Lieutenant General Wallace C. (Chip) Gregson, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
LtGen. Wallace C. (Chip) Gregson, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
On 9 November 2008, Lieutenant General Wallace C. (Chip) Gregson, USMC (Ret.) was the second Guest of Honor in the history of the Wine Country Marine Corps Birthday Ball. The following is a short biography of his distinguished career:
In 2005, Lieutenant General Wallace C. Gregson, Jr., retired after a distinguished 37 year career as an infantry officer. Assignments included command at every level. During the Vietnam war, he served with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. In Somalia, he served with the Unified Task Force during Operation Restore Hope. From 2003-2005, he served as the Commanding General of more than 70,000 U.S. military personnel assigned to the Marine Forces Pacific, Marine Forces Central Command and Marine Corps Bases Pacific units.
In his most senior assignments he served as the Director, Asia and Pacific in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy; Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Division in Japan, Commanding General of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan; and Commanding General of Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Marine Corps Forces Central Command. He has also held positions within the United Nations in Egypt, Headquarters Marine Corps and the Central Intelligence Agency.
General Gregson is a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
His professional military education includes the U.S. Marine Corps Basic Officer Course (The Basic School), the U.S. Army Airborne School, the U.S. Army Infantry Officers Advanced Course, the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the Naval War College, and a tour as a Military Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a distinguished graduate of the Infantry Officers Advanced Course and the Naval War College.
His civilian education includes a Bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, Master's degrees in Strategic Planning from the Naval War College and International Relations from Salve Regina College. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by the University of Maryland.
General Gregson's medals and decorations include: the Legion of Merit (3rd Award), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroism, the Purple Heart, and the "Order of the Rising Sun - Gold and Silver Star" issued by the Emperor of Japan.
Since leaving active military service, General Gregson has continued to make a difference by managing his own consulting corporation, WCG and Associates International, LLC, which concentrates on national security policy, defense and Asian security issues. He also serves as:
- Director and Treasurer, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. - Trustee, Marine Corps University Foundation. - Honorary Director, Okinawa Development International Council. - Advisor, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs. - Advisory Board Member, Center for a New American Security. - Board Member, Global Relief Technology - Board Member, NOETIC Corporation.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the Pacific Counsel on International Policy; the International Institute for Strategic Studies; the US Naval Institute; and the Marine Corps Association.
General Gregson and his wife Cindy currently reside in Colorado. They have two sons, one serving as a Marine Corps officer.
