Allen H. Turnage

{{short description|United States Marine Corps general}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox military person | name = Allen Hal Turnage | birth_date = {{birth date|1891|1|3}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|10|22|1891|1|3}} | birth_place = Farmville, North Carolina, U.S. | death_place = Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. | burial_place = | burial_label = Place of burial | image = Allen H. Turnage.jpg | caption = Allen H. Turnage | nickname = | allegiance = United States | branch = United States Marine Corps | service_years = 1913–1948 | rank = General | service_number = 0-997 | commands = Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Marine Brigade 1st Battalion, 5th Marines Camp Lejeune 3rd Marine Division Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Fleet Marine Force, Pacific | unit = | battles = '''Banana Wars''' '''World War I''' '''World War II''' *Battle of Bougainville *Battle of Guam (1944) | awards = Navy Cross Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit | other_work = }} '''Allen Hal Turnage''' (January 3, 1891 – October 22, 1971) was a United States Marine Corps General who earned the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal while leading the 3rd Marine Division on Bougainville and Guam in World War II.

==Biography== General Turnage was born on January 3, 1891, in Farmville, North Carolina.<ref name="History Division">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516214317/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Turnage_AH.htm General Allen H. Turnage, USMC], ''Who's Who in Marine Corps History'', History Division, United States Marine Corps. Official Marine Corps biography. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.</ref>

He attended the University of North Carolina before entering the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant on November 17, 1913. Following instruction for 17 months at the Marine Officers' School, Norfolk, Virginia, he joined the First Brigade in Haiti in 1915 and participated in expeditions against hostile Cacos in Northern Haiti, then was assigned to duty with the Haitian Constabulary until August 1918.<ref name="History Division" />

Almost immediately, he was sent to France, where he served as commanding officer of Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Marine Brigade. Following World War I, he was an instructor at the Marine Officers' School, Quantico; served with the Gendarmerie d'Haiti again from 1922 to 1925; and completed the Field Officers' Course at Quantico. Later, between two tours of duty at Headquarters Marine Corps, he was assigned sea duty on the staff of Battleship Divisions Four and Three.<ref name="History Division" />

In 1935, General Turnage was appointed director of the Marine Officers' Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, following which he served with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, as battalion commander and regimental executive officer, respectively. Ordered overseas in 1939, he served as commanding officer of Marine Forces in North China, and commanding officer of the Marine detachment, American embassy, Peiping. He returned to Headquarters Marine Corps in April 1941, and was serving as director of the Division of Plans and Policies when World War II broke out.<ref name="History Division" />

In June 1942, General Turnage was ordered to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to take command of the Base and its Training Center, which included the organization and training of two regimental combat teams for the 3rd Marine Division. That October, he joined the newly formed 3rd Marine Division as assistant division commander, becoming commanding general on Guadalcanal in September 1943. He then led the division in the landing at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, 1943, and in the recapture of Guam, 1944.<ref name="History Division" />

After two years with the 3rd Division, in September 1944 General Turnage was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as director of personnel, and, later, as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. In May 1946, his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. His final assignment was as commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.<ref name="History Division" />

General Turnage retired from active duty on January 1, 1948, and was advanced to four-star rank on retirement by reason of having been specially commended for heroism in combat.

General Turnage lived in Alexandria, Virginia after retirement. He died at Bethesda Naval Hospital on October 22, 1971,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/148158995 |title=Gen. Allen H. Turnage, Led Marines in Pacific |date=October 23, 1971 |page=B4 |newspaper=The Washington Post |id={{ProQuest|148158995}} |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref> and was interred with full military honors in Section 5 of Arlington National Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CgdUdXJuYWdlEgVBbGxlbhoBSA--/ |title=Turnage, Allen H |website=ANCExplorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref> His Wife, Hannah Pyke Torrey Turnage (October 23, 1895 – March 20, 1982), whom he married on July 21, 1920, is buried with him.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CgdUdXJuYWdlEgZIYW5uYWgaAVA-/ |title=Turnage, Hannah P |website=ANCExplorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations== General Turnage's awards include: {| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |- |colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Haitian Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaraguan Campaign ribbon 1933.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=China Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal (Haiti) - ribbon bar.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=DOM Order of Military Merit for other services ribbon bar.PNG|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaragua Medal of Distinction ribbon.png|width=106}} |- |} {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |- !1st Row |colspan="14"|Navy Cross |- !2nd Row |colspan="4"|Navy Distinguished Service Medal |colspan="4"|Legion of Merit |colspan="4"|Navy Presidential Unit Citation with one star |colspan="4"|Navy Unit Commendation with two stars |- !3rd Row |colspan="4"|Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal with one service star |colspan="4"|Haitian Campaign Medal (1917) |colspan="4"|World War I Victory Medal with France clasp & Maltese cross |colspan="4"|Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933) |- !4th Row |colspan="4"|China Service Medal |colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp |colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal |colspan="4"|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three service stars |- !5th Row |colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal |colspan="4"|Haitian Distinguished Service Medal |colspan="4"|Dominican Order of Military Merit, 2nd Class with White Insignia |colspan="4"|Nicaraguan Medal of Distinction w/ Diploma |- |}

===Navy Cross citation=== '''TURNAGE, ALLEN H.''' Major General, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding General, 3d Marine Division Date of Action: November 1–27, 1943

Citation:

:The Navy Cross is presented to Allen H. Turnage, Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as Commanding General of the Landing Force of the Third Marine Division (Reinforced), during the establishment of a beachhead in the Solomon Islands Area from November 1 to November 27, 1943. Leading his command with intrepidity and daring aggressiveness, major General Turnage frequently exposed himself to heavy enemy gunfire throughout the landing and operations essential to the attainment and consolidation of the final beachhead line at Empress August Bay, Bougainville Island. His conspicuous courage, distinguished leadership and resolute devotion to duty throughout this period were an inspiration to the officers and men in his command and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

SPOT AWARD, Serial 0049 (SofN Signed September 5, 1944)

==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} * List of 3rd Marine Division Commanders

==References== {{reflist}} {{Marine Corps}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turnage, Allen H.}} Category:1891 births Category:1971 deaths Category:People from Farmville, North Carolina Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:Military personnel from North Carolina Category:American military personnel of the Banana Wars Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I Category:United States Marine Corps World War II generals Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit Category:United States Marine Corps generals Category:Military personnel from Alexandria, Virginia Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery