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First Name: Earl

Last Name: Ellis

Birthplace: Iuka, KS, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Marines (present)



Middle Name: Hancock



Date of Birth: 19 December 1880

Date of Death: 12 May 1923

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Years Served:
Earl Hancock Ellis
'Pete'

   
Biography:

Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps

Earl Hancock Ellis was born on 19 December 1880 in Iuka, KS.

Ellis foresaw Japan's World War II ocean-based plans to dominate the Pacific, including aircraft carriers and amphibious landings, and developed a counter-strategy. His thoughts on tactics and strategy are still studied today. He changed the focus of the Marines, most notably as the author of "A Tentative Manual for Landing Operations," which is still recognized as the authoritative work on amphibious warfare.

He advocated changing the Marine mission from small groups guarding bases and ships to amphibious battalions deployed as the vanguard of offensive operations. In 1921 Ellis traveled to the South Pacific in the guise of a businessman to study the Japanese Navy, and died two years later under mysterious circumstances in the Caroline Islands.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock Ellis died on 12 May 1923 in the Caroline Islands. Chronic alcoholism has often been cited as the cause of his death. Initially buried in the Caroline Islands, his remains were eventually disinterred, cremated and returned to the U.S. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.



Honoree ID: 2465   Created by: MHOH

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