Joseph C. Fegan Jr. Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth and Family

He subsequently joined the 2nd Marine Division under Major General James P. Berkeley at Camp Lejeune and consecutively served as commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines; executive officer, 10th Marine Regiment; commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines and assistant operations officer, 2nd Marine Division.

Lieutenant General Joseph C. Fegan Jr. died on January 2, 1991, in Naval Hospital, San Diego, following a long battle with cancer. He was survived by his widow, the former Maxine Ann Scholder (1921–2007); two children, Ann Fegan Waldruff and Joseph C. Fegan III, a Marine Corps officer, and three grandchildren. Fegan is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego together with his wife.

Fegan retired from the Marine Corps after 37 years of service on May 1, 1978, and received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service at Quantico. Upon his retirement from the Marines, he settled in Point Loma, California, and served as foreman of the San Diego Grand Jury. Fegan was also active in Episcopalian church and Marine Corps Historical Foundation. He was also active in the Marine Corps Oral History Program and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Paul X. Kelley in June 1986.

Following the promotion to lieutenant general on August 30, 1975, Fegan assumed duty as commanding general, Marine Corps Development and Education Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico. While in this capacity, he was responsible for the training and education at The Basic School, Officer Candidates School, Amphibious Warfare School and other facilities there. He also simultaneously commanded the Quantico Base until his retirement.

Fegan was promoted to major general in December 1971 and ordered to Okinawa, Japan, to assume command of 3rd Marine Division. He commanded that division during the Easter Offensive alert in 1972, when his units supported ARVN units. Fegan was decorated with a second Legion of Merit for his service with 3rd Marine Division and departed for United States in January 1973.

For his new rank, Fegan was ordered to Camp Lejeune and appointed assistant division commander, 2nd Marine Division under Major General Edwin B. Wheeler. He remained in that capacity until August 1969, when he was appointed commanding general of Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic (FMFLANT). In this capacity, he was responsible for all independent units under FMFLANT such as support artillery units, antiaircraft artillery units, military police battalions, separate engineer units and other miscellaneous force units. For his service in this capacity, Fegan was decorated with second Navy Commendation Medal.

Fegan remained in that capacity until July 1967, when he completed his tour and was ordered back to the United States for new assignment. For his service in that capacity, he was decorated by Army Legion of Merit and also received Vietnam Staff Service Medal, 1st Class by the Government of South Vietnam.

He subsequently assumed duty as Marine Corps liaison officer in the Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff and held that assignment until November 1967, when he was appointed commanding officer, Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. While in this capacity, Fegan also held dual responsibility as director of Marine Corps Institute until he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in September 1968.

Upon graduation in June 1966, Fegan departed for South Vietnam and joined the headquarters, U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam in Saigon as deputy director, Combat Operations Center under Brigadier General John R. Chaisson. The Combat Operations Center was responsible for the performing the nerve-center function for General William Westmoreland as the latter did for the Joint Chiefs. The operations center had direct radio and teletype connections with Admiral U. S. Grant Sharp Jr.’s headquarters in Honolulu and the National Military Command Center.

In July 1963, Fegan joined the staff of the Basic School and served consecutively as operations officer and executive officer under Colonel Jonas M. Platt. He was co-responsible for the training of newly commissioned officers until July 1965, when he entered the course at National War College. While at the Basic school, Fegan was promoted to colonel in September 1964.

After two years in Spain, Fegan returned to the United States and assumed duty as administrative assistant to the chairman, Inter-American Defense Board at Headquarters Marine Corps. In August 1959, he entered the Command and Staff College and Atomic Weapons Employment Course at Quantico and graduated in June 1960.

Following his arrival, Fegan completed the Spanish language course at Vox Institute of Language and the Strategic Intelligence School at Army Intelligence Center in Washington, D.C., before reporting to the American Embassy in Madrid, Spain as the Assistant Naval Attache and Assistant Naval Attache for Air and held that duty until December 1957. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May of that year.

In January 1955, Fegan was sent to Hawaii, where he assumed duty as Regimental Operations officer, 4th Marine Regiment at Kāneʻohe Bay. He departed for United States in May of that year.

He was subsequently ordered to Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, where he served as an Instructor of newly commissioned marine officers at the Basic School until September 1953. Fegan was then sent to the Amphibious Warfare School at Quantico, which he completed in June 1954 and departed for Japan. He was appointed a representative of 3rd Marine Division Commanding General, James P. Riseley, to the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Far East. While in this capacity, he was decorated with the Navy Commendation Medal.

Following the outbreak of Korean War in June 1950, the Fifth Marines sailed within 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to that country in order to reinforce allied ROK Army. Fegan arrived with the regiment to Korea at the beginning of August and took part in the defense of Pusan Perimeter. During the fighting near Chindong-ni on August 8, 1950, Fegan was assigned the mission of seizing a well organized enemy position, strongly manned with automatic weapons.

He subsequently completed the Advanced Naval Gunfire Course at Quantico and joined the staff of the Naval Gunfire School at Fleet Amphibious Training Center Coronado as newly promoted captain in September 1946. Fegan served as an instructor until December 1948, when he was ordered to Guam and attached to the 5th Marine Regiment.

He rejoined his battery soon after and led it during the capture of Tinian one month later and during the infamous battle of Iwo Jima in February and March 1945. Fegan also received Navy Presidential Unit Citation and Navy Unit Commendation ribbons.

Fegan returned to the United States in November 1945 and joined the Redistribution Regiment of the Marine Training and Replacement Command, San Diego Area at Camp Pendleton. The Redistribution Regiment was responsible for the redistribution of Marines arriving from Pacific area to the separation centers for discharge or to Marine Corps Base San Diego, for reassignment. Fegan served with that regiment consecutively as assistant logistics officer and company commander under Colonel Edward A. Craig until June 1946, when he was sent to Washington, D.C., for Gunnery Officers’ Ordnance Course.

He sailed with the 4th Marine Division to Pacific area at the beginning of January 1944 and led his company ashore during the Battle of Kwajalein at the beginning of February. Fegan and his battery provided support fire for advancing units of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines and after the island was declared secured, it moved to Maui, Hawaii.

Fegan spent three months with training on Hawaii and embarked with his regiment for Marianas Islands in mid-May 1944. He took part in the landing on Saipan and led his battery ashore on June 15, 1944. Fegan boldly exposed himself to heavy and sustained enemy shelling to lead his battery into position and commence firing. By nightfall, with his entire emplacement under intense bombardment by shells and small-arms fire, he gallantly moved from one gun crew to another, encouraging and rallying his men and those in adjacent posts.

Fegan completed that training in February 1943 and then was ordered to the Field Artillery School also located at Quantico. He completed the training in April of that year and assumed duty as an Artillery Instructor at Camp Pendleton, California. Fegan was integrated into the regular Marine Corps in May 1943 and joined newly activated 4th Battalion, 14th Marine Artillery Regiment one month later.

The 14th Marines were subsequently attached to the 4th Marine Division under Major General Harry Schmidt and Fegan was promoted to first lieutenant in August 1943. He subsequently assumed command of Battery M of his battalion and took part in the intensive training at Camp Dunlap.

He completed the summer six weeks Platoon Leaders classes at the Marine Corps Base San Diego, where his father served as commanding general and reached the rank of private first class. Fegan was commissioned Reserve Second lieutenant on July 31, 1942, and upon graduation from Princeton with an A.B. in politics in November of that year, he was ordered to the Marine Corps Base Quantico for additional officer training. As part of his undergraduate degree, Fegan completed a senior thesis titled “The Military Problem in Haiti.”

Joseph Charles Fegan Jr. (December 21, 1920 – January 2, 1991) 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.

Joseph C. Fegan Jr. was born on December 21, 1920, in Los Angeles, California, as the son of future Marine Major general, Joseph C. Fegan and Adelaide Loring Mitchell. Upon the graduation from the high school, he enrolled the Princeton University, where he was active in Varsity football team as Tackle. Fegan also entered the ROTC unit and also enlisted the Marine Corps Reserve on May 5, 1941.