US Marine Corps Recruit Depot - Yearbook (Parris Island, SC)

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. ti 1. MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN G. OLMSTEAD Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot General Olmstead was born in Albany, N.Y., November 10, 1929 and graduated from Bethlehem Central High School in 1947. He holds a B.S. degree in Military Science from the University of Maryland 119631 and an M.S. degree in Interna- tional Affairs from George Washington University 119701. Enlisting in the Marine Corps in August 1948, he participated in the Korean Conflict as a squad leader with the 3d Battalion, First Marines, lst Marine Division. He attended The Basic School, Quantico, Va., and was commissioned a second lieuten- ant in June 1951. General Olmstead remained at Quantico and served consecu- tively as a platoon leader and a company executive officer of the Demonstration Troops until January 1953. He also attended the U.S. Naval Justice School, Newport, R.l., during this period. He was promoted to first lieutenant in October 1952. General Olmstead then served as Executive Officer, Marine Detachment, aboard the USS NORTH HAMPTON, until October 1954, when he was transferred to Manchester, N.H., as Inspector- lnstructor, 18th Rifle Company. He was promoted to captain in March 1954. ln October 1957, he was ordered to Camp Lejeune, N.C., as Assistant S-3 Officer, 2d Battalion, Eighth Marines, 2d Marine Division. ln January 1958, he was reassigned as a company commander, 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, and attended the Advanced lnfantry School, Fort Benning, Ga., from July 1959 to May 1960. General Olmstead was assigned to Camp Butler, Okinawa, as Assistant S-4 Officer. He returned to the United States in July 1961 as an instructor at the U.S. Army Intelligence School, Fort Holabird, Md. He was promoted to major in September 1961. Transferred to the 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune in July 1964, he served as S-3 and S-2 Officer, Sixth Amphibious Unit and Regimental Landing Team-6 in the Dominican Republic. ln May 1966 he was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam as the command briefer at the U.S. Military Assistance Command. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1966. General Olmstead was assigned as an operations officer on the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., in May 1967. He then attended the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., graduating as a Distinguished Graduatew in June 1970. He then reported to Headquarters Marine Corps. Washington, D.C., as a branch head in the G-3 Division. He was promoted to colonel in September 1971: ' ln .luly 1973 he was ordered to Okinawa as Regimental Com- mander, Ninth Marines, 3d Marine Division. ln May 1974, he was transferred to the staff of the Commander, 6th Fleet, in Gaeta, Italy, as the Fleet Marine Officer. He was advanced to brigadier general on April 1, 1976 and assigned duty as Director, Development Center, Marine Corps Development and Educa- tion Command, Quantico, Va., on June 15, 1976. He was as- signed additional duty of Deputy Chief of Staff, Research, De- velopment and Studies, Headquarters Marine Corps. General Olmstead was advanced to major general on May 23, 1978 and assigned duty as Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., on June 30, 1978. He assumed duty as the Commanding General, Ill Marine Amphibious For- cefCommanding General, 3d Marine Division, FMF, Pacific, Okinawa, Japan, in July 1980. On June 29, 1982 he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps until July 6, 1984 when he assumed his present assign- ment. General O1mstead's decorations and medals include: the Le- gion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Commenda- tion Medalg Navy Commendation Medal, the Army Commenda- tion Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commen- dationg and the Republic of Korea Cheonsu Medal. Major General Olmstead and his wife, the former Vera L. Mead of Bucyrus, Ohio have three children, Barbara J. tMrs. Theodore R. Schneblel, Elizabeth A. fMrs. Michael L. Lovej, and Stephen G. Ca Marine officerj.

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COLONEL JAMES K. VAN RIPER Commanding Officer, Recruit Training Regiment Colonel James K. Van Riper was born in Brownsville, Penn- sylvania on 5 July 1938. He graduated from high school in Dormont, Pennsylvania in June 1956, enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve following graduation, and underwent recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina in the fall of 1956. After completing infantry training in April 1957, he was released from active duty and returned home to serve in the 12th Infantry Battalion, USMCR. He graduated from the University of Pitts- burgh in December 1962. He was commissioned a Second Lieu- tenant in November 1963. Colonel Van Riper completed The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia in July 1964 and was assigned to the lst Battalion, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division. While with the lst Battalion he served as a platoon commander, and he was with the lst Battal- ion when it was committed to combat operations in the Domini- can Republic in May of 1965 as part of the 4th Marine Expedi- tionary Brigade. Colonel Van Riper was transferred to the Republic of Viet- nam in January 1966 where he served as an advisor with the Vietnamese Marine Corps. He was promoted to Captain in September and returned to the United States in December 1966, where he was assigned to The Basic School as an instructor. In January 1969 he was ordered to the Amphibious Warfare School as a student. He graduated in July 1969 and was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam. He served as a Company Commander in the 7th Marines, lst Marine Division until August 1970. Upon his return to the United States, Colonel Van Riper reported to Marine Barracks, Washington, D. C. where he served in a variety of billets including assistant operations officer and, following his promotion to Major in July 1973, Command- ing Officer of the Ceremonial Guard Company. In August 1974 Colonel Van Riper was transferred to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. There he was initially assigned as the Regimental Inspector for the Re- cruit Training Regiment and then as the Executive Officer, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. He completed his tour at Parris Island as Commanding Officer, Service Company, H8LS Battal- lon. In July of 1977, Colonel Van Riper was ordered to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Virginia. Follow- ing graduation in June 1978, he reported to the 3d Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan where he served as the S-3 of the 9th Marines. Upon his return to the United States in July 1979 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was assigned to the Joint Strategy and Planning Branch, Plans Division, Headquar- ters Marine Corps. Colonel Van Riper was transferred to the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island in August 1981. He completed the cur- riculum in June 1982 and was ordered to the 4th Marine Am- phibious Brigade Headquarters aboard the USS Mt Whitney. There he served first as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-5 and then as the assistant G-3. Colonel Van Riper was promoted to his present rank in May 1984. He was ordered to Parris Island during July 1984. Colonel Van Riperls personal decorations include the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and one gold star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon with one gold star. Colonel Van Riper and his wife, the former Connie Ray Wills of Cynthiana, Kentucky, have one daughter, Laura, and one son, Andy.