Archie Franklin Howard (January 29, 1892 – June 24, 1964) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general who is most noted as commanding general, 6th Marine Division during the Chinese Civil War. He also served as Island Commander at Guadalcanal and later at New Georgia during World War II. Early career Archie F. Howard was born on January 29, 1892, at Clay Center, Kansas, as the son of Wilbur A. and Susan Viola Howard. Following the high school, he received appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in summer of 1911 and graduated with bachelor's degree four years later. During his time at the academy, he was active in football and crew teams. Many of his classmates became distinguished general officers later: Arthur C. Davis, Francis S. Low, Lynde D. McCormick, Arthur D. Struble, Ralph W. Christie, John L. McCrea, Ralph J. Mitchell, Harvey Overesch, Pedro del Valle, Howard L. Vickery, Richard W. Bates, Henry P. Burnett, DeWitt Peck, Oliver H. Ritchie, James M. Shoemaker, Scott Umsted or Raymond R. Wright. Howard was commissioned on June 5, 1915, and ordered to the Marine Officer School at Norfolk Navy Yard for additional officer training, which he completed in December of that year. He was subsequently transferred to the Marine barracks at Mare Island Navy Yard, California and joined the Marine detachment aboard the cruiser USS Brooklyn in December 1916. The USS Brooklyn served as the flagship of the commander in chief, Asiatic Fleet, Vice Admiral Austin M. Knight, and Howard saw service in the waters off the coast of China, Japan and Russia. He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in April 1917, and, following his promotion to captain six months later, he assumed command of the Brooklyns detachment. During the ongoing Russian Civil War between Bolsheviks and White forces, Brooklyn was ordered to the Vladivostok, Siberia where Czechoslovak Legion fought with Bolsheviks. Howard and his detachment were ordered ashore in June 1918 in order to protect American consulate in Vladivostok, Siberia. His marines took part in the patrolling of the street together with Czechoslovak legions and other allied forces, but did not participate in the action against Bolsheviks. Upon his return to the United States, Howard was attached to the Marine Barracks Quantico in November 1918 and was stationed there for one year, before he was