Bernard E. Trainor (September 2, 1928 – June 2, 2018) was an American journalist and a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. He served in the Marine Corps for 39 years in both staff and command capacities. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he began working as the chief military correspondent for The New York Times. He was subsequently a military analyst for NBC. With Michael R. Gordon, he was the author of three accounts of American wars in Iraq, The Generals War (1995); Cobra II (2006); and Endgame (2012). Early life and military career Trainor was born on September 2, 1928, in the Bronx, New York City. In 1946, Trainor enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and served until his selection as a midshipman in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 1947. He then attended the College of the Holy Cross, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1951. He then went to The Basic School in Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, and after completion in December 1951, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division in Korea, where he served as an infantry platoon commander. Returning to the United States in September 1952, he served with the 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In June, 1953, he was assigned duties aboard the heavy cruiser , where he served consecutively as executive officer and commanding officer of the ship's Marine Detachment. During this two-year tour of duty, he was promoted to captain. Following sea duty, Trainor was assigned to the Personnel Department at Headquarters Marine Corps until 1958. He was then assigned as an exchange officer to the British Royal Marine Commandos. After a period of training in the United Kingdom, he commanded a company in 45 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade, on Malta. Upon completion of the exchange tour in 1959, he reported for duties with the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, where he served consecutively as a company commander in reconnaissance, anti-tank, and infantry battalions. In 1961 he was ordered to duties as an instructor with the NROTC unit at the University of Colorado, where he would also complete a Master of Arts degree in history. He was promoted to major in November, 1961. His next assignment returned him to