raymond A. Spruance as Marine Fleet Officer. He subsequently participated in the Occupation duties in the Japanese waters until April 1946.
While serving in this capacity, Riseley was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in January 1951 and subsequently assigned the duties of chief of staff of the Marine Corps School at Quantico base in July 1951. Riseley was transferred to Kāneʻohe Bay, where he took command of First Provisional Marine Air-Ground Task Force at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. While in Hawaii, he was promoted to the rank of Major General in September 1953. His next assignment came in October 1953, when he has been assigned duties as the deputy commander of the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton.
Major General James P. Riseley was succeeded by Brigadier General Sidney S. Wade on June 30, 1959, and finally retired from the Marine Corps the next day after 41 years of service. He was advanced to the rank of lieutenant general on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.
He was first married to Catharine Hohne and had 3 children (Claudette, Cynthia, and James P. jr.) and later divorced in 1937 and remarried in 1941.
He and his second wife, Marry Mossman, resided in Roswell, New Mexico, where he worked on his autobiography Uncle Jim, USMC: Recollections of Lt. Gen. James P. Riseley, United States Marine Corps (Ret.). Riseley died on March 2, 1992, and is buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery with his second wife, Mary Mossman Riseley. They had two daughters, Mary Burton and Margaret Cobourn.
Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Lieutenant General James P. Riseley:[3]
Leo David "Dutch" Hermle was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was a recipient of Army and Navy second highest decorations, Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross, which he earned during his service in both World Wars.
Arnold Windom Jacobsen was an officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general, who served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Supplies Depots during World War II and was responsible for the equipment and supplies of the Marine Corps units overseas.
Lieutenant General James Tillinghast Moore was a decorated Officer and aviator in the United States Marine Corps, he is most noted for his service as commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing during World War II.
James Joseph Keating was a United States Marine Corps officer with the rank of brigadier general, who is most noted as commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines during the Battle of Guadalcanal and later as officer in charge of the Intelligence Section, Headquarters Marine Corps.
Harold Ellett Rosecrans was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general, who commanded 2nd Battalion 5th Marines during the during the assault on Tulagi Island. He later commanded 17th Marine Regiment during Battle of Cape Gloucester.
Major General Gregon Albert Williams was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps who served in World War II and the Korean War. He commanded the 6th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Okinawa and later served as the chief of staff of 1st Marine Division.
Richard Hall Jeschke was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general, who commanded 8th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He later served in the European Theater and participated in the planning of the Invasion of Normandy and the Invasion of Sicily.
Thomas Andrews Wornham was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer of the 27th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Iwo Jima or as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Regiment during the Korean War.
John Thaddeus Walker was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of lieutenant general. He is most noted as commanding officer of the 22nd Marine Regiment during Battle of Eniwetok. He later served as director of personnel or commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Raymond Paul Coffman was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He is most noted as quartermaster of 1st Marine Division during Pacific War. Coffman later became the first commanding general of the Marine Corps Depot of Supplies Albany.
Jack Phillip Juhan was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as executive officer of 8th Marine Regiment during the Pacific War. Juhan later served as commanding general of the Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic and headed UN Personnel and Medical Processing Unit or 7th Marine Regiment during Korean War.
Sidney Scott Wade was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps who attained the rank of major general. He is most noted as commanding general of all Marine forces during 1958 Lebanon crisis and previously as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Regiment during Korean War. Wade later served as commanding general of the Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic and MCRD San Diego.
Henry William Buse Jr. was a lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. He was Chief of Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps and later 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.
William Lake McKittrick was a decorated aviation officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer of the Marine Aircraft Group 24 during the Bougainville Campaign and later as Air Defense Commander during the Battle of Saipan.
William John Scheyer was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps, who reached the rank of major general. He is most noted as executive officer and later commanding officer of the 9th Defense Battalion during the Guadalcanal Campaign and the invasion of Rendova Island. Later he distinguished himself as Personnel Officer of III Marine Amphibious Corps during the Recapture of Guam.
Michael Patrick Ryan was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He is most noted for his service as a company commander during Battle of Tarawa, where he earned the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. Ryan later served in Korean and Vietnam Wars and ended his career as director of Marine Corps Reserve. Together with Colonel James L. Fowler, he co-founded the Marine Corps Marathon.
Austin Roger Brunelli was a highly decorated American combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. As the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines during the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. He later served as chief of staff of the 1st Marine Division in Korea and commanding general of Camp Lejeune.
Richard Garfield Weede was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He served in World War II, Korea and during the early phase of Vietnam War and completed his career as commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic.
Joseph Charles Fegan Jr. was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. A son of Major General Joseph C. Fegan, he received several citations for bravery during three wars and completed his career as commanding general, Marine Corps Development and Education Command.
John Carroll Miller Jr. was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general. A veteran of the Pacific War, he was wounded twice and received decorations for valor on Saipan and Okinawa. He remained in the Marines and retired as Brigadier general and Commanding general, Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States of America 
United States Marine Corps 
Lieutenant general 
