Major General James Everette Livingston MOH, USMC (Ret)

Major General James E. Livingston served over 33 continuous years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. His Military Occupational Service Code was Infantry Officer. During the Vietnam War, on May 2, 1968, while serving as Commanding Officer, Company E, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Maj Gen Livingston distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces during the Battle of Dai Do, and he earned the Medal of Honor, and he is the only recipient of the Medal of Honor from Auburn University. He received the following other medals, badges, commendations, ribbons, citations and decorations: Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V", Purple Heart Third Award, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal Second Award, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" Combat Action ribbon, Second Award and various other service and foreign decorations.

MajGen Livingston has received numerous awards from civilian organizations. He has been awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution's highest award for patriotism, leadership and service, the DAR Medal of Honor. At Auburn University in 1990, he received the Sigma Pi Founders Award. In 2001, he received the Distinguished Auburn Engineer and Distinguished Veteran Awards. In 2012, he was awarded the Auburn University Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018, he was awarded South Carolina's highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto, by Gov. Henry McMaster. In 2024, he was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. The Warrior Lodge at the A-HERO farm in Macon County, AL, is named for him. Veterans and first responders participate in outdoor activities as a means to recover from their physical wounds and psychological trauma to reintegrate with American life.

MajGen Livingston was born January 12, 1940 to his parents, Myrett and Ruth, and was reared in the rural area of Telfair County, GA, where he worked on his family's farm and graduated in 1957 from Lumber City High School, where he played basketball. In 1957, he entered North Georgia College (The Military College of Georgia) which later became the University of North Georgia and was a member of the school's nationally recognized Corps of Cadets. After one year, he transferred to Auburn University, which was then Alabama Polytechnic Institute, to pursue an engineering degree that was not offered at North Georgia College. While at Auburn University, he pledged and was initiated into the Alpha-Delta Chapter of Sigma Pi fraternity. While there, he participated in the Air Force ROTC and two Marine Corps Platoon Leader Boot Camps at Quantico, Virginia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in June 1962.

MajGen Livingston's active military service began with his completing six months of training at the Marine Basic School at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA. He was assigned as replacement officer during the Cuban Crisis, which was called off quickly, and this was followed by his serving as a platoon commander in teaching the junior platoon leader classes. His early assignments included service as a platoon commander, intelligence officer and as a Recruit Training Regiment series commander. He was transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, where he served with the Fifth Marine Regiment preparing them to go to Okinawa and then to Vietnam. When he and the Marines arrived via ship as a member of the Third Battalion, Third Regiment, Third Marine Division near Da Nang, they served three months on the ship going ashore via helicopter getting exposure in case they had to go ashore in warfare. He rotated back to Cherry Point, N.C., where he decided to remain in the U.S. Marines. He then served 13 months at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., where he was a series commander in training Marine recruits. Promoted to captain in June 1966, he served one year as the Commanding Officer of the Marine detachment aboard the USS Wasp (CVS-17), a U.S. Navy anti-submarine carrier. The ship carried nuclear weapons, and it patrolled the eastern Atlantic Ocean in case the Soviets attacked the mainland of America.

MajGen Livingston served nine months during 1967-1968 with the Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Division who were called the Magnificent Bastards. The Vietnam War was really heating up at this time because the North Vietnamese were now fighting. MajGen Livingston served with the Third Marine Division (Reinforced) in the Republic of Vietnam beginning in August 1967. On May 2, 1968, while serving as the Commanding Officer, Company E, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, he distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy forces. While leading his Marines on a determined assault on the heavily fortified village of Dai Do, he maneuvered his men to assault positions across 500 meters of dangerous open rice paddies. Ignoring hostile rounds impacting near him, he fearlessly led his men in a savage assault against enemy emplacements within the village. He shouted words of encouragement to his Marines, directing their fire and spurring the dwindling momentum of the attack on repeated occasions. He was twice painfully wounded by grenade fragments, yet he refused medical treatment and courageously led his men in the destruction of over 100 mutually supporting bunkers. He boldly maneuvered the remaining Marines of his company forward, joined forces with the heavily engaged Marines and halted the enemy's counterattack. He was wounded the third time, sustaining a through and through wound from a .50 caliber machine gun and was unable to walk. Only when assured of the safety of his men did he allow himself to be evacuated.

MajGen Livingston was treated for his serious wounds to his legs resulting in seven surgeries at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. He then served in Okinawa for four months completing his previous assignment. This was followed by attending the amphibius warfare school at Quantico for nine months. Next, he served two years at the Army post, Ft. Benning, GA, as the liaison for the Marines and Navy personnel who attended the Army's Ranger Course, Scout Dog Course, Pathfinder School, and the Airborne School. He was also an instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga. He then served with the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, CA, first as the Director of their Division School and then as the Operations Officer for the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division.

He was then transferred to Okinawa where he served as the Operations Officer initially for the Fourth Marines for four months. He was shortly thereafter re-assigned to serve as the eyes and ears for the Division Commander aboard the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), a command ship which was off the coast of Vietnam and used for the evacuation of Vietnam called Operation Frequent Wind. He was on the last helicopter flight from the Defense Attache's compound in Saigon. As the Vietnam War had ended, he then returned to Okinawa and finished his tour. Next, he served at Quantico as the commander of the training of platoon leader's class. This was followed by attending the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico in May 1977. He was then assigned as commander at the Marine Barracks in London, England, and this was an accompanied tour allowing his family to go with him. From the Marine Barracks London, he was assigned to the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, where he graduated with a Master's Degree in May 1981.

MajGen Livingston's next assignment was serving as the Commanding Officer, Third Recruit Training Battalion at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., and then as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training. While there, he earned a Master's Degree in Management from Webster University in 1984. He next served for three years at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he was the G-3 for the Second Marine Division and Commanding Officer for the Sixth Marines. His next assignment was an accompanied tour with the Joint U.S. Assistance Group in the Republic of the Philippines. He was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, and he was assigned to the Pentagon for two years as the Deputy Director for Operations at the National Military Command Center. Then he commanded the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, at Twenty-nine Palms, CA, where he developed the Desert Warfare Training Program used in training the Marines for deployment in Desert Storm and Desert Shield in Iraq. This was followed by his serving as the Commander of the First Marine Brigade in Hawaii. While there, he was promoted to Major General on July 8, 1991. His last assignment was in July 1991 when he assumed command of the Fourth Marine Division Reinforced at New Orleans, LA. He continued that assignment in New Orleans where he directed the reorganization of all Marine Reserve Forces into the newly designated Marine Forces Reserve. After serving there for four years, MajGen Livingston retired from military service in September 1995.

After his military retirement, MajGen Livingston continued living in New Orleans for 11 years and worked in the banking and development business. He was involved in the startup of an ATM company and also involved in banking, building high-rise structures and a 5,000 acre master-plan community in Biloxi/Gulfport, MS. He then moved to the Charleston, S.C., area where he is currently on the board of Beacon Community Bank. He retired from all employment in 2004.

MajGen Livingston and his wife, Sara, have been married 58 years and they have two children and three grandchildren. In his leisure time, he enjoys working out, traveling throughout the world and being involved in public affairs. He belongs to the Marine Corps League, the Washington Light Infantry, Society of Colonial Wars, Charleston Club and the Carolina Yacht Club. He serves as Chairman Emeritus and as an Honorary Board Member of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, a founding member of the Beacon Community Bank in Charleston, S.C., and an Honorary Life member of the German Friendly Society.

MajGen Livingston's conclusions about his military service are: "I feel like it gave me an opportunity to give back to the country, and it introduced me to the strength of the country and its' people. It has been a wonderful experience, and the Marine Corps has been the highlight of this experience." He would like people to remember him as someone who loved his country and enjoyed serving as a U.S. Marine.