Henry Louis Larsen
Encyclopedia
Henry Louis Larsen was a United States Marine Corps
Lieutenant General
, the second Military Governor of Guam following its recapture from the Empire of Japan, and the first post-World War II
Governor of Guam
. He also served as the Military Governor of American Samoa
alongside civilian Governor of American Samoa Laurence Wild
. Larsen was among the first troops overseas in both World Wars. During World War I
, he commanded the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines
. He participated in numerous battles in France
, earning him three Silver Star
s, the Navy Cross
, the Croix de guerre
with palm, and the French Legion of Honour. In between the Word Wars, he served during the United States occupation of Nicaragua, where he earned his second Navy Cross, the Presidential Medal of Merit from President of Nicaragua
José María Moncada Tapia
, and his first Distinguished Service Medal
.
He served as the Director of Plans and Policies for the Marine Corps until the United States became involved in World War II. He commanded the first troops to leave the United States - the 8th Marine Regiment. During the war he served as military governor of both American Samoa
and Guam
. On Guam he faced an island with large infrastructure damage from the two battles that had taken place there and undertook a project to transform Guam into a forward military base housing large numbers of troops. In the single largest construction project ever undertaken by the United States Navy
, Larsen converted the island into an air and sea base that frequently launched attacks on the main Japanese islands. He also oversaw the capturing of remaining guerilla Japanese forces and contended with race rioting between White and African American
sailors and marines.
, Illinois
to Andrew A. Larsen, a builder
, and his wife. He moved with his family to Denver, Colorado
when at the age of 16. He attended the Army and Navy Academy boarding school. In 1913, he married Elizabeth Ammons, who was the daughter of Colorado Governor Elias M. Ammons
and the sister of another Colorado Governor, Teller Ammons
. He was fluent in French
, Spanish
, and Norwegian
and served as a certified interpreter for all three. He died on October 2, 1962 of a heart attack at his home. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
.
at the age of 23; he earned top marks in a class of 75 at Officer Candidates School
. He commanded the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines
during World War I
. Shortly after being field promoted
to the rank of Major
, he led a liaison mission on June 25, 1918 during the Battle of Belleau Wood
, for which he received a Citation Star
. On October 4, 1918, the battalion's flanks became exposed while operating alongside the Fourth French Army
near Rheims. The Germans attacked multiple times, but despite this the battalion managed for maintain all of the ground they had taken. For Larsen's command during the two day defense he was awarded the Navy Cross
and a second Citation Star. He received a third Citation Star during the war; all three were later converted to Silver Star
s, making him the recipient of three Silver Star awards. He participated in every major action undertaken by the Marine Corps during the First World War, and was the only member of the 3rd Battalion to serve during the war without being wounded. In 1919, he French awarded him the Croix de guerre
with palm and the Legion of Honour for his actions during the war.
After the First World War, he served in a number of posts on both American Samoa
, United States holdings in the Caribbean
, and in Mexico
. He participated in the United States occupation of Nicaragua from April 1, 1928 to March 26, 1929 as the Brigade Inspector of the 2nd Brigade and commander of the 3rd Battalion 11th Marines
. He earned his second Navy Cross while in this position. He earned the Presidential Medal of Merit from President of Nicaragua
José María Moncada Tapia
and his first Distinguished Service Medal
in 1929. He was among a few Marine officers who were instructed at the École Militaire
in France as part of an officer training exchange program in the 1930s
Prior to World War II
, Larsen served as the Director of Plans and Policies at the Headquarters Marine Corps
in Washington, D.C.
. He oversaw the immediate expansion of the Marine Corps following the attack on Pearl Harbor
and soon after preceded to American Samoa as the commander of the 8th Marine Regiment, the first combat troops to leave the Continental United States during the war. On June 1943 he assumed command of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
in North Carolina
. He left the post to become Island Commander of Guam on July 21, 1944, shortly before becoming governor of the island.
Following the war and his governorship, Larsen assumed the position of Commanding General of the Marine Corps Department of the Pacific. He retired a Lieutenant General
on November 1, 1946. He wrote several military texts on amphibious warfare
, a style of warfare that he helped pioneer, and other topics. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal
twice, the Certificate of Merit Medal
twice, and the Bronze Star Medal
once.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
appointed Larsen the first and only Military Governor of American Samoa on January 15, 1942. He served alongside the Naval Governor Laurence Wild
. This lead to an odd situation where Larsen outranked Wild militarily while, at the same time, Wild held a position of senior authority to Larsen. Larsen negotiated the American occupation of Western Samoa with New Zealand
during during World War II.
James Barton, the Deputy Chief Military Government Officer. The government was restructured into a martial one with ten departments to oversee things like education, labor, and public wealth. Much of this remained similar to the naval government in place before the Japanese invasion of the island
, though Larsen had increased power to change governmental organization or law by decree. During his tenure, the term Guamanian first became popular as opposed to referring to the natives as Chamorro as the Chamorro people of Guam and the Japanese held island of Saipan
had to be differentiated. He oversaw an effort to round up the remaining Japanese forces who remained on the island. This included a plan in which some senior Japanese prisoners were released under the promise that they would round up other hidden forces and order them to surrender.
A number of altercations involving the service of African American serviceman
alongside whites ensued while Larsen commanded the island's forces. These included the shooting of an African American marine by a white sailor and attacks on African American barracks by whites with smoke grenade
s. Despite Larsen issuing a statement calling for respect toward military members of "various races and colors", the violence continued. It culminated in the commandeering of automatic weapons and trucks by 43 African American sailors in the short-lived Agana race riot
, prompting their arrest by Marine Military Police
and sentencing of up to four years in prison each. The men eventually obtained their freedom after Walter Francis White
, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
leader, advocated for them by claiming the situation was created by discrimination toward the men mixed with poor leadership in their unit.
During the war, he commanded over 215,000 personnel on the island and oversaw the development of the island into a major air and sea military base in the single largest construction project in the history of the United States Navy
. By the time the war ended, the island contained five air bases and eight air strips, from which many planes made bombing runs on the Japan
ese mainland. The medical facilities on the island were also revamped, and many of the wounded from engagements like the Battle of Iwo Jima
were routed through Guam before returning home. Larsen planned to convert the heavily damaged capital of Agana
into a more modern American city with a grid plan
similar to Santa Monica, California
, but never achieved his "New Agana". Larsen contended that these improvements also provided easily discernible living condition improvements for the native Chamorro people of the island.
Daniel I.J. Thornton
appointed him Colorado Civilian Defense Director
, a position he held from 1949 through 1959. Larsen also served as the president of the National Association of State Civil Defense Directors. He used the position to advocate for greater civil defense
spending, accusing President Harry Truman of neglecting to fully prepare the nation for war should it come again.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
, the second Military Governor of Guam following its recapture from the Empire of Japan, and the first post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Governor of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. He also served as the Military Governor of American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
alongside civilian Governor of American Samoa Laurence Wild
Laurence Wild
Laurence Wild was a United States Navy Captain, college basketball player and coach, and the 30th Governor of American Samoa from August 8, 1940 to June 5, 1942. Wild was born in Wilber, Nebraska, and lived in the 4th Congressional District of Nebraska for much of his adult life...
. Larsen was among the first troops overseas in both World Wars. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he commanded the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed "Dark Horse", is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and consists of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors...
. He participated in numerous battles in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, earning him three Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s, the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
, the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palm, and the French Legion of Honour. In between the Word Wars, he served during the United States occupation of Nicaragua, where he earned his second Navy Cross, the Presidential Medal of Merit from President of Nicaragua
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
José María Moncada Tapia
José María Moncada Tapia
José María Moncada Tapia was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1929 to 1 January 1933.- Political career :...
, and his first Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
.
He served as the Director of Plans and Policies for the Marine Corps until the United States became involved in World War II. He commanded the first troops to leave the United States - the 8th Marine Regiment. During the war he served as military governor of both American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. On Guam he faced an island with large infrastructure damage from the two battles that had taken place there and undertook a project to transform Guam into a forward military base housing large numbers of troops. In the single largest construction project ever undertaken by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Larsen converted the island into an air and sea base that frequently launched attacks on the main Japanese islands. He also oversaw the capturing of remaining guerilla Japanese forces and contended with race rioting between White and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
sailors and marines.
Life
Larsen was born on December 10, 1890 in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
to Andrew A. Larsen, a builder
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
, and his wife. He moved with his family to Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
when at the age of 16. He attended the Army and Navy Academy boarding school. In 1913, he married Elizabeth Ammons, who was the daughter of Colorado Governor Elias M. Ammons
Elias M. Ammons
Elias Milton Ammons , originally a Republican, was the elected Democratic 19th Governor of Colorado from 1913 to 1915. Born in 1860 in Macon County, North Carolina, he is perhaps best remembered for ordering National Guard troops into Ludlow, Colorado during the Ludlow Massacre...
and the sister of another Colorado Governor, Teller Ammons
Teller Ammons
Teller Ammons was the 28th Governor of Colorado from 1937 to 1939.Ammons was the son of Colorado Governor Elias M. Ammons, and was named for his father's friend, U.S. Senator Henry Moore Teller...
. He was fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
and served as a certified interpreter for all three. He died on October 2, 1962 of a heart attack at his home. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Military service
Larsen joined the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
at the age of 23; he earned top marks in a class of 75 at Officer Candidates School
Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps)
The United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School is the entry-level training for Marine officers, equivalent to recruit training for enlisted Marines. Located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the school trains, screens, and evaluates potential Marine Corps officers...
. He commanded the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed "Dark Horse", is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and consists of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Shortly after being field promoted
Battlefield promotion
A battlefield promotion is an advancement in military rank that occurs while deployed in combat. A standard field promotion is advancement from current rank to the next higher rank; a 'jump-step' promotion is advancement from current rank to a rank above the next highest.-United States:A...
to the rank of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
, he led a liaison mission on June 25, 1918 during the Battle of Belleau Wood
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S...
, for which he received a Citation Star
Citation Star
The Citation Star was an award of the United States Army which was first established by the United States Congress on July 9, 1918. The Citation Star was a silver star device pinned to the World War I Victory Medal to denote those who had been cited for extreme heroism or valor...
. On October 4, 1918, the battalion's flanks became exposed while operating alongside the Fourth French Army
Fourth Army (France)
The Fourth Army was a Field army of the French Army, which fought during World War I and World War II.-World War I:*General Fernand de Langle de Cary *General Henri Gouraud...
near Rheims. The Germans attacked multiple times, but despite this the battalion managed for maintain all of the ground they had taken. For Larsen's command during the two day defense he was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
and a second Citation Star. He received a third Citation Star during the war; all three were later converted to Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s, making him the recipient of three Silver Star awards. He participated in every major action undertaken by the Marine Corps during the First World War, and was the only member of the 3rd Battalion to serve during the war without being wounded. In 1919, he French awarded him the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palm and the Legion of Honour for his actions during the war.
After the First World War, he served in a number of posts on both American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, United States holdings in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He participated in the United States occupation of Nicaragua from April 1, 1928 to March 26, 1929 as the Brigade Inspector of the 2nd Brigade and commander of the 3rd Battalion 11th Marines
3rd Battalion 11th Marines
3rd Battalion 11th Marines is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California and its primary weapon system is the M777 lightweight howitzer with a maximum...
. He earned his second Navy Cross while in this position. He earned the Presidential Medal of Merit from President of Nicaragua
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
José María Moncada Tapia
José María Moncada Tapia
José María Moncada Tapia was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1929 to 1 January 1933.- Political career :...
and his first Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
in 1929. He was among a few Marine officers who were instructed at the École Militaire
École Militaire
The École Militaire is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars....
in France as part of an officer training exchange program in the 1930s
Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Larsen served as the Director of Plans and Policies at the Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He oversaw the immediate expansion of the Marine Corps following the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and soon after preceded to American Samoa as the commander of the 8th Marine Regiment, the first combat troops to leave the Continental United States during the war. On June 1943 he assumed command of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in North Carolina. The base's of beaches make it a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allows for fast deployments.The main base is supplemented by five satellite...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He left the post to become Island Commander of Guam on July 21, 1944, shortly before becoming governor of the island.
Following the war and his governorship, Larsen assumed the position of Commanding General of the Marine Corps Department of the Pacific. He retired a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
on November 1, 1946. He wrote several military texts on amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
, a style of warfare that he helped pioneer, and other topics. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
twice, the Certificate of Merit Medal
Certificate of Merit Medal
The Certificate of Merit Medal was a military decoration of the United States Army that was issued between the years of 1905 and 1918. The Certificate of Merit Medal was a military decoration which replaced the much older "Certificate of Merit" which had first been issued by the U.S...
twice, and the Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
once.
American Samoa
PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
appointed Larsen the first and only Military Governor of American Samoa on January 15, 1942. He served alongside the Naval Governor Laurence Wild
Laurence Wild
Laurence Wild was a United States Navy Captain, college basketball player and coach, and the 30th Governor of American Samoa from August 8, 1940 to June 5, 1942. Wild was born in Wilber, Nebraska, and lived in the 4th Congressional District of Nebraska for much of his adult life...
. This lead to an odd situation where Larsen outranked Wild militarily while, at the same time, Wild held a position of senior authority to Larsen. Larsen negotiated the American occupation of Western Samoa with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
during during World War II.
Guam
Larsen served as Governor of Guam from August 15, 1944 to May 30, 1946. Larsen mainly concerned himself with military and construction affairs, leaving the day-to-day administration of the island to CommanderCommander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
James Barton, the Deputy Chief Military Government Officer. The government was restructured into a martial one with ten departments to oversee things like education, labor, and public wealth. Much of this remained similar to the naval government in place before the Japanese invasion of the island
Battle of Guam (1941)
The First Battle of Guam, was an engagement during the Pacific War in World War II, and took place on 8 December 1941 on Guam in the Mariana Islands between the Empire of Japan and the United States...
, though Larsen had increased power to change governmental organization or law by decree. During his tenure, the term Guamanian first became popular as opposed to referring to the natives as Chamorro as the Chamorro people of Guam and the Japanese held island of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
had to be differentiated. He oversaw an effort to round up the remaining Japanese forces who remained on the island. This included a plan in which some senior Japanese prisoners were released under the promise that they would round up other hidden forces and order them to surrender.
A number of altercations involving the service of African American serviceman
Military history of African Americans
The military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United States to the present day...
alongside whites ensued while Larsen commanded the island's forces. These included the shooting of an African American marine by a white sailor and attacks on African American barracks by whites with smoke grenade
Smoke grenade
Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
s. Despite Larsen issuing a statement calling for respect toward military members of "various races and colors", the violence continued. It culminated in the commandeering of automatic weapons and trucks by 43 African American sailors in the short-lived Agana race riot
Agana race riot
The Agana race riot took place at Agana, Guam over the two nights of 24 December-25 December, 1944 during the War in the Pacific.It was one of the most serious incidents between African American military personnel and White enlisted men during the Second World War.-Background:In July 1944, the 3rd...
, prompting their arrest by Marine Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and sentencing of up to four years in prison each. The men eventually obtained their freedom after Walter Francis White
Walter Francis White
Walter Francis White was a civil rights activist who led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for almost a quarter of a century and directed a broad program of legal challenges to segregation and disfranchisement. He was also a journalist, novelist, and essayist...
, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
leader, advocated for them by claiming the situation was created by discrimination toward the men mixed with poor leadership in their unit.
During the war, he commanded over 215,000 personnel on the island and oversaw the development of the island into a major air and sea military base in the single largest construction project in the history of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. By the time the war ended, the island contained five air bases and eight air strips, from which many planes made bombing runs on the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese mainland. The medical facilities on the island were also revamped, and many of the wounded from engagements like the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
were routed through Guam before returning home. Larsen planned to convert the heavily damaged capital of Agana
Hagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña , formerly English Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the capital of the United States island territory of Guam. It is the island's second smallest village in both area and population. From the 18th through mid 20th century, it was Guam's population center...
into a more modern American city with a grid plan
Grid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
similar to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, but never achieved his "New Agana". Larsen contended that these improvements also provided easily discernible living condition improvements for the native Chamorro people of the island.
Post-military career
After Larsen retired from the Marine Corps, Governor of ColoradoGovernor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
Daniel I.J. Thornton
Daniel I.J. Thornton
Daniel I.J. Thornton was a United States cattle breeder and Republican politician who served as the 33rd Governor of the State of Colorado from 1951 to 1955....
appointed him Colorado Civilian Defense Director
United States civil defense
United States civil defense refers to the use of civil defense in the history of the United States, which is the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack...
, a position he held from 1949 through 1959. Larsen also served as the president of the National Association of State Civil Defense Directors. He used the position to advocate for greater civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
spending, accusing President Harry Truman of neglecting to fully prepare the nation for war should it come again.