Designed for the Marine Corps by the wife of Commandant General Cushman, 1960 Vietnam-era
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| Demitasse Cup and Demitasse Saucer, Personal China of the Commandant of the Marine Corps Designed for the Marine Corps by the wife of Commandant General Cushman, 1960 Vietnam-era |
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Rare Find! 1 Cup and 1 Saucer! Only sold as a set. | $350. | Click Here To Order |
Notes: These items and an entire collection of formal china were designed for the USMC United States Marine Corps by the wife of Marine Commandant Robert Everton Cushman Jr. as the official china of the US Marine Corps Commandant
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These items were designed for the USMC by the wife of Marine Commandant Robert Everton Cushman Jr.
I had gone to his estate and purchased these items from it. Other Cushman
items will be coming up as I have time. Most are being looked at by a
Marine Corps historian, so it may be a while and I will no doubt donate
some pieces to the Corps. I put the obituary after the pictures for
interest.
The following information was taken from the Arlington Cemetery website
and an obituary in The Washington Post, January 4, 1985:
General Robert Everton Cushman, Jr., who earned the Navy Cross -- the nation's second
highest combat award -- during World War II, was the twenty-fifth
Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1972 and 1975 Born December 24, 1914,
in St. Paul, Minn., Robert E. Cushman, Jr. attended Central High School
there and at sixteen, before graduating, was appointed to the U. S. Naval
Academy.
Graduating 10th in his class of 442, he was commissioned a Marine
second lieutenant on June 6, 1935. Lieutenant Cushman completed Marine
Officer's Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, then served briefly
at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, Ca. In February 1936, he arrived in
Shanghai, China and served as a platoon commander with the 4th Marines,
and later the 2d Marine Brigade. On his return to the United States in
March 1938, he served at naval shipyards in Brooklyn, N. Y. and
Portsmouth, Va. He was promoted to first lieutenant in August 1938. In
April 1939, Lieutenant Cushman was assigned to the Marine Detachment at
the New York World's Fair, and was subsequently stationed at the Marine
Barracks, Quantico, Va. He was promoted to captain in March 1941.
In June 1941, Captain Cushman reported aboard the USS PENNSYLVANIA at San Diego,
en route to Pearl Harbor, as Commanding Officer of the ship's Marine
Detachment. He was serving in this capacity when the Japanese attacked the
ship and other naval installations at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Upon his transfer from the PENNSYLVANIA, he joined the 9th Marines at San
Diego as a battalion executive officer in May 1942, and that same month
was promoted to major. Major Cushman hiked from San Diego to Camp
Pendleton with his unit in September 1942, and embarked for the Pacific
area in January 1943. That month, Major Cushman was appointed Commanding
Officer of the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, and in May 1943 was promoted to
lieutenant colonel. During the two years he held that post, he led his
battalion repeatedly into combat, earning the Bronze Star Medal with
Combat "V" on Bougainville, the Navy Cross during the recapture of Guam,
and the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" during the Iwo Jima campaign. As a
29 year old lieutenant colonel, General Cushman was awarded the Navy Cross
for extraordinary heroism from July 21 to August 20, 1944, while
commanding the 2d Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division
during the recapture of Guam.
His citation states in part: When his battalion was ordered to seize and hold a strongly organized and defended
enemy strong point which had been holding up the advance for some days,
Lieutenant Colonel Cushman directed the attacks of his battalion and the
repulse of numerous Japanese counterattacks, fearlessly exposing himself
to heavy hostile rifle, machine gun and mortar fire in order to remain in
the front lines and obtain firsthand knowledge of the enemy situation.
Following three days of bitter fighting culminating in a heavy Japanese
counterattack which pushed back the flank of his battalion, he personally
led a platoon into the gap and, placing it for defense, repelled the
hostile force. By his inspiring leadership, courage and devotion to duty,
he contributed materially to the success of the mission with the
annihilation of one enemy battalion and the rout of another...
Upon hisreturn to the United States in May 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Cushman was
stationed at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Va. for three years. During
that period he completed the Senior School, served as an instructor in the
Command and Staff School, and during the latter two years was Supervisory
Instructor, Amphibious Warfare School. In June 1948, he was named Head of
the Amphibious Warfare Branch, Office of Naval Research, Navy Department,
Washington, D. C. From October 1949 until May 1951, he served on the staff
of the Central Intelligence Agency. While there, he was promoted to
colonel in May 1950. In June 1951, Colonel Cushman joined the staff of the
Commander in Chief, U. S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
Fleet, in London, serving as Amphibious Plans Officer until June 1953.
Following his return to the United States, he was transferred to Norfolk,
Va., where he served as a member of the faculty of the Armed Forces Staff
College, and in July 1954 became Director of the Plans and Operations
Division there.
In July 1956, he assumed command of the 2d Marine Regiment, at Camp Lejeune, N. C. Assigned to Washington, D. C. in February
1957, he served four years on the staff of the Vice President Richard
Nixon as Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs.
While serving in this capacity he was promoted to brigadier general in
July 1958. Following his departure from Washington, Brigadier General
Cushman became Assistant Division Commander, 3d Marine Division, on
Okinawa, in March 1961. He was promoted to major general in August 1961,
and in September assumed command of the Division. In July 1962, he
reported to Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D. C. where he was
assigned as both Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 (Intelligence) and
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 (Plans, Operations and Training), in which
capacities he served until January 1, 1964. From that date until June 1964
he served as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, only.
From June 1964 until
March 1967, Major General Cushman served in the dual capacity of
Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Ca. and Commanding
General, 4th Marine Division Headquarters Nucleus. In June 1966 he formed
the 5th Marine Division and he additionally served as its Commanding
General at Camp Pendleton until November 1966. Major General Cushman was
ordered to the Republic of Vietnam in April 1967 and was assigned as the
Deputy Commander, III Marine Amphibious Force. He was promoted to
lieutenant general in June 1967, upon assuming duty as Commanding General,
III Marine Amphibious Force, comprising some 163,000 soldiers and marines,
it was the largest combined combat unit ever led by a marine. For his
service as Deputy Commander, from April to May 1967, and subsequently as
Commanding General, III Marine Amphibious Force, from June to December
1967, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. A Gold Star in lieu
of a second Distinguished Service Medal was awarded for his service as
Commanding General, III Marine Amphibious Force; Senior Advisor, I Corps
Tactical Zone; and I Corps Coordinator for United States/Free World
Military Assistance Forces, from January 1968 to March 1969.
Commanding in South Vietnam's northernmost provinces, he privately took issue with his
commanders' instructions from Saigon, especially about the defense of the
American bastion at Khesanh, which was besieged by the enemy for months.
Gen. Cushman was believed to have said that Americans were sacrificing
their greatest asset: the ability to fight mobile warfare, to strike
rapidly with mobile artillery, helicopters and specially organized troops.
On March 6, 1969, while serving in Vietnam, General Cushman was nominated
by President Richard M. Nixon to be the Deputy Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency: his nomination was confirmed by the Senate, April 21,
1969. Upon his return to the United States, he served briefly as Director
of Personnel/Deputy Chief of Staff (Manpower) at Headquarters Marine
Corps. Lieutenant General Cushman subsequently served as Deputy Director
of the Central Intelligence Agency [the number-two post] from April 1969
through December 1971, for which service he was awarded the Distinguished
Intelligence Medal.
In 1972, he became the 25th commandant of the Marine Corps. During his tenure, he saw the last of the Marines leave Vietnam and
the peacetime strength fall to 194,000 while still maintaining readiness
to act in such emergencies as the Mayaguez rescue and the evacuations of
Phnom Penh and Saigon
A complete list of the general's medals and decorations include: Navy Cross; Distinguished Service Medal with two Gold
Stars in lieu of a second and third award; Legion of Merit with Combat
"V"; Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Commendation Medal;
Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Star; Navy Unit Commendation
with one Bronze Star; Distinguished Intelligence Medal; China Service
Medal; American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star (Fleet Clasp);
American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Silver
Star; Victory Medal, World War II; National Defense Service Medal with one
Bronze Star; Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver Star and two Bronze
Stars; Order of May to the Naval Merit, in the Degree of Commander
(Government of Argentina); National Order of Vietnam, Commander or 3d
Class, Republic of Vietnam; National Order of Vietnam, Officer or 4th
Class, Republic of Vietnam; Army Distinguished Service Order 1st Class,
Republic of Vietnam; Navy Distinguished Service Order 1st Class, Republic
of Vietnam; Cross of Gallantry with 2 Palms, Republic of Vietnam; Order of
Military Merit, 2d Class (Ulchi), Republic of Korea; National Security
Merit, 2d Class (Bookuk), Republic of Korea; Order of Military Merit, 3d
Class (Chungmu), Republic of Korea; Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit
Citation (Gallantry Cross Color); Vietnam Campaign Medal; and Vietnam
Campaign Medal; and Vietnamese Rural Revolutionary Development Medal,
Republic of Vietnam.