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First Name: Richard

Last Name: Neal

Birthplace: Hull, MA, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Marines (present)



Middle Name: I.



Date of Birth: 20 June 1942



Rank: General

Years Served: 1965-1998
Richard I. Neal

   
Engagements:
•  Vietnam War (1960 - 1973)
•  Gulf War (1990 - 1991)

Biography:

Richard I. Neal
General and Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps

Richard I. Neal was born on 20 June 1942, in Hull, MA. As a member of the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation in 1965 from Northeastern University, where he received a B.S. degree in History and Education. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from Tulane University (1973).

Following completion of The Basic School and then the Army Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK, Neal was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division in Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a Forward Observer with the 3rd Battalion 9th Marines. He returned to Vietnam in January 1970, where he was assigned as an Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps. Upon his return he attended Amphibious Warfare School.

In 1973, he served as the Commanding Officer of the 2d 155 Howitzer Battery, 2d Field Artillery Group at Camp Lejeune, NC. Following a tour as head of the Company Grade Assignment Section at Headquarters Marine Corps, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He served on the Air-Ground Exchange Program as S-3, Marine Aircraft Group 36, on Okinawa. Upon his return to the U.S., Neal was assigned as the Head, Operations Division, Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1981.

In 1982, he was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, DC. Upon completion, he returned to Camp Lejeune to command the 5th Battalion, 10th Marines. Neal was promoted to Colonel in 1985 and was assigned to the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, FL, as the Chief of Policy/Strategy Division and later as the Chief of the Special Projects Division in the J-5 Directorate.

Neal was assigned duty as Director, Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico in August 1988. While serving in this capacity he was selected for promotion to Brigadier General in December 1989.

In July 1990, Neal was advanced to Brigadier General and assigned duty as the Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department. He served in this capacity until May 1992. From September 1990 to April 1991, he was assigned temporary duty as the Deputy for Operations at U.S. Central Command for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Neal was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General, II MEF in June 1992. From June-August 1992, he served as Commanding General, Joint Task Force for Operations GITMO, a humanitarian relief effort for Haitian migrants at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba.

Neal was advanced to Major General in April 1993 and assigned as the Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division. In August 1994, he was assigned as the Deputy Commander in Chief/Chief of Staff, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, and promoted to Lieutenant General in October 1994.

Neal was promoted to General on 19 September 1996 and assigned as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on 27 September 1996.

General Neal retired from the Marine Corps on 1 November 1998.

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star Medal w/ 1 Award Star
Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal w/ Valor Device
Purple Heart
Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Combat Action Ribbon
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Navy Unit Commendation w/ 2 Service Stars
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 Service Star
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 6 Service Stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 3 Service Stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 3 Service Stars
Arctic Service Ribbon
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

In Retirement

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Neal has served on various corporate boards and has been associated with intellectual property rights in the private sector and defense-related companies. He is president of Audio MPEG, a patent licensing company. He has served on the Board of Directors of Humanetics Corporation, a pharmaceutical company, since January 2006. Neal is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Military Officers Association of America- elected to a two-year term in November 2008, Neal had previously served on the MOAA Board for four years.



Honoree ID: 411   Created by: MHOH

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