PASSING OF AND SERVICES FOR GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR., 30TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
Date Signed: 4/7/2014 | ALMARS Number: 009/14
ALMARS : 009/14
R 072203Z APR 14
UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 009/14
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/PASSING OF AND SERVICES FOR GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR., 30TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//
REF/A/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS/031935ZAPR14//
POC/-/-/UNIT:-/-/TEL:-/EMAIL:-//
GENTEXT/RMKS/1.  THE REFERENCE ANNOUNCED THE DEATH OF GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR., U.S. MARINE CORPS, RETIRED, 30TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS, ON 3 APRIL 2014.
2.  GENERAL MUNDY WAS BORN ON 16 JULY 1935 IN ATLANTA, GA.  HE ENLISTED IN THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE AND ENROLLED IN THE PLATOON LEADERS CLASS PROGRAM IN DECEMBER 1953.  HE SERVED IN THE 38TH SPECIAL INFANTRY COMPANY, MONTGOMERY, AL, AND ROSE TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT.  UPON GRADUATION FROM AUBURN UNIVERSITY IN 1957, HE WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.  HE WAS MARRIED ON THANKSGIVING DAY IN 1957 TO THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, THE FORMER LINDA STRINGFIELD SLOAN OF WAYNESVILLE, NC.
3.  UPON GRADUATION FROM THE BASIC SCHOOL, HE WAS ASSIGNED AS AN INFANTRY OFFICER WITH THE 2D MARINE REGIMENT, 2D MARINE DIVISION.  HIS FIRST BRUSH WITH COMBAT CAME SOON AFTERWARD WHEN ASSIGNED TO THE 2D PROVISIONAL MARINE FORCE, FMF, ATLANTIC.  AT THE TIME, ELEMENTS OF FMF ATLANTIC-BASED MARINES HAD BEEN ORDERED BY PRESIDENT EISENHOWER TO SEIZE CONTROL OF BEIRUT, LEBANON, IN ORDER TO QUELL RISING VIOLENCE.  DURING THIS TIME, 2NDLT MUNDY RECEIVED THE FIRST OF HIS MANY AWARDS FOR SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF DUTY.
4.  TRANSFERRED FROM THE 2D MARINE DIVISION, LT MUNDY NEXT SAW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SEA DUTY AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE MARINE DETACHMENTS ABOARD THE USS TARAWA (CVS-40) AND THE USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG-4).  FOLLOWING THESE TOURS HE WAS ASSIGNED AS AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE BASIC SCHOOL, WHERE HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.  ASSIGNED TO THE OFFICER SELECTION OFFICE IN RALEIGH, NC, CAPTAIN MUNDY RETURNED TO HIS ADOPTED STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.  WITH WAR IN VIETNAM LOOMING, HE SOUGHT A COMBAT ASSIGNMENT AND SERVED FIRST AS THE III MARINE AMPHIBIOUS FORCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.  III MAF COMMANDING GENERAL, LIEUTENANT GENERAL LEWIS WALT, PERSONALLY PROMOTED CAPTAIN MUNDY TO THE RANK OF MAJOR IN FEBRUARY 1967.  BY JUNE OF THAT YEAR, MAJOR MUNDY WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET BACK TO HIS PRIMARY SPECIALTY - MARINE INFANTRY - AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 3D BATTALION, 26TH MARINES, WHICH HAD BEEN HEAVILY ENGAGED IN AND AROUND THE COMBAT BASE AT KHE SANH.  LATER, DURING HEAVY FIGHTING AROUND CON THIEN, MAJOR MUNDY WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION BY GRENADE FRAGMENTS TO HIS LEG.  HE LATER RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART AND THE BRONZE STAR WITH COMBAT DISTINGUISHING DEVICE.
5.  FOLLOWING HIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL COMBAT TOUR IN VIETNAM, MAJOR MUNDY WAS ASSIGNED AS THE AIDE TO THE ASSISTANT COMMANDANT, GENERAL LEWIS WALT.  HE LATER ATTENDED THE MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AT QUANTICO, VA, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO INSPECTOR-INSTRUCTOR DUTY IN MIAMI, FL, FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AT 4TH ANGLICO.
6.  ASSIGNED TO THE 3D MARINE DIVISION ON OKINAWA IN 1973 AS A NEW LIEUTENANT COLONEL, HE ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE LEGENDARY 2D BATTALION, 4TH MARINES.  LATER, LIEUTENANT COLONEL MUNDY WAS SELECTED TO ATTEND TOP LEVEL SCHOOL AT THE U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, NEWPORT, RI, AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED TO WASHINGTON, DC, AS A PLANS OFFICER IN THE PLANS, POLICY AND OPERATIONS DIVISION AT HQMC.
7.  HE WAS PROMOTED TO COLONEL AND RETURNED TO THE 2D MARINE DIVISION IN 1980 AS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF FOR INTELLIGENCE AND AS CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE 6TH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS.  IN 1981, HE COMMANDED THE 2D MARINE REGIMENT, AND BRIEFLY COMMANDED THE 38TH AND 36TH MARINE AMPHIBIOUS UNITS.  HE WAS SELECTED TO THE RANK OF BRIGADIER GENERAL, AND WAS ADVANCED TO THAT GRADE ON 30 APRIL 1982.  AFTER A SHORT TOUR IN THE PERSONNEL PROCUREMENT BRANCH, HQMC, BRIGADIER GENERAL MUNDY RETURNED TO THE OPERATING FORCES AS THE COMMANDING GENERAL, LANDING FORCE TRAINING COMMAND, ATLANTIC, AND COMMANDER OF THE 4TH MAB AT NORFOLK, VA.
8.  FOLLOWING THIS TOUR, HE WAS SELECTED FOR MAJOR GENERAL IN APRIL 1986 AND SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT HQMC.  IN 1988, HE WAS ADVANCED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL AND RETURNED TO THE PLANS, POLICIES AND OPERATIONS DIVISION AT HQMC.  FOLLOWING THIS ASSIGNMENT, LIEUTENANT GENERAL MUNDY SERVED AS THE COMMANDING GENERAL, FMF ATLANTIC, II MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, AND FMF EUROPE.
9.  UPON RETIREMENT OF THE 29TH COMMANDANT, GENERAL ALFRED M. GRAY, LIEUTENANT GENERAL MUNDY WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF GENERAL AND ASSUMED THE OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.  HIS PROMOTION CEREMONY TOOK PLACE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND WAS PRESIDED OVER BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH.  HIS APPOINTMENT AS CMC CAME AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CORPS AND THE NATION.  RECENTLY EMERGING FROM THE SUCCESSFUL DESERT STORM OPERATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THE END OF THE COLD WAR, MANY IN CONGRESS AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC EXPECTED TO GAIN A "PEACE DIVIDEND" BY RAPIDLY DOWNSIZING AND RESTRUCTURING THE COLD WAR ERA NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCE.  THUS, GENERAL MUNDY IMMEDIATELY CONFRONTED AND ULTIMATELY OVERCAME CHALLENGES TO THE CORPS' FORCE STRUCTURE WHILE RESETTING IT FOR THE FUTURE.  IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT HE COINED THE DESCRIPTION OF THE MARINE CORPS AS THE "NATION'S 9-1-1 FORCE", A PREDECESSOR OF TODAY'S "CRISIS RESPONSE FORCE".
10.  WHILE CMC, GENERAL MUNDY ESTABLISHED COMMAND SCREENING BOARDS, IMPLEMENTED NEW TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS REMOTELY PILOTED VEHICLES, CHAMPIONED THE MV-22 OSPREY, AND DEALT WITH SENSITIVE PERSONNEL ISSUES SUCH AS THE "COMBAT EXCLUSION" AND "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICIES OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.  HE INSTITUTED A FOCUS ON THE CORPS' CORE VALUES OF HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT; AND, BASED ON THE CORPS' RECENT EXPERIENCE IN DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, FORMALIZED AND SANCTIONED THE KEY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.  HE ESTABLISHED THE LANDMARK NAVAL STRATEGY "FROM THE SEA" WHEREIN THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AGREED TO REORIENT DOCTRINAL FOCUS TOWARD LITTORAL WARFARE.  HE DIRECTED THE CORPS TO RE-INTEGRATE SOME FIXED-WING SQUADRONS INTO U.S. NAVY AIR WINGS SERVING ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND ALSO URGED THE CORPS TO ESTABLISH A CLOSER WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARMY.  HIS PROPHETIC VISION SOON CAME TO FRUITION WHEN MARINES AND SOLDIERS FOUND THEMSELVES DEPLOYED AND SERVED TOGETHER IN SOMALIA.  HIS ENDURING LEGACY AS CMC WAS HIS DEFT ABILITY TO KEEP THE CORPS FROM BEING DEEPLY REDUCED DURING THE "BOTTOM UP REVIEW" THEN BEING CONDUCTED BY A COST-CONSCIOUS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.  THROUGH INSPIRED AND PERSUASIVE ARTICULATION OF THE ENDURING VALUE OF THE MARINE CORPS IN OUR NATION'S MILITARY, GENERAL MUNDY WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CORPS FROM FALLING BELOW 174,000 MARINES - AN ASTOUNDING ACHIEVEMENT CONSIDERING THE TENOR OF THE TIME.  ON ALL OCCASIONS, GENERAL MUNDY REMAINED AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN AND UPON LEAVING OFFICE WAS PAID PROBABLY THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENT WHEN PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON TOLD HIM THAT "OF ALL THE GENERALS AND ADMIRALS I RECEIVED ADVICE FROM AND THAT I DEALT WITH IN MY TENURE, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT I ALWAYS KNEW THAT YOU WERE GIVING ME YOUR MOST CANDID ADVICE AND THAT WHAT YOU SAID, YOU MEANT."
11.  RETIRING FROM ACTIVE SERVICE IN 1995, HE BECOME THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED SERVICES ORGANIZATION (USO) AND HELPED TO RESTORE THE DIRECTION AND VITALITY OF THIS WELL-KNOWN INSTITUTION.  HE ALSO SERVED FOR MANY YEARS AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION AT QUANTICO, VA, BEFORE RETIRING ONCE AGAIN TO SPEND HIS TIME BETWEEN HOMES IN ALEXANDRIA, VA; TITUSVILLE, FL; AND CASHIERS, NC.  HIS GRACIOUS SPOUSE, LINDA, WHO WAS A QUIET CHAMPION OF THE CORPS IN HER OWN RIGHT, PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH IN JUNE 2013.  BOTH OF GENERAL MUNDY'S SONS, BRIGADIER GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY III (KNOWN AS SAM) AND COLONEL TIMOTHY S. MUNDY, CONTINUE ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE MARINE CORPS, AND HIS DAUGHTER, ELIZABETH MUNDY GUNTER, A WRITER AND CONSULTANT, MAKES HER HOME IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA.
12.  GENERAL MUNDY'S PERSONAL DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE DEFENSE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDALS OF THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE AND COAST GUARD, THE LEGION OF MERIT, THE BRONZE STAR (WITH COMBAT DISTINGUISHING DEVICE), THE PURPLE HEART, AND TWO NAVY COMMENDATION MEDALS (WITH COMBAT DISTINGUISHING DEVICE).  HIS FOREIGN DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE VIETNAMESE CROSS OF GALLANTRY, THE COLOMBIAN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, THE SPANISH GRAND CROSS OF NAVAL MERIT, THE FRENCH LEGION OF HONOR, GRADE OF COMMANDER, THE ARGENTINEAN GRAND CROSS, THE ROYAL NORWEGIAN ORDER OF MERIT, GRAND CROSS, AND THE NETHERLANDS MEDAL OF MERIT.
13.  WHILE STILL A BRIGADIER GENERAL, HE PENNED AN APT DESCRIPTION ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A MARINE:  "IT'S NOT THE STARS OR BARS YOU HAVE, NOT WHAT YOU WEAR ON YOUR SLEEVE OR SHOULDER THAT DETERMINES WHAT YOU ARE.  IT'S WHAT YOU WEAR ON YOUR COLLAR - THE EAGLE, GLOBE, AND ANCHOR - THAT PUTS YOU IN THE BROTHERHOOD OF MARINES."
14.  VIEWING:  A VIEWING WILL OCCUR FROM 2:00-4:00 PM AND 6:00-8:00 PM LOCAL TIME ON FRIDAY, 11 APRIL 2014 AT DEMAINE FUNERAL HOME, 520 S. WASHINGTON STREET, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314.
15.  MEMORIAL SERVICE:  GENERAL MUNDY'S SERVICE TO HIS COUNTRY AND THE CORPS WILL BE HONORED IN A MILITARY TRIBUTE ON SATURDAY, APRIL 12TH, AT 11:00 AM, AT THE MARINE CORPS WAR MEMORIAL IN ARLINGTON, VA.  THERE WILL BE NO PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE AT THE MARINE CORPS WAR MEMORIAL FOR THIS CEREMONY.  GUESTS MAY PARK AT THE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY VISITORS' CENTER FOR A SMALL FEE.  MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON WILL PROVIDE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE FROM THE VISITORS' CENTER TO THE WAR MEMORIAL GROUNDS BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10:30 AM.  UPON COMPLETION OF THE CEREMONY, SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE WILL RUN FROM THE WAR MEMORIAL BACK TO THE VISITORS' CENTER.
16.  FUNERAL AND BURIAL:  FUNERAL AND BURIAL SERVICES WILL FOLLOW AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND GREENHILL CEMETERY, BOTH IN WAYNESVILLE, NC, AT 2:00 PM ON SATURDAY, 19 APRIL 2014.  A VISITATION WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 1:00 PM TO 2:00 PM IN THE CHURCH.  IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY REQUESTS DONATIONS BE MADE TO THE MARINE CORPS HERITAGE FOUNDATION (IN MEMORY OF GEN CARL E. MUNDY, JR.), 3800 FETTLER PARK DR., SUITE 104, DUMFRIES, VA, 22025.
17.  CONDOLENCE LETTERS MAY BE MAILED TO THE MUNDY FAMILY AT:  GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR., (C/O THE MUNDY FAMILY), P.O. BOX 219, SEALSTON, VA, 22547.
18.  UNIFORM FOR ALL EVENTS IS DRESS BLUE WHITE BRAVO WITH SOFT BELT AND MOURNING BAND.
19.  ALL MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS WILL HALF-MAST THE NATIONAL ENSIGN UNTIL SUNSET ON THE DAY OF INTERMENT.
20.  JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//