# Hank Stackpole

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{{short description|U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| name               = H. C. Stackpole III
| image              = Stackpole LGENUSMC.jpg
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Henry Charles Stackpole III
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1935|5|7}}
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2020|5|29|1935|5|7}}
| birth_place        = [New Haven, Connecticut](/source/New_Haven%2C_Connecticut), U.S.
| death_place        = [Honolulu, Hawaii](/source/Honolulu%2C_Hawaii), U.S.
| burial_place       = 
| burial_label       = 
| burial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname           = 
| allegiance         = United States
| branch             = [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps)
| service_years      = 1958–1994
| rank               = [Lieutenant general](/source/Lieutenant_general_(United_States))
| service_number     = 0-76572
| unit               = 
| commands           = {{ubl|[Fleet Marine Force, Pacific](/source/Fleet_Marine_Force%2C_Pacific) / [U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific](/source/U.S._Marine_Corps_Forces%2C_Pacific)|[III Marine Expeditionary Force](/source/III_Marine_Expeditionary_Force)|[3rd Marine Division](/source/3rd_Marine_Division)|[7th Marine Regiment](/source/7th_Marine_Regiment)}}
| battles            = [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War)
| battles_label      = 
| awards             = 
| relations          = 
| other_work         = 
| signature          = 
| alma_mater         = [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts))<br>[George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University)<br>[Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University)
}}
'''Henry Charles Stackpole III''' (7 May 1935 – 29 May 2020) was a [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) [lieutenant general](/source/Lieutenant_general_(United_States)). He was a combat veteran of the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War) and his last post was as commander, [Marine Corps Forces, Pacific](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps_Forces%2C_Pacific), and commanding general, [Fleet Marine Force, Pacific](/source/Fleet_Marine_Force%2C_Pacific), from 1992 to 1994.

==Early life and education==
Hank Stackpole was a graduate of [Notre Dame High School](/source/Notre_Dame_High_School_(West_Haven%2C_Connecticut)) in [West Haven, Connecticut](/source/West_Haven%2C_Connecticut). He graduated from [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University) with a B.A. in English in 1957, and held master's degrees from [George Washington University](/source/George_Washington_University) and [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University).<ref name="marine" />  He was commissioned as a [second lieutenant](/source/second_lieutenant) in the [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) in 1958.<ref name="marine">[https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/21211 Stackpole assumes command]. ''Hawaii Marine'', Vol. 21, No. 26. Published 9 July 1992.</ref>

==Marine Corps career==
After commissioning, he was a [combat engineer](/source/combat_engineer) officer and a base [public affairs](/source/public_affairs_(military)) officer. In 1964 Stackpole served in [Da Nang](/source/Da_Nang), [South Vietnam](/source/South_Vietnam), and returned in 1966 as a captain in the role of company commander, Company I, [3rd Battalion, 5th Marines](/source/3rd_Battalion%2C_5th_Marines), [1st Marine Division](/source/1st_Marine_Division_(United_States)) in South Vietnam. When his unit ran into a North Vietnamese regimental headquarters, he was hit in the leg by a .50 caliber bullet.<ref name="marine" /><ref name="statesman" /><ref name="reporter" /> He was supposed to be evacuated by a helicopter to a field hospital, but the helicopter was shot down along the way and Stackpole was the only survivor among the nine men on board. He crawled out and carried himself seventy feet from the helicopter shortly before it exploded. He was eventually put on another helicopter and taken to a field hospital, where he nearly died from his injury.<ref name="reporter" /> 

During some of his time at the field hospital Stackpole was assisted by a [Navy chaplain](/source/United_States_Navy_Chaplain_Corps), Reverend Victor Krulak (the son of Marine Corps lieutenant general [Victor H. Krulak](/source/Victor_Krulak)). Because there seemed to be no sign of life, he started giving him the last rites, but he then noticed that Stackpole was still alive, and called over the Navy [hospital corpsmen](/source/hospital_corpsmen) who had thought he was dead.<ref name="statesman" /><ref name="reporter" /> Stackpole was awarded the [Silver Star](/source/Silver_Star) for his actions during combat in Vietnam.<ref name="reporter" />

From August 1970 to June 1973, Stackpole was assigned as commanding officer, executive officer and marine officer instructor, [Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps](/source/Naval_Reserve_Officers_Training_Corps) (NROTC) Unit, [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University), and held the rank of major. He was awarded the [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit) during that time for having the leading role in deescalating tensions between certain student groups and the NROTC unit, which became a target for those who were opposed to U.S. foreign policy.<ref name="reporter" /> 

As a [colonel](/source/colonel), he was commanding officer of [7th Marine Regiment](/source/7th_Marine_Regiment) from 7 August 1981 to 16 February 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1st Marine Division and Its Regiments |url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/The%201st%20Marine%20Division%20and%20its%20Regiments%20%20PCN%2019000314800.pdf |author1=Danny J. Crawford |author2=Robert V. Aquilina |author3=Ann A. Ferraante |author4=Shelia P Gramblin |publisher=History and Museums Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027011922/https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/The%201st%20Marine%20Division%20and%20its%20Regiments%20%20PCN%2019000314800.pdf |access-date=March 29, 2023|archive-date=2020-10-27 }}</ref> Stackpole's other commands during his career included the Recruit Training Regiment at [Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego](/source/Marine_Corps_Recruit_Depot_San_Diego), the 17th Marine Amphibious Unit, [Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler](/source/Marine_Corps_Base_Camp_Smedley_D._Butler), Marine Corps Bases Japan, [3rd Marine Division](/source/3rd_Marine_Division), and [III Marine Expeditionary Force](/source/III_Marine_Expeditionary_Force).<ref name="marine" /><ref name="bio" />

Other commands he held included [Joint Task Force Sea Angel](/source/1991_Bangladesh_cyclone) during the humanitarian relief mission in [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh) in May and June 1991, after flooding on the eastern coast of the [Bay of Bengal](/source/Bay_of_Bengal), and Director of the Plans and Policy Directorate, [United States Atlantic Command](/source/United_States_Atlantic_Command), [Norfolk, Virginia](/source/Norfolk%2C_Virginia).<ref name="reporter">{{cite news |url=https://www.hawaiireporter.com/not-ready-to-meet-his-creator-lt-general-h-c-hank-stackpole-iii-u-s-marine-corps-retired/123 |title=Not Ready to Meet His Creator – Lt. General H. C. (Hank) Stackpole III, U.S. Marine Corps, retired |work=Hawaii Reporter |author=Duane Vachon |date=April 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name="bio">[https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Who's%20Who/S-U/stackpole_hc.aspx LtGen H.C. "Hank" Stackpole III] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140319090404/https://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Who's%20Who/S-U/stackpole_hc.aspx Archived]). [Marine Corps University](/source/Marine_Corps_University). Retrieved 29 September 2023. {{Marine Corps}}</ref> Stackpole was promoted to the rank of [lieutenant general](/source/lieutenant_general) on 23 July 1991 and was deputy chief of staff for plans, policies and operations, [Headquarters Marine Corps](/source/Headquarters_Marine_Corps) in Washington, D.C., followed by assignment as commander of [Marine Forces Pacific](/source/Marine_Forces_Pacific) and [Fleet Marine Force, Pacific](/source/Fleet_Marine_Force%2C_Pacific), at Camp Smith in Hawaii from 8 July 1992.<ref name="marine" /> He was the first commander of Marine Forces Pacific, which was established as the Marine component command of the [United States Pacific Command](/source/United_States_Indo-Pacific_Command).<ref>[https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/MARINE%20CORPS%20FORCES%20PACIFIC.pdf MARINE CORPS FORCES PACIFIC]. [Marine Corps University](/source/Marine_Corps_University). Published 15 September 2006.</ref> In that role, Stackpole oversaw two of the Corps' three Marine Expeditionary Forces and had an area of responsibility that covers over half of the earth's surface.<ref name="history">[https://www.marforpac.marines.mil/About/History/ HISTORY OF U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC]. U.S Marines.</ref><ref>[https://www.marforpac.marines.mil/Units/ Units] U.S. Marines.</ref> That was his last post before he retired on 1 September 1994.<ref name="bio" /> 

His military decorations included the [Defense Superior Service Medal](/source/Defense_Superior_Service_Medal), [Silver Star](/source/Silver_Star), [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit), [Purple Heart](/source/Purple_Heart), the Japanese [Order of the Rising Sun](/source/Order_of_the_Rising_Sun), and the South Vietnamese [Gallantry Cross](/source/Gallantry_Cross_(South_Vietnam)).<ref name="marine" />

==Family and later life==
Stackpole worked for a satellite communications company and was the president of the [Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies](/source/Asia-Pacific_Center_for_Security_Studies) from 1998 to 2005.<ref name="statesman" /><ref name="Princeton" /> In his role as president of APCSS, he was "tremendously influential throughout the region. He had great stature there due to his near-legendary reputation, gracious personality, and expansive knowledge of the region and its people."<ref name="statesman" /> He was also a commissioner of the Boy Scouts<ref name="reporter" /> and a member of the American Red Cross.<ref name="Princeton">[https://paw.princeton.edu/memorial/henry-c-stackpole-iii-57 Henry C. Stackpole III '57]. ''Princeton Alumni Weekly'' (November 2020).</ref> Even after his retirement from the military he continued to attend ceremonial events at the Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, such as the [Marine Corps birthday ball](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps_birthday).<ref>[https://navyleaguehonolulu.org/ltgen-stackpole.html LtGen Stackpole]. Navy League of the U.S. Honolulu Council.</ref> 

He was married to Vivien Jean To, a native of [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong), since 1962,<ref name="marine" /><ref name="reporter" /> and they had two daughters, one son, and four grandchildren.<ref name="Princeton" />

Stackpole died on 29 May 2020 in Hawaii.<ref name="statesman">{{cite news |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/05/30/breaking-news/retired-marine-corps-lt-gen-hank-stackpole-decorated-vietnam-combat-vet-dies/ |title=Warrior-statesman retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Hank Stackpole dies |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |author=William Cole |date=May 30, 2020 |accessdate=March 29, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[Norman H. Smith](/source/Norman_H._Smith)}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of the [3rd Marine Division](/source/3rd_Marine_Division)|years=1989–1991}}
{{s-aft|after=[Michael Byron](/source/Michael_J._Byron_(general))}}
{{s-new|office}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of the [United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps_Forces%2C_Pacific)|years=1992–1994}}
{{s-aft|after=[Charles Krulak](/source/Charles_Krulak)|rows=2}}
{{s-bef|before=[Royal N. Moore Jr.](/source/Royal_N._Moore_Jr.)}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commanding General of the [Fleet Marine Force, Pacific](/source/Fleet_Marine_Force%2C_Pacific)|years=1992–1994}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stackpole, H. C.}}
Category:1935 births
Category:2020 deaths
Category:Military personnel from New Haven, Connecticut
Category:Princeton University alumni
Category:Recipients of the Silver Star
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Category:Notre Dame High School (West Haven, Connecticut) alumni
Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun
Category:Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
Category:United States Marine Corps generals
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
Category:George Washington University alumni
Category:Stanford University alumni

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hank Stackpole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Stackpole) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Stackpole?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.