This Military Service Page was created/owned by
CWO2 Philip E. Montroy
to remember
Marine LtGen James Breckinridge.
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Contact Info
Home Town Memphis
Last Address Summit Point, West Virginia
Date of Passing Mar 02, 1942
Location of Interment Lexington National Cemetery (VA) - Lexington, Kentucky
LtGen Breckinridge retired from the USMC on October 1, 1941. He returned to his home in the Shenandoah Valley. Upon his death in 1942, as per his wishes, he was buried in the Breckinridge family section at Lexington National Cemetety in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 1945 the U.S. Navy launched the USS General J.C. Breckinridge (AP-176) in his honor. The USMC named Breckinridge Hall at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico and later the James Carson Breckinridge Professional Library at the Marine Corps University as a tribute to his efforts to prepare the next generation of Marines for World War II.
Other Comments:
LtGen Breckinridge was from a very wealthy and historically noteable family. His father, Clifton Rhodes Breckinridge, was a former U.S. Congressman (1888-1897) and U.S. Minister to Russia (1894-1897). His grandfather, John C. Breckinridge, was the former Vice President of the United States (1857-1860) and Secretary of War for the Confederate States of America. His great-great grandfather, John Breckinridge, had served as a U.S. Senator (1800-1805) and as the U.S. Attorney General (1805-1806).
LtGen Breckinridge, like Maj. Earl "Pete" Ellis, foresaw the coming hostilities in the Pacific and used his position at the Marine Corps Schools to write and develop training programs to enhance U.S. Marine Corps amphibious warfare capabilities.
US Second Occupation of Nicaragua
From Month/Year
December / 1926
To Month/Year
December / 1933
Description Civil war erupted between the conservative and liberal factions on May 2, 1926, with liberals capturing Bluefields, and José María Moncada Tapia capturing Puerto Cabezas in August. Dr. Juan Bautista Sacasa declared himself Constitutional President of Nicaragua from Puerto Cabezas on Dec. 1 Following Emiliano Chamorro Vargas' resignation, the Nicaraguan Congress selected Adolfo Diaz as designado, who then requested intervention from President Calvin Coolidge. On January 24, 1927, the first elements of US forces arrived, with 400 marines.
Government forces were defeated on Feb 6 at Chinandega, followed by another defeat at Muy Muy, prompting US marine landings at Corinto and occupation of La Loma Fort in Managua. Ross E. Rowell's Observation Squadron arrived on Feb 26, which included DeHavilland DH-4s. By March, the US had 2,000 troops in Nicaragua under the command of General Logan Feland. In May, Henry Stimson brokered a peace deal which included disarmament and promised elections in 1928. However, the Liberal commander Augusto César Sandino, and 200 of his men refused to give up the revolution.
On June 30, Sandino seized the San Albino gold mine, denounced the Conservative government, and attracted recruits to continue operations. The next month saw the Battle of Ocotal. Despite additional conflict with Sandino's rebels, US supervised elections were held on November 4, 1928, with Moncada the winner. Manuel Giron was captured and executed in February 1929, and Sandino took a year's leave in Mexico.
The Hoover administration started a US pullout such that by February 1932, only 745 men remained. Dr. Juan Sacasa was elected president in the November 6, 1932 election. The Battle of El Sauce was the last major engagement of the US intervention.
