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Lieutenant General William
E. Riley, who retired from active duty, 31 May 1951,
died 28 April 1970, at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Annapolis,
Maryland. He was 73 years old.
After
his retirement, General Riley served as Deputy Director
for Management for the Foreign Operations Administration
from September 1953, until May 1955. He next served
with that administration as Director of the United
States Operations Mission in Turkey. During the period
from August 1949 until June 1953, he served as Chief
of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
for Palestine.
General Riley is a veteran
of two world wars, with service in many foreign lands
during his military career. During World War II, he
was decorated three times for his outstanding services.
He won the Distinguished Service Medal as Assistant
War Plans Officer and later as Assistant Chief of
Staff, War Plans, on the staff of Admiral Halsey,
Commander, South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force.
Later, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for service
in a similar assignment when Admiral Halsey commanded
the Third Fleet.
The general's first award
in World War II was the Commendation Ribbon, received
for outstanding service just after the outbreak of
war, on the staff of Admiral King, Commander in Chief,
United States Fleet.
His wartime assignments
and achievements are illustrated by the following
excerpt from a citation: "…General Riley
prepared concepts for the occupation of Palau and
coordinated the plans the Expeditionary Force Commander
with the broader operational plans of the Task Fleet
Commander. Because of his grasp of the general situation,
he was able to render valuable service to Admiral
Halsey as liaison officer to the Commander in Chief,
Southwest Pacific Area."
General
Riley was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2 February
1897. He attended the College of St. Thomas at St.
Paul and in June 1917, reported for active duty as
a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He reported
to the Marine Corps Rifle Range at Winthrop, Maryland.
He sailed for France
three months later, and as a member of the Sixth Marine
Regiment, took part in the defense of the Verdun Sector,
and the Aisne-Marne Defensive and Offensive. In the
later campaign, he was wounded for the second time,
requiring evacuation to the United States in December,
1918. His World War I decorations include the Silver
Star, Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Silver
Star, and the Croix de Guerre with Gold Star.
Between wars his duties
included service in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo,
and Cuba. Between tours abroad, he was graduated from
the Army Infantry School, and Command and General
Staff School, and the Naval War College.
In 1940, he went to sea
as Fleet Marine Officer, Atlantic Fleet, remaining
until 1942, when he joined the War Plans Division
of Admiral King's staff at Washington.
A
year later, he entered a series of important assignments
in the Pacific which culminated in command of the
Third Marine Division. He served as Director, Division
of Public Information and Division of Recruiting at
Marine Corps Headquarters, from June 1946, to 31 May
1948, at which time he was detached to the Second
Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
In the summer of 1948
he was temporarily attached to the United Nations
Mediation Commission in Palestine, and on 1 August
1949, he was detached to Marine Corps Headquarters
for administrative purposes, although still on duty
in the Mediterranean with the State Department.
In addition to the Distinguished
Service Medal, Letter of Commendation with Ribbon,
Silver Star Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of
a Second Silver Star, and the Croix de Guerre with
Gold Star, his decorations and medals include several
foreign awards including the Purple Heart with Oak
Leaf Cluster, Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory
Medal, American Defense Service Medal, and the Philippine
Liberation Ribbon.
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UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS
