Editing Roy Geiger (section)

==U.S. Marine Corps career==
Following attendance at the Marine Officers' School at [[Port Royal, South Carolina]], he served as a member of the Marine detachments aboard {{USS|Wisconsin|BB-9|2}} and {{USS|Delaware|BB-28|2}}. In August 1912, he was assigned to [[Nicaragua]], where he participated in the bombardment, assault and capture of the hills called Coyotepe and Barranca. Further foreign shore duty followed in the [[Philippines]] and China with the First Brigade and with the Marine detachment, American Legation, [[Peking]], China, from 1913 to 1916.

In March 1916, Geiger joined [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]], [[Florida]], as a student [[naval aviator]]. He successfully completed the course and was designated a naval aviator in June 1917. He was designated Naval Aviator # 49 (Marine Corps Aviator # 5) on June 9, 1917.<ref>Kaufman ''100 Year of Marine Corps Aviation'', p. 314.</ref>

===World War I===
Further training followed and in July 1918, he arrived in France. He served with [[No. 5 Group RAF|5 Group]], [[Royal Air Force]] at [[Dunkirk, France|Dunkirk]]. He commanded a squadron of the First Marine Aviation Force and was attached to the Day Wing, [[Northern Bombing Group]]. He was detached to the United States in January 1919. For distinguished service in leading bombing raids against the enemy, he was awarded the [[Navy Cross]].

===Development of Marine Corps aviation between the wars===
From December 1919 to January 1921, he was a squadron commander with the Marine Aviation Force attached to the [[1st Provisional Marine Brigade]] in [[Haiti]]. Upon return to the United States and after duty at the Marine Flying Field, Marine Barracks, [[MCB Quantico]], [[Virginia]], he attended [[Command and General Staff School]] at [[Fort Leavenworth, Kansas]]. He graduated in June 1925. Again he went to foreign shore duty, commanding Observation Squadron Two with the First Brigade in Haiti.

In August 1927, he returned to Quantico as a squadron officer and instructor at the Marine Corps Schools, and in May 1928, was assigned to duty in the Aviation Section, Division of Operations and Training, at Marine Corps Headquarters. After attending the [[U.S. Army War College]] and graduating in June 1929, he was ordered to Quantico, where he was assigned duty as [[commanding officer]], Aircraft Squadrons, East Coast Expeditionary Force. He returned to Washington and served as the officer in charge, Marine Corps Aviation from 1931 to 1935, a billet currently held by a lieutenant general that is now known as the deputy commandant for aviation.<ref>Kaufman ''100 Year of Marine Corps Aviation'', p. 315.</ref>

In June 1935, he returned to Quantico as commanding officer, Aircraft One, [[Fleet Marine Force]]. From June 1939 to March 1941, he was a student at the Senior and the Advanced Courses, [[Naval War College]], [[Newport, Rhode Island]]. This was followed with a brief tour of duty in the Office of the Naval Attaché, London.

===World War II===
[[File:General Roy S. Geiger and his staff on Okinawa.jpg|thumb|left|Geiger (third from left) and [[III Marine Amphibious Corps|III MAC]] staff during the planning of Okinawa operation. From left to right: David R. Nimmer, Walter A. Wachtler, Geiger, [[Merwin H. Silverthorn]], [[Sidney S. Wade]], [[Francis B. Loomis Jr.]] and Gale T. Cummings.]]
[[File:GeigerUSMC-2 Guam-p6b.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Major General Roy S. Geiger (left), Marine III Amphibious Corps Commander, en route to [[Guam]] on board the command ship [[USS Appalachian|USS ''Appalachian'']]. In the center is his Chief of Staff, Colonel [[Merwin H. Silverthorn]] and on the right is Brigadier General [[Pedro del Valle]], Corps Artillery commander.]]
In April 1941, Geiger made his way from Lisbon to Gibraltar, where he changed from civilian clothes to his military uniform. He had lunch with the governor at Government House, in a visit which lifted British morale in Gibraltar. He was on his way to the Western Desert, as the first U.S. military observer attached to the British 8th Army. In August, he became commanding general, [[1st Marine Aircraft Wing]], Fleet Marine Force, in which capacity he was found upon the United States' entry into World War II.

On September 3, 1942, he was stationed at [[Guadalcanal]] to lead the [[Cactus Air Force]] during the early part of the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]]. Until November 4, he was commander of the combined Army, Navy and Marines Air Forces stationed here, of which the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was part. He was awarded a [[5/16 inch star|Gold Star]] in lieu of a second [[Navy Cross]] for his service on Guadalcanal.

His citation reads in part, ''"Despite almost continuous bombardment by enemy aircraft, hostile naval gunfire and shore based artillery, the combined total of Army, Navy and Marine Corps units stationed at Guadalcanal under Major General Geiger's efficiently coordinated command succeeded in shooting down 268 Japanese planes in aerial combat and inflicting damage on a number estimated to be as great ... Sank six enemy vessels, including one [[heavy cruiser]], possibly sank three [[destroyer]]s and one heavy cruiser, and damaged 18 other ships, including one heavy cruiser and five [[light cruiser]]s."''

Geiger was recalled to [[Headquarters Marine Corps]] in May 1943, to become the [[Deputy Commandant for Aviation|Director of Aviation]]. In November 1943, he returned to the field, this time as commanding general of the [[I Marine Expeditionary Force|I Amphibious Corps]] and led the corps from November 9, to December 15, 1943, in the [[Battle of Bougainville]], for which he was awarded the [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal|Distinguished Service Medal]].

Redesignated [[III Amphibious Corps]] in April 1944, he led this organization in the invasion and subsequent [[Battle of Guam (1944)|recapture of Guam]] during July and August 1944, and in the assault and capture of the southern [[Palau]] Islands in September and October of the same year. For those operations he was awarded two Gold Stars in lieu of a second and third Distinguished Service Medal.

Geiger led this corps into action for the fourth time as part of the [[Tenth United States Army|Tenth Army]] in the invasion and capture of [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. On June 18, 1945, Geiger assumed command of the Tenth Army following the death in combat of Lt. General [[Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.]] for the final five days of the battle. He was relieved by General [[Joseph Stilwell]]. To this day, Geiger remains the only Marine Corps officer to have ever held command of a [[field army]].<ref name=WellonsGeiger/><ref>{{cite news |title=Four-star general's family returns ancient bell to Japan |first=Dania |last=Kalaji |work=[[Pensacola News Journal]] |date=2021-06-26 |url=https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2021-06-26/general-returns-ancient-bell-to-Japan-1849088.html |access-date=2022-07-04 }}</ref> Geiger was appointed commanding general of the [[Fleet Marine Force, Pacific]] in July 1945 and was promoted to [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]].<ref>Camp, ''Giants Of The Corps: "Rugged Roy" Geiger And The Northern Bombing Group'', May 2006.</ref> Geiger was the only Marine Corps representative at the [[surrender of Japan]] aboard the {{USS|Missouri|BB-63}} on September 2, 1945.<ref name=WellonsGeiger>{{cite thesis |last=Wellons |first=James B. |date=June 2007 |title=General Roy S. Geiger, USMC: Marine Aviator, Joint Force Commander |type=MA |chapter=Abstract |page=vi |publisher=[[Air University (United States Air Force)#Advanced Professional Military Education|Air University, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies]] |docket= |oclc= |chapter-url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA515343.pdf |access-date=2022-07-04}}</ref>

[[File:Gen Roy S Geiger Mem Pkwy.jpg|thumb|280px|right|"General Roy S. Geiger Memorial Parkway" sign on County Road 220 in Clay County, Florida, just south of Jacksonville]]
He returned to Washington, D.C., and [[Pensacola, Florida]], in September and October 1945 before resuming his duties.<ref>Wellons, 2007, pp. 137–138.</ref> Geiger was transferred to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps in November 1946.<ref>Camp, 2006.</ref><ref>Camp's article states that Geiger's transfer back to headquarters was "in late 1945." This is an obvious typographical error. Other sources such as Wellons, 2007, state actions taken by Geiger while in command of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific during 1946 and make clear that his command ended in November 1946.</ref>

Geiger was promoted to [[General (United States)|four-star general]] posthumously by the 80th Congress to be effective from January 23, 1947.<ref>Wellons, 2007, p. 146.</ref>