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| Affiliation | Nonpartisan |
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| Name | Henry Louis Larsen |
| Address |
Guam, Colorado , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 10, 1890
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| Died | October 02, 1962
(71 years)
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| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Modifed | Thomas Walker
Jan 20, 2006 01:52pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Henry Louis Larsen retired from the US Marine Corps November 1, 1946, after 33 years of service spanning two World Wars. A highly decorated combat veteran and graduate of the US Naval Academy, he died at Denver, Colorado, October 2, 1962.
His medals include two Navy Crosses, two Distinguished Service Medals, three Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the French Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre and Fourragere.
His major mission of WWII was as Island Commander of 215,000 men on Guam. Here he directed the largest single construction project in the history of the US Navy, the transformation of an undeveloped island into a major base for fleet and air operations during the war.
Born Dec 10, 1890, at Chicago, Illinois, and grew up there and in Denver. He entered the Marine Corps as a Second Lieuteantn in November 1913 and performed service at various posts in US as well as France, Germany, Nicaragua, Haiti, Santo Domingo, Panama, Mexico, Culebra, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Samoa and Cuba. He also served at sea aboard USS San Diego, USS Mexico, USS Buffalo, and USS PA. During WWI, he served with the first convoy to land in France in June 1917, and took part in every USMC engagement on French soil, from Belleau Wood to Meuse-Argonne. He later served in Nicaragua as Inspector of 2nd Marine Brigade, and as member of 1930 US Electoral Mission.
In the next years served at HQ USMC as Asst Adjutant and Inspector. From 1938 to 1940, served as Director of Plans and Policies, and was responsible for wartime expansion of the Corps. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was ordered to Samoa as commanderr of a reinforced Brigade made up of the first combat troops to leave continental US. President Roosevelt appt him first Military Governor of American Samoa on January 15, 1942. In June 1943, he became Commander of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
He began his assignment as Island Commander of Guam July 21, 1944, when the Marines landed to begin their drive to recapture the island. In May 1946, assumed his final assignment as Commanding General, Department of the Pacific. Having been specially commended for heroism in combat, he was advanced to Lieutenant General on his retirement, November 1, 1946.
For ten years, ending in 1959, he served as Colorado's Director of Civil Defense. His wife, former Elizabeth Ammons, is the daughter of one former governor of Colorado, the late Elias M. Emmons, and sister of another, Teller Ammons. Home: 836 17th Ave, Denver. Died: Oct 2, 1962. Buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.
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