Krulak, Victor Harold

Born in Denver , Colorado in the Jewish family of Maurice and Bessi (Zal) Krulak. He later denied his Jewish origin and claimed to have been raised in the bosom of the Episcopal Church ^[3] . He was married to Amy Chandler from 1936 until her death in 2004. They had three children.

After graduating from the US Naval Academy on May 31, 1934, Krulak was appointed to the Marine Corps with the rank of second lieutenant . He began his service aboard the battleship Arizona (while studying at the academy), then as part of the sixth marine regiment in San Diego and the fourth regiment in China (1937-39). In 1940, Krulak graduated from high school for junior command personnel in Quantico , Virginia and was assigned to the first marine corps brigade as part of the fleet's marine corps, later converted to the first marine corps division .

As an observer in Shanghai at the entrance of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Krulak photographed the landing of a Japanese landing force from a landing craft with an inclined ramp. Realizing the potential of this type of vessel for the US Armed Forces, Krulak sent a detailed description and photographs to Washington . Years later, he found that his materials were buried in the archive, marked "idle inventions from China." Krulak developed a model of a Japanese ship and discussed the design of a retractable ramp with shipbuilder Andrew Higgins, who used Krulak's ideas when designing an LCVP or so-called landing craft . "Higgins boats", which played a critical role during the landing in Normandy and mechanized landings in the Pacific ^[4] .

At the beginning of World War II, Captain Krulak served as adjutant to General Holland M. Smith , commander of the mechanized landing corps of the Atlantic Fleet. Krulak volunteered for parachute training and upon its completion was assigned to the Pacific as commander of the second parachute battalion of the first mechanized corps of the marine corps. He received baptism of fire on the island of Velha Lavella as part of the second New Zealand brigade.

In 1943, Lieutenant Colonel Krulak was awarded a naval cross and a purple heart for a sabotage raid on the island of Choiselle, his battalion carried out a raid for a week covering thereby the invasion of the island of Bougainville ^[4] . Later, he joined the newly formed sixth division of the Marine Corps and took part in the Okinawa campaign , and witnessed the surrender of Japanese troops in China. For service, he received the Order of the Legion of Honor with the letter "V" for valor and the Bronze Star .

U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Victor G. Krulak is awarded the Naval Cross for outstanding heroism as commander of the second battalion of the first parachute regiment of the Marine Corps during operations on Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands from October 28 to November 3, 1943. Having received the goal of distracting the enemy’s attention from the movement of our main offensive forces into the gulf of Empress Augusta on Buneville Island, Lt. Col. Krulak landed on Choiseul and boldly led his battalion against the Japanese, destroying hundreds of tons of material supplies, setting fire to camps and landing barges. Despite the wound received during the assault on October 30, he constantly refused to relinquish command and, with undaunted courage and stubborn devotion to duty, continued to lead his battalion against numerically superior Japanese forces. His outstanding leadership and indomitable fighting spirit ensured the success of this vital mission and supported the highest traditions of the US naval service.

Original text

The Navy Cross is presented to Victor H. Krulak, Lieutenant Colonel, US Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion, First Marine Parachute Regiment, during operations on Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands, October 28 to November 3, 1943 .Assigned the task of diverting hostile attention from the movements of our main attack force en route to Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville Island, Lieutenant Colonel Krulak landed at Choiseul and daringly directed the attack of his battalion against the Japanese, destroying hundreds of tons of supplies and burning camps and landing barges. Although wounded during the assault on October 30, he repeatedly refused to relinquish his command and with dauntless courage and tenacious devotion to duty, continued to lead his battalion against the numerically superior Japanese forces. His brilliant leadership and indomitable fighting spirit assured the success of this vital mission and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

- ^[5]

At the end of the operation, the US Navy boat PT-59, whose captain was John F. Kennedy, took part in the evacuation of Krulak’s people. In gratitude, Krulak promised Kennedy a bottle of whiskey, but fulfilled his promise only twenty years later, when Kennedy was already the president of the United States ^[6] .

After the war, Krulak returned to the United States and served as deputy director of the high school at the Quantico Marine Corps, and later commander of the fifth Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton .

At the time of the outbreak of the Korean War, Krulak served as deputy chief of staff (G-3) for the Pacific Fleet’s Marine Corps. Subsequently, he served in Korea as the head of the headquarters of the first marine division , for which he was awarded the second Order of the Legion of Honor with the combat letter “V” and an air medal .

From 1951 to 1955, Krulak served in the main headquarters of the Marine Corps as the secretary general of the general staff (in fact, senior adviser to the commandant of the corps), then took over as head of the headquarters of the marine forces of the fleet in the Pacific Ocean.

In July 1956, Krulak was promoted to brigadier general and was appointed deputy commander of the Third Marine Division in Okinawa . From 1957 to 1959 he served as director of the Marine Corps Education Center in Quantico. In November 1959, he was promoted to major general and the following month took command of the corps recruiting training base in San Diego , California .

From 1962 to 1964, Krulak served as special assistant for anti-partisan action in the Joint Chiefs of Staff , for this service he received the third Order of the Legion of Honor from General Committee Chairman Maxwell Taylor himself . During this period, US military advisers helped the South Vietnamese military conduct military operations against the Viet Cong . In September 1963, Major General Krulak and diplomat Joseph Menenhall made a trip to South Vietnam to assess military prospects. Krulak stated that the situation was excellent and supported President Ngo Dinh Diem , but Mendenhall expressed the opposite opinion, which prompted Kennedy to ask his famous question: did they both go to the same country? At the end of December 1963, the newly elected president Lyndon Johnson ordered a team (from different departments) led by Krulak to study Operation OPLAN 34A (a top secret operation to strike at North Vietnam ) and choose targets in North Vietnam that the United States can strike with minimal risk for the population in connection with the Johnson administration's policy of increasing pressure on North Vietnam ^[7] .

On March 1, 1964, Krulak was appointed to the post of commander of the forces of the Marine Corps of the Navy in the Pacific Ocean and promoted to lieutenant general. Over the next four years, Krulak was responsible for all units of the Marine Corps in the Pacific, undertook 54 trips to the Vietnamese theater. Many authors including Corama (2010) believe that the Chu Lai base, the construction of which was started in May 1965, was named after Krulak (according to the Chinese version of his name) ^[8] .

With the outbreak of the Vietnam War, Krulak put forward the theory of "expansion of ink stains" ie the expansion of small units pacifying one South Vietnamese village after another, while large enemy units were to encounter the superior firepower of General Westmoreland . Krulak also called for intense bombing of North Vietnam and the mining of Haiphong Bay. His plans were rejected, because Westmoreland believed that the enemy could be crushed by superior firepower, and the Johnson administration believed that the relentless bombing of North Vietnam could provoke the USSR and the PRC to intervene ^[9] . Krulak opposed the organization of a marines base in Kheshan ^[10] .

Krulak hoped to become the next commandant of the corps, but President Lyndon Johnson in 1967 elected Lieutenant General Leonard Chapman to this post. As a result, Krulak resigned on July 1, 1968, receiving a naval medal “ For Outstanding Service ” ^[10] . Military historian Robert Coram believed that Krulak's criticism of the restrictions on military operations in Vietnam influenced the choice of president. ^[6] The son of Victor Krulak, Charles Krulak became the 31st commandant of the corps and held this post from 1995 to 1999.

Krulak was originally a supporter of the use of helicopters as a weapon of attack, and also contributed to the development of Higgins boats, from which people and materials were landing on beaches during World War II ^[11] .

After resigning, Krulak worked for Copley Newspapers , served as president of the Copley News Service and as vice president of the Copley Press . In 1977, Krulak left Copley , although he continued to work with the organization’s news service ^[12] . Krulak also wrote several books, including the portrait history of the Marine Corps First to Fight ^[13] .

While retired, Krulak participated in public organizations, in the activities of the Marine Corps. He was chairman and board member of the San Diego Zoological Society. ^[12] His wife Anne died in 2004. ^[10]

Krulak died on December 29, 2008 at the age of 95 in San Diego, California ^{[13] [14]} . Three sons remained after him ^[15] - General Charles Krulak, commandant of the Marine Corps; Rev. Victor Krulak, Commander of the Navy Chaplain Corps, Rev. William Krulak, Colonel of the Marine Corps and four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren ^[12] . The funeral service was held on January 8, 2009 in the chapel on the basis of the Marine Corps MCAS Miramar, the body was buried at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery ^[12] .

Krulak received the following awards and distinctions: ^[16]

In 2004, Lieutenant General Krulak was honored with honorary graduates of an outstanding graduation from the Naval Academy who “dedicated their lives to the service of the nation or the armed forces, made a significant and outstanding national contribution through public service, and demonstrated a strong interest in maintaining the fleet or corps of the marine corps and the naval US Academy. These people became the embodiment of the mission of the naval academy to prepare graduates ... for the acceptance of the highest responsibility of command, citizenship and government. ” ^[17]

At the first annual banquet of the Marine Corps Association in 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates spoke about the history of Krulak's stay in China and his career:

Of course, Krulak made a legendary career: the Naval Cross, the Joint Committee’s anti-partisan adviser, the commander of the Pacific Fleet’s marine corps during the Vietnam War, and the father of future corps commandant Chuck Krulak ... History and accomplishments of Viktor Krulak teach us well:

• Learning from the experiences and failures of the past
• Be open to ideas and inspiration from wherever they come
• Overcoming template thinking and bureaucratic obstacles in our path.

Original text

Krulak's was, of course, a legendary career: Navy Cross; counterinsurgency advisor to the Joint Staff; commander of the Fleet Marines in the Pacific during the Vietnam War; and, father of a future Marine Commandant, Chuck Krulak .... Victor Krulak's story and accomplishments teach us a good deal:

• About learning from the experiences and setbacks of the past;
• About being open to take ideas and inspiration from wherever they come; and
• About overcoming conventional wisdom and bureaucratic obstacles thrown in one's path.

- ^[18]

• First to Fight: View of the US Marines. - Simon & Schuster, 1991. - ISBN 0-671-73012-6 .
• Panama: An Assessment. - US Strategic Institute, 1990. - ISBN 0-913187-03-8 .
• Organization for National Security: A Study. - US Strategic Institute, 1983. - ISBN 0-913187-00-3 .

• Crocker, HW Don't Tread on me: A 400-year history of America at War, from Indian Fighting to Terrorist Hunting. - Crown Forum, 2006. - ISBN 1-4000-5363-3 .
• Krulak, Victor H. Organization for National Security , Cambridge, Massachusetts: United States Strategic Institute, 1983. ( ISBN 0-913187-00-3 )
• Krulak, Victor H. First to Fight: An Inside View of the US Marine Corps , Anapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1984. ( ISBN 0-87021-785-2 ) This book is on the Chief of Naval Operations ' Professional Reading List and the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading List
• Chapin, Captain John C., USMCR (Retired). Diversionary Landings (Neopr.) . Top of the Ladder: Marine Operations in the Northern Solomons . Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, Marine Corps Historical Center, United States Marines Corps (1997). Date of treatment July 11, 2006.
• Coram, Robert. Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, US Marine. - Little, Brown & Co , 2010.
• Hove, Duane T. American Warriors: Five Presidents in the Pacific Theater of World War II. - Burd Street Press, 2003. - ISBN 1-57249-307-0 .
• Miller, Stephen . Military Innovator Who Sought New Approach to Battle in Vietnam (Victor H. Krulak 1913–2008) , Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2009). Date of treatment January 3, 2009.

• Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, Sr. - Deceased (unopened) (inaccessible link) . USMC General Officer & Senior Executives Biographies . United States Marine Corps. Date of treatment January 23, 2009. Archived October 1, 2011.
• Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, USMC (Deceased) (neopr.) (Link unavailable) . Who's Who in the Marine Corps History . History Division, United States Marine Corps. Date of treatment January 3, 2008. Archived on May 16, 2011.
• Rholes, LCpl Ryan . Marine Corps legend 'Brute' Krulak passes away at age 95 , Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Public Affairs , United States Marine Corps (January 8, 2009). Archived January 16, 2009. Date of treatment January 23, 2009.
• Victor Harold "Brute" Krulak (English) on Find a Grave